What the hell is going on? Am I losing my mind?
I stared at Zack’s reflection, freaking out. I’d think it was a trick mirror, except it was my mirror. Why did he look like that?
Should I scream? Run?
My body felt frozen, I didn’t know what to do. When he turned around to face me, I almost peed my pants. He still looked human, but the mirror remained the same.
“How about that coffee?” he asked with a smile.
“Uh, I actually remembered that I have to get up early t-tomorrow…”
“Of course. One coffee then. Are you okay?”
I forced a laugh. “Yes, absolutely.”
“Good. I really love your place by the way. Did you decorate it yourself?”
There’s a demon in my living room and he’s talking about the wallpaper? I have lost my mind.
“Yeah, I did. You know…I think I’m just going to pop down the hall and check that Lola got back okay. You never know with her.”
“What about that coffee? I’m sure if your friend is entertaining, she won’t want to be interrupted.”
I glanced at the door. Should I run for it? How far would I get? Even if Lola was home, I couldn’t lead this guy to her door.
“Yeah, but I should check. Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll be right back.”
Zack stepped in front of me, blocking my path to the door. “You are acting strange. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He stepped closer, studying my face. How could I be so stupid to invite him back here?
“Anna, you’re lying to me,” he said, his voice almost teasing.
“I think you should leave.”
Anger flashed in his eyes. “Really? And why is that?”
What was I supposed to say? Because I don’t think you’re human? Honestly, even if it made me look like a lunatic, I didn’t care. As long as it got him out of my apartment.
“I’d like you to leave.”
He got closer still. “Why?”
“Because…I don’t think…” I forced myself to look up at him. “I don’t think you’re who you say you are.”
A smile spread across his face. “No? What a coincidence. Because I don’t think you are either, witch.”
“What?”
Before I could process what he said, his face transformed, revealing the same visage I saw in the mirror.
Screaming, I backed off. It was real. He wasn’t human.
“What was the plan?” he asked.
“What? Who are you? What do you want?” I kept backing up until I hit the couch.
Zack cocked his head at me. He looked terrifying, his horns were almost scraping the ceiling and those eyes would haunt my nightmares.
“Seriously? Are you honestly saying you didn’t know I was a demon, witch?”
“Why do you keep calling me that?”
Zack’s eyes widened, then he threw his head back and laughed, the sound booming. “Oh this is priceless. A witch who doesn’t know she’s a witch. This will be easy.”
I turned to run for the bathroom, but Zack grabbed my arm, gripping it tightly. Swinging my free hand at him, I struggled against his grip.
His hand closed around my throat and he lifted me off the floor. I slapped at his arm, struggling to breathe.
Oh God, he’s going to kill me.
Zack leaned in close, his breath like sulfur. “I’m going to have fun with you.”
As the horror of that statement set in, he threw me across the room. I hit the far wall and crumpled to the floor. Pain overwhelmed me and I almost blacked out. But if I did, I was dead.
Zack made his way toward me, taking his time. I needed to do something, but what.
Forcing myself to sit up, I braced my back against the wall behind me. “Don’t do this.”
“Why not? It’s fun.”
Fun? Murdering someone was fun to him? Anger filled me. This creep was not going to kill me without a fight. I forced myself up and glared at him.
Chuckling softly, he said, “What are you going to do, sweetheart?”
In that moment, I had no idea, but another part of me did. My hands raised up as if someone else was controlling them. Using the fear and anger I felt, I seemed to channel it and light erupted from my hands. It struck Zack in the chest, driving him back.
He tried to fight against it, trying to get to me, but the blast was too powerful. Driven further back, his feet slid across the floor and he hit the far wall. I kept going, unleashing it all on him.
A scream erupted from his mouth as the light began to pierce his flesh, creating a gaping wound.
Then the light stopped and I fell to my knees feeling weak. Zack’s body slid down the wall. He was dead, a huge hole in his chest.
“What have I done?”