Jazz music still rang through Jules's ears as her heels clicked against the French Quarter concrete. Her vision faded in and out of focus, her head spinning like a roller coaster at the moment it drops.
"He's such an ass," she muttered under her breath, concentrating on walking straight.
When she reached a nearby tree, her gaze drifted toward a small clearing that led down to a swamp. Something in her tugged her in that direction as she smoothed her silk dress. A crunch sounded behind her, and she jerked her head around. Cicadas screamed all around as her eyes scanned the trees, landing on a figure standing just behind her. Jules felt her heart drop before she squinted and let out a breath of relief.
"Leave me alone, Jasper," she said softly, but sharply.
Jasper didn't like her tone. He stomped toward her, loosening the tie around his neck. His breath reeked of cigars and whiskey. Jules stepped back, instinctively trying to put distance between them. For every step she took, he closed in, his dark eyes blazing with fury.
"I saw you with that guy," he snarled. "Dancing all over him." His fingers clenched tightly around a half-empty bottle of Old Taylor. Her body began to tremble as he gritted his teeth.
Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her into him. Sweat dripped from the ends of his hair.
"You're a dirty whore, you know that?" he hissed into her ear before shoving her away. She fell hard into the grass.
Jules yelped in pain and tried to sit up. Before she could even stand, he was on her again—this time his hands wrapped around her throat, pressing down with crushing force. It felt like a ton of bricks slammed into her neck as his weight forced her deeper into the dirt. She whimpered beneath his grip, her small palms pounding weakly against his sides. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. His eyes were dark and hollow, staring through her as if she weren't even there.
The world began to blur. In that moment, she knew she just wanted it to end, to be dead.
She braced herself for her last breath.
Then Jasper froze.
His eyes widened in terror.
Before she could react, blood trickled down from his neck, warm against her skin, as a torn flap of flesh brushed her cheek. Paralyzed, she felt his weight collapse onto her, blood soaking into her clothes and skin. Jules screamed, shoving at him desperately. Summoning all her strength, she rolled Jasper off her and scrambled to her feet, sprinting blindly toward the cathedral.
She ran until her foot caught on something unseen. She fell hard, her skull striking a jagged rock. The world tilted violently as darkness crept in, her vision rolling back.
And then she felt it.
A sharp, searing pain pierced her neck.
She screamed.
Drunk on agony, the world dissolved into nothing but blackness, and the high, shrill ringing in her ears.