Chapter 92 Ninety Two
DANIKA
My teeth chatter uncontrollably as I stand on Kira's front porch, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, my bare legs trembling.
I'm freezing.
The clothes on me are barely clothes at all. They are thin and skimpy, meant to show skin, not protect it.
My shoulders are exposed. My feet are numb in delicate shoes that were never meant for walking long distances.
Almost like she wanted me to freeze to death.
My breath fogs in front of my face. I hug myself tighter, nails digging into unfamiliar skin, and that's when it hits me again.
This isn't my body.
The reflection from the darkened window beside the door shows a girl I don't recognize. Sharper cheekbones. Strawberry blonde hair. A face that once pissed me off now staring back at me with fear.
Eve's body.
I swallow hard, my throat burning, and squeeze my eyes shut.
My mind flashes back to the other day when I hung out with Kira. She'd mentioned her place offhandedly. I hadn't thought much of it then. Why would I? Who would have known that my excellent sense of direction would save my life today?
Now it's the only reason I'm here. I don't have a phone. I don't have money. I don't even have a jacket.
When I woke up like this—in Eve’s body—panic had nearly swallowed me whole. I'd staggered out of the strange house, my heart pounding. I’d been terrified that Kaziel would see me and... and not know. Or worse—he would know but he wouldn’t believe me.
I'd walked. Every step had been agony. My feet screamed and my legs shook. The cold gnawed and gnawed. But Kira's house hadn't been far.
Thank the gods for that.
Still... what if she doesn't believe me?
What if all she sees is Eve—her enemy—standing on her doorstep half-frozen and unhinged?
My stomach tightens painfully at the thought.
I press my palm flat against the door, steadying myself as another shiver racks my body. My fingers feel stiff and barely responsive.
I draw in a shaky breath. Then I raise my hand and knock. Fear threatens to suffocate me as I wait for a response. I imagine turning away and collapsing. I imagine dying in the wrong body.
Just when my knees start to buckle, I hear movement inside. The door opens. Kira's eyes widen as they land on me. For a split second, all I see on her face is shock. Then it morphs into anger. And I know she sees Eve.
My lips part, my voice barely working.
"Kira," I whisper, my teeth chattering. "Please... it's me."
I sway, exhaustion crashing over me all at once.
"Please," I say again, tears burning in my eyes. "It's Danika."
For half a second, Kira just stares at me. Then her eyes glow even brighter with rage. The warmth spilling from the house feels like a cruel tease now, just out of reach.
"You have a lot of fucking nerve," Kira says coldly.
Her hand lifts, and the door starts to close.
"No—wait!" I gasp, lunging forward instinctively. My bare foot slips on the porch, pain jolting up my leg as I barely catch myself on the doorframe. "Please, Kira, don't—"
"Don't say my name like you know me," she snaps, her eyes blazing brighter. "You don't get to stand on my doorstep pretending to be a victim."
My knees buckle.
"I know you're angry," I say quickly. "I would be too. But I swear to you...this isn't what it looks like."
She lets out a humorless laugh.
I shake my head desperately. "Kira, please. I don't have anything. No phone. No money. No coat. I walked here. I didn't even know where else to go."
Her gaze darts down my shaking body.
"That proves nothing," she says. "You would absolutely stage this."
"I know," I whisper. "That's why I need you to listen."
"Say one thing," she drones, "one thing only Danika would know."
My mind races, panic freezing my brain. Think. Think—
"Kaziel hates chamomile," I blurt out.
Kira goes still.
"He pretends he doesn't like sugar in his coffee," I rush on. "But he always takes it sweet. Two cubes. And he taps the mug twice against the counter before drinking. Every single time."
Her lips part slightly.
"That's... not enough," she says, but her voice isn't as steady now.
I nod frantically, trying to remember something unique she must've told me. "Okay...okay. Um—you lost your virginity in Vegas at a club."
Her breath catches. "Shit."
My legs finally give out, but I don't hit the floor.
Kira lunges forward, catching me just in time, her arms solid and warm around me as I sag against her.
The sudden heat makes me gasp, a sob tearing out of my chest as my body starts to realize it's safe, at least for now.
"It's you," she breathes, horrified. "It's really you."
I cling to her, shaking hard. "She took my body," I sob. "Kira, she took my body. I don't know how, but I woke up like this, and I—I was so scared you wouldn't believe me."
"Shh—hey—no, no," she says quickly, wrapping me tighter in her arms and pulling me fully inside. The door slams shut behind us, sealing out the cold. "I believe you. I do. Gods, Dani..."
She presses her forehead to mine, her hands trembling now too. "You're freezing."
"I think she wanted me to die," I whisper weakly. "She dressed herself like this and left me with nothing."
Kira's jaw tightens, fury flashing across her face.
"She won't get away with this," she says darkly. "I swear it."
She scoops me up without warning, carrying me deeper into the warmth of the house.
"First," she mutters, already moving with purpose, "we get you warm."
I close my eyes, tears sliding down unfamiliar cheeks as my body finally stops fighting just to stay upright.
…
Kira has me wrapped in so many blankets I can barely move. Heat seeps back into my body slowly, needles of sensation pricking at my numb skin. My hands are cradled around a warm mug I don't remember her giving me. I'm not even drinking it. I just need something solid to hold onto.
I feel so small.
Across the room, Kira paces. She's been on the phone for the past few minutes.
"Kaziel," she says. "You need to listen to me. And you need to listen carefully."
My heart clenches painfully at the sound of his name.
"Yes," she continues, stopping near the window. "She's here."
I suck in a shaky breath.
There's a pause. Even without hearing his side of the conversation, I can imagine the exhale he releases.
Kira exhales hard. "No. Not her."
She turns slightly, glancing at me. Our eyes meet for a brief second before she looks away again, wiping away her tears.
"Danika," she says firmly into the phone. "Danika is sitting on my couch right now."
My throat tightens.
I can practically hear his disbelief through the silence.
"She's in Eve's body," Kira says bluntly. "And before you say anything…no, this isn't a trick. I tested her myself."
My fingers grip the blanket, my knuckles aching.
"She knew things Eve couldn't know," Kira continues. "Things only Danika would know. About you. About me. About things she'd never had access to."
Her voice softens, just a little. "She's freezing, Kaz. She walked here."
Tears blur my vision again. I stare down at the mug, my reflection warped in the dark liquid.
"She's terrified," Kira adds quietly. "And she's been body-swapped. Not possessed. Swapped."
My heart pounds faster.
Kira straightens suddenly. "No. You do not go near the woman in your house right now. Do you hear me?"
She starts pacing again, her free hand fisting in her hair.
"Because whoever is wearing Danika's body is not her," she snaps. "And from what Dani told me? Eve is getting bolder by the minute."
I flinch at the sound of Eve's name. She glances at me again, her gaze gentler this time.
"I have Danika," she says. "She's safe. For now."
My chest aches so badly it feels like it might cave in.
"She wants to see you," Kira adds. "But she understands that you need to be careful."
That's not entirely true.
I want to see him so badly it hurts. I want to hear his voice, feel his arms, and prove to myself that his soul still knows me, even like this.
But I also know he's in danger.
Kira listens for a moment, then she nods slowly. "Yes. That's the right call."
She exhales. "We'll figure out how to reverse it. Together."
The call ends.
Kira crosses back to the couch and sits beside me, pulling one of the blankets higher around my shoulders.
"He knows," she says softly. "And he believes me."
I let out a sob before I can stop it. I fold in on myself, clutching the blanket to my chest as everything I've been holding back crashes over me all at once.
"I want to go home," I whisper. "I want my body back. I want my mate. I'm so scared, Kira."
She pulls me into her side, holding me protectively.
"I know," she murmurs. "And we're going to fix this. I promise you."