The ringing of the home phone downstairs woke me up the next morning. Cinnamon leaped off the bed just as I sat up and realized my room door was cracked. My parents must’ve opened it to keep an eye on me.

The silence as I walked downstairs into the living room led me to believe no one else was home. Peering down at the caller ID, I saw Lucas’s number and quickly picked up the phone.

“Hello? Lucas, are you there?”

A soft, feminine moan could be heard on the other end. The person who spoke made my heart collapse.

“Hello, darling.”

Hearing Cassandra’s voice caused me to swallow hard, and I couldn’t put together a coherent response even if I tried.

“Are you tongue-tied, love? You know, I tried calling your cell phone number, but a woman answered the phone. Was that your mommy? Aw, did someone get in trouble for being somewhere she shouldn’t have been?”

“Where is he?” I snapped, gripping the phone tightly. “What are you doing to him?”

“Oh, nothing yet. I was hoping we’d play a game since our fun last night was so rudely interrupted. How about I give you three hours to find Lucas? With each passing hour, I’ll touch him in a different spot. If you fail to find our location before the time’s up, my fingers will rub across a certain area that I’m certain will make him forget you even exist. Sound fun?”

My lips slid into a smirk. “Fine, I’ll play your game, but did you forget how easy it is to find anyone? All I have to do is go online and—“

“Oh, did you think I’d make it easy for you? Well, after some physical contact, I had my business partners take time out of their busy schedules to remove all traces of my location online. You’re going to have to try harder than that, love.”

Foaming at the mouth, I questioned how in the hell would I ever find her. Lucas’s life was in danger, and my confidence was fading. Fast.

“Since I’m such a good sport,” she started, “I’ll give you a hint. We’re at my favorite place in New York City. The clock’s ticking. I hope to see you soon, Ali.”

The beep of the call disconnecting left me in turmoil. Pacing back and forth, I gripped the sides of my head hoping to squeeze out a plan. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that I decided to dial Janet’s number.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Janet, it’s Aliyah. Thank God I remembered your number off the top of my head. Um, this is gonna sound really, really crazy, but a woman kidnapped my boyfriend, and I need your help finding him.”

“Um, okay, that does sound crazy. Before I agree to help—'cause I am intrigued, believe me— I have to ask, why don’t you just call the police?”

“’Cause the woman holding him hostage has abilities like us. She’d kill them like it’s nothing. Not to mention I’m already in enough trouble, so I don’t wanna involve the police.”

“Makes sense, I guess. Alright, let me finish making breakfast for my grandpa and then I’ll be right over.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Okay. Please hurry.”

The call ended, but my frustration was just beginning. I felt more hopeless with every passing second while waiting for Janet’s arrival. It took thirty minutes before there was a knock on the door. I sprang off the couch and rushed to open it.

“You ready to kill a chick?” Janet asked with her laptop in hand.

“Maybe, but we need to hurry,” I said, pulling her inside. “I got in big trouble last night and I shouldn’t have anyone over. No one’s home right now, though, but they might come back any minute.”

We walked upstairs into my room. Janet locked the door before sitting on the bed next to me and opening her laptop.

“Okay, can you start from the beginning? Like, who is this woman and why would she kidnap your boyfriend?”

“’Cause she’s a promiscuous whore, that’s why. Lucas and I met her at a club last night, and while he was performing, I stopped her from killing another woman. Her name’s Cassandra Blackwood.”

Her brows shot up in surprise. “Whoa, you’re talking about that influencer lady? No offense, but why would she want Lucas?”

“To get to me. She got all psycho after I stopped her and now she’s trying to destroy my life. To be honest, I think she’s possessed by a demon, even if I couldn’t sense one influencing her. There weren’t any of them lurking around the club last night, surprisingly, but she had this ability that allows her to control someone if she touches a part of their body. She can even make you have sexual desires for her.”

Janet chortled. “Did you experience this first-hand?”

“Ugh, can we not talk about it?”

“Hilarious. Maybe she was able to get you that way because you’re sexually attracted to her.”

“Not at all, trust me.”

She shrugged. “If I can do this,” a ball of fire manifested at the tip of her index finger, “it doesn’t surprise me that someone out there has the ability to peak a person’s libido.”

I exhaled with the intent of blowing out the fire, but my breath only made the flame grow larger. Jumping back in response, I exclaimed, “Put it out.”

“Well, that wasn’t smart to begin with,” she said, extinguishing the fire at will. “Anyway, I have Cassandra Blackwood’s recent updates on my screen, but nothing showing where she would be today. Do you have any information or clues that could help us find her?”

“She told me she’d be at her favorite place in New York City. I wouldn’t know where the hell that is ‘cause I’m not a fan of hers, but if anyone would know where she likes to stay and seduce people, it’s a girl named Robyn who goes to our school. Cassandra mentioned that she was a fan of hers.”

“Then that’s who we need to see.”

I objected with a wiggle of my finger. No way was I ever asking her for help.

“Janet, I wanna find Lucas, but I’m not bringing Robyn into this. I wouldn’t even know how to find her in the first place.”

“Uh, online?” she questioned in a sarcastic tone. “She’s our only hope at this point. We need her.”

“Fine, whatever. Do what you gotta do.”

She began scanning multiple search engines, her fingers pressing down on the keyboard with haste.

“I think I found her. What’s her last name?”

“Rose. Lucas told me in a text a few days ago.”

“There.” She highlighted an address on the screen. “The site says Robyn Rose lives here. It’s only a ten-minute drive.”

“Alright, give me twenty seconds.” I got up and rummaged through my clothes inside the closet.

“Cool. I’ll be in the car,” she replied, walking out of the room.

I changed into my outside attire and grabbed my gray leather jacket. Before leaving, I felt the urge to peek in Mya’s room in hopes of finding any signs of her manifested desire. The light of the sun beaming through the tangerine curtains shined on a particular drawing that was displayed on the white wall of the room. Feeling entranced by it, I walked inside and gazed at the picture.

“This is amazing,” I mumbled in fascination. The drawing was of two figures who shared a striking resemblance to Mya and Quest. Both were surrounded by other figures that appeared to be dancing and conversing with smiles on their faces. The background matched the inside of the club we had been to last night, with even the smallest detail of the place coming alive. It all made me recall the moment when Mya told the family that she needed to be inspired before drawing anything.

“I have to make things right,” I mumbled to myself. “I have to be a better sister.”

The sudden beep of a car horn took me out of the moment. I left the room and walked downstairs to see Cinnamon sitting near the front door.

“You’re in charge, girl,” I told her while rubbing her head. Her tail wagged rapidly in response.

With less than two hours remaining, the pursuit of Cassandra Blackwood was on. Unfortunately, I first had to negotiate with the person I hated the most.

Robyn.