Mystically, flames danced around me and the steady pace of the rain against the window pane soothed away some of the horrific memories of the night. Maybe this was what Bade had meant when he had said that beauty and love could be found in the ugliest circumstances. Although I was in a happy place, I couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. What had Papa Ghede meant by his warning? The only logical explanation behind the whole scenario was Ivan. But how would I stop him? He was more powerful than I had given him credit for. A firm knock on the door pulled me out of my reflective moment, and my head emerged from the bizarre red water. “Come in,” I said, figuring that it must be Grand-mere or Aunt Mae. The door opened and I was horrified to see Ivan standing on the other side. Clad in nothing but black boxer briefs, of course, he lazily leaned against the doorframe while a cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth. “What the hell, Ivan! Get out!”
