The line stayed quiet . Seeing that Mark didn't answer , I hung up . I was still turning everything over in my head when my grandmother and father walked in with a guest . The man had a head full of white hair , carried an old - fashioned wooden pipe , and trailed a pitch - black cat behind him . " This is my granddaughter , Kelsey , " my grandmother said to the old man , all worried . " Check her out . See if there's something off on her . She then turned to me . " Kelsey , this is the man I told you about . You can call him Ivor . " They welcomed him into the house . I couldn't help but feel that ever since the cat stepped inside , it locked its shiny eyes right on me and didn't blink once . I sat down , swallowed hard , and told Ivor everything that had been happening , including how my code kept getting copied , how my ideas were stolen , and how Nicole even seemed to know random thoughts in my head . But I left out the part about being reborn . Ivor said , his smile slipping into something serious , " So , you're telling me your thoughts are being taken without you even noticing ? " The way he stared me down made me shrink a little . But I still nodded . ade He didn't ask anything else . He just drew a deep pull from his pipe , then let out a stream of smoke . Only , the smoke didn't fade . It circled me , curling tighter and tighter until it all rushed into the necklace around my neck . That cat puffed up , hissed at me , and arched its back as if it were ready to fight . I froze , shivering so badly that my hands went numb , but I didn't dare move . " I - Ivor , what's going on ? " I asked , my voice tight . Ivor chuckled as if it was nothing and told me not to stress . He then pointed at my necklace . " Where'd you get that thing ? " My stomach dropped . By then , I already knew it wasn't just some harmless jewelry . " It was a gift , " I admitted quietly . " From my boyfriend . " I remembered it so clearly . I had met Mark at the campus entrance on my first day of college . I was new to the city and was shy around all the strange faces ; he was the only one who made me feel safe . By junior year , I asked him to be my boyfriend . He hesitated , but finally said yes . Then he gave me this necklace , saying it was a family heirloom and a sign of his approval . He told me I had to wear it all the time . Even after all those fights we had about Nicole , whenever I tried to leave him , he'd beg me to stay , and he'd always remind me , Don't take it off , or you'll bring bad luck on yourself . " After a year , I realized I couldn't take it off anyway . The chain had stuck to me as if it were welded shut . Ivor rested a hand on my shoulder . " This necklace is bad news . And I suggest you break up with your boyfriend . " My grandmother planted her fists on her hips , fuming . " That brat dared to hurt Kelsey ? Ivor , you have to fix this for her ! " I chewed my lip , my chest tightening . " What exactly is wrong with it ? " His eyes narrowed . " It's a kind of parasitic curse . It's cast in pairs , like a bond , with one being more dominant . Once the parasitic charm has been feeding off someone's life force for a year , the victim can never break free . " 1/2 416 Bonus No wonder I couldn't take the necklace off after wearing it for a year . He leaned closer , studying it carefully . " The reason that girl seems to know your thoughts is that she's carrying the dominant charm . Everything the parasitic charm learns from you gets sent to her , sometimes even before you act on it . " And once this thing drains you completely , it doesn't just leave you weak , but it also drags bad luck right into your life and causes you to die tragically . " His words slammed into me like a bucket of ice water . Mark never loved me . He only agreed to be my boyfriend because he wanted to use me . He saw my grades and knew I was smart , so he introduced me to Nicole so that he could plant the parasitic charm . That necklace was a trap , a setup so Nicole could steal everything that was supposed to be mine . That lying , manipulative jerk ! My eyes burned , tears threatening , but I held them back . Ivor clicked his tongue and shook his head . " Don't cry . I've got a way to fix this mess . "