Chapter 24 - Chapter 23

# Chapter 23

AYANDA

I step out of the shower and go to grab a towel, when I catch sight of my face in the mirror. Wet strands of my dark hair lie plastered to my shoulders and breasts. Droplets dot my skin around my collarbones.

I edge closer, unable to recognise the woman staring back at me. There's a new coldness in my eyes, one I haven't seen before. Something flashes in their depths, something cruel and vicious.

I grip the edge of the sink and lean closer, ignoring the goosebumps on my arms. With my nose this close to the mirror, my breaths steam it up. I cock my head, an inhuman quick movement that almost startles me, but also not. Whatever is awakening inside me has always been there.

Always waited for this moment to resurface.

What was once a still, glassy lake, is now a ripple of small waves that drift closer to the shore while whatever resides inside me shifts closer to the surface.

Vusi saw it when he first laid eyes on me, maybe even sooner. The swirling shadows inside him thickened in recognition.

Releasing a breath, I slide my finger through the steamed-up glass with slow, squeaky strokes while peering into the darkness that stares back at me.

I slowly notice the icy breeze and the bite of pain beneath my bare feet, and I look down to see my toes buried deep in snow. I'm suddenly frozen to the bone, shivering in the night.

Scanning the dimly lit road and the neighbours' houses, I swallow hard. My neck prickles as though someone is watching me.

I wrap my arms around myself to ward off the cold and shout, "I know you're out there, wena!"