“Your father is coming.”
“Shit.” I turn around to close the safe and realize I don’t know how.
“There’s a lever inside to the right. Pull it.”
It’s small, probably no wider or longer than my pinky. I tug it down and a second later the door slides shut and the lock rolls back into place. I slam the shield against the wall and quickly slap the post-it note and Alara’s letter into the velvet box. I guess I’m taking all this with me. I hightail it out of the room and make it to the elevators just as the opposite ones ding and my father steps out into the office.
I stash the velvet box into my coat and ignore him. He’s so consumed with whatever he’s looking at on his phone that he barely notices me. I get a stray wave, and then he reaches his office. That’s when I remember that I forgot to lock it.
The elevators open, and I hurry inside. He turns around as the doors close, his eyes wide with confusion.
Dammit. I breathe out and run my hands down my face. I put everything back, right? If I did, I have nothing to worry about.
Just in case he comes looking for me, though, I hide in Marley’s unit. I need to check on Oscar anyway. I collapse to the floor beside his pen and wait for my heartbeat and breathing to return to normal.
Oscar squeaks for some hay. I dump a handful near his feet before standing up and moving over to one of the colorful windows.
So many secrets.
So many lies.
So much bullshit.
My eyes burn with unshed tears. I’m too angry to cry. I’m too angry to scream. All I want to do is smash a vase over my father’s head.
Fine. Alara wants me to find answers. She wants me to get to the bottom of this. I will. My hands tighten into fists. “How do I let you out?”
His voice is beside me in an instant. “Jade…these words mean everything to me. I am eternally grateful to have earned your trust.”
I watch the world below me. I watch the cars and the people. The sky is a perfect dreary gray above us all. “What do you need me to do?”
“I need Fallon. I need you to bring her to me.”
I turn to the voice, even though there’s nothing there. “Why? Why not someone else?”
“It needs to be Fallon. Jerod loves her. Because of this, I need a little of her blood.” The voice moves around me. “It’s a simple ritual. Just a little cut. A little blood. Then it’s over.”
I hesitate. “It’s over?”
“We will both be free.”
“And Fallon?”
“It’s just a tiny bit of blood…”
There’s a heavy feeling in my gut. I still don’t know what he is. And Alara said she didn’t trust him. But I’m not Alara. Or Sahra. Or anyone else, and I’m not going out like that.
My resolve stiffens. He’s either real or he isn’t. This ends with me.
“I’ll do it. I’ll bring her to you tomorrow.”
My father corners me the instant I step out of the elevator. “Why were you snooping around in my office yesterday?”
I clutch the coat slung over my arms tighter and then shrug and speed around him. He follows me and stands square in front of me as I sit down and pretend to be busy, turning on the computer, checking the messages, straightening a stack of envelopes. Why do I have envelopes on my desk? I don’t mail anything.
“Jade?”
“Hmm?” I avoid eye contact. I knew it. I left hair or greasy fingerprints or something on the shield.
He leans in and speaks very slowly. “Why were you in my office?”
“Why do you think I was in your office?” I pull up the address to the passport office and jot it down.
He sucks in a sharp breath. “Were you looking for anything specific? Divorce papers maybe?”
I finally look up. “Divorce papers?”
He sighs. “I know you heard us fighting the other day.”
So he doesn’t know I was in the safe? I relax a little. “Did Mom file for divorce?”
“No.” A look of annoyance pinches his features. He scratches his jaw. “We’re not breaking up.”
Well, they should. I tuck the address in my coat pocket, next to my folded-up birth certificate.
He narrows his eyes at my face, trying to study me. “Have you been hearing voices again?”
“Wow. Really?”
His seriousness is written all over his barely-aging face. “You’re acting strange.”
“Okay. Based on what?”
“You’re moody. You’re sneaking around my office. You’re tired. I know you’re not pregnant, so the next obvious guess is that you’re struggling with your symptoms again.”
“You have got to be kidding me.” Anger curls around my chest. It’s taking all the strength I have not to scream at him or throw something in his face. “I am not hearing voices. Things in my head are perfectly silent.”
He clenches his jaw. “Jade, this isn’t a game. If you’re having symptoms, we need to call your doctor.”
I grab my coat and slide out of my chair. “I have errands to run, and I’m sure you have a lot of important crap to do. We have nothing to talk about.”
He steps in front of me as I walk around the desk. “Where are you going?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“You’re on the clock.”
“So? It’s eight in the morning. I’ll be back in an hour.”
The elevator dings and Astrid steps into the lobby. She hurries around the corner to her desk, her eyes wide behind her glasses.
“Listen to me,” my father says. “Don’t mess with things you don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand?” I fold my arms over my chest and give him a chance to elaborate. “I’m listening. What do I need to know?”
He stares at me, his eyes hard, his lips pinched.
“What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I’m hiding something from you? Do you think I’m spiraling out of control? Are you scared you’re going to come to the office one day and find me dangling from the top of the building?”
He’s silent so long, I just push past him and leave. I gave him a chance. He blew it.
My steps are lighter as I reenter the building. I finally feel the benefit of being a part of this family. My passport will be ready tomorrow, and someone will deliver it in the morning. When the elevators open, an arguing couple steps out. No. Not a couple. Fallon and Logan. My smile drops from my face.
“He has to come first—” Fallon’s voice dies when she sees me, and guilt passes over Logan’s face.
Thick silence stretches between us and expands until Fallon’s phone rings. She excuses herself and slips away to a corner.
Logan doesn’t make eye contact with me. He swallows hard. I ignore the elevator and turn glaring eyes to his face.
His chest rises with heavy breaths. “Do you know?”
“Yes.”
He drops his head.
Some of my annoyance is displaced by gratitude for Griffin. I so wish I could have been there when they were talking about it.
“Are you going to tell Jerod?” Logan sounds so forlorn. My good mood starts to return.
“I don’t know.”
Fallon comes back over and darts her eyes back and forth between us. “What are you guys talking about?”
Logan shakes his head and continues to stand there, defeated. At least he seems to feel bad about it. Good. He should feel bad. I hope he’s miserable.
“Actually, Fallon.” I force myself to smile at her. “I was hoping you could take a walk with me.” Sure, I’m supposed to be working, but I’m not going back up right now.
Her eyes widen and fill with suspicion. “Um…okay?”
“Unless you’re too busy.”
She glances down at her phone. “No. Um…I was supposed to have lunch with Jerod later, but he just called to say that he couldn’t meet up with me because he has a lunch meeting with some investors or something. I was going to go shopping, but I guess that can
wait.”
Logan starts to slink away, his tail tucked tight between his legs.
“Great.” I link my arm through Fallon’s and pull her out through the front and around the building to the utility door. “Let’s have a chat.”
18
A Long, Cold Walk
Fallon’s fake nails dig into my arm. “Where are we going?” Her voice trembles and echoes off the narrow stone walls. I say nothing and force her along. Sighing fills the tunnels.
“There’s no light in here.” Her high-pitched whine sounds above the hissing in my head. “Jade? You’re not going to lock me down here, are you?”
“Why on earth would I do that?”
Her lower lip pokes out. “I don’t know…you don’t seem to like me very much. It’s kind of frightening that you’re suddenly being so nice to me.”
We reach the silver door, and I tighten my grip on her arm to keep her from running off. The wheels spin at my touch, and I drag her forward and activate the lights. Her struggling abates at once, as gold and wonder fill her eyes. I drop her arm, and she floats deeper into the cave.
“Oh my god…” She rushes over to a chest full of necklaces and digs her hands in them.
“What do you need me to do?” I go ahead and speak out loud. Fallon is far too preoccupied with pawing a tiara to notice I’m talking to myself.
The coiled energy shifts in its prison. “Bring her to the block…”
“And do what?”
“Bring her…closer…”
I can almost visualize him pacing behind those bars, impatient and famished like a lion. My voice locks for a moment. “What’s going to happen?”
“What?” She looks over at me, the tiara on her head and diamond bangles on her arm. The image of her entangled with Logan behind the building fills my mind.
“This way.” I move down to the stone slab. “Sit for a second.”
Her brows shift up her forehead, but she starts towards me. “Is this where you tell me not to hurt your brother?” She props herself up on the slab and brushes bits of debris off her bright green shorts and pink zebra-print leggings. “I’m not going to hurt him. He’s very important to me.”
I’m sure.
“Lies…” Green mist squeezes around the bars and reaches towards Fallon like spiny fingers. I back away.
She doesn’t notice. She gazes down at the diamonds and trails her fingers over them with care. “I just want you to know that. I feel like I made a bad impression, what with me wanting to be a model and your mom being a former model. I didn’t know that when I met him.”
I doubt it. Everyone knows who we are. Especially people like her.
“So many lies…”
The green mist locks around her waist, and she’s slammed onto her back. A few of the bangles go flying into the air, and the tiara crashes to the floor. She starts to scream, but the force of the movement knocks the wind out of her lungs.
My back muscles tense. That was a little rough. And…I didn’t know he could do that.
“I need you to make a small cut…”
“With what?” My voice wavers slightly.
“W-who are you talking to?” Fallon looks up at me, her eyes wide and full of fear. “What’s going on?”
“There are blades against every wall. Pick one.”
I walk away from Fallon and scan the dark corners for a knife or dagger. It doesn’t take long to find several. I pick a short, broad knife and free it from the dusty leather sheath. The blade shines in the low light. I inspect it and test the sharp edges with my finger. Blood wells up from my skin.
“Very good choice.”
I stick my finger in my mouth to stop the flow of blood and turn back to Fallon. She sees the knife and starts screaming and pulling against her smoky restraints.
“Please don’t kill me! Oh my god! Please!”
“Calm down. I’m not going to kill you.”
Fresh tears spill onto the stone around her face as hard sobs roll over her body.
“Come closer.”
I hesitate. “This isn’t going to kill her, right?”
“Who are you talking to?” Her desperate cries rise another octave.
“You’re only a making a cut…just one single cut. I can assure you that it won’t be fatal.”
This is crazy. She’s going to tell everyone I tried to kill her. How do I explain that? “Can you wipe her memory or something when it’s over?”
“There is nothing to worry about…just make one cut…from crease to wrist…as shallow as you like…” The hissing grows louder.
“Who the fuck are you talking to? What are you doing to me? Let me off of here!”
“I will hold her still. Then it will all be over.”
I take a deep breath and think about my father. This is what the men in this family have been so afraid of. It’s not just about me. I have two brothers. Either one of them could have a girl. I have to end this so it doesn’t continue. So it can’t infect anyone else and ruin any more lives.
“Cut the arm closest to me…”
I approach Fallon and place a hand on her wrist.
Her screams turn to whimpers. Green smoke coats her entire body. I don’t know how he’s holding her down, but it’s working. Her muscles tremble, but she’s stopped flailing.
“Why do you need me to do this?” I ask, struggling to keep my voice steady.
“Please, don’t hurt me.” Tears trickle down her face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I did. Tell me what I did so I can fix it. Please…”
“I need a member of this family to sacrifice someone who is loved. She is toxic…she is the best option.”
“Sacrifice…”
Fallon screams.
“The spilling of her blood is the sacrifice…not her life. The willingness of your actions will help cut what binds me…”
I take another breath. It’s okay. She deserves it. I place the tip of the knife on the crease of her elbow and bright blood spills over her unnaturally tanned skin.
“Oh my god, you’re crazy! Stop, please stop…”
“Yessss…one cut…”
I drag the blade down, wincing as her screams reach a pitch that scrape against my eardrums. There’s so much blood. It drips over her arm and stains the floor. My hand shakes with the effort it’s taking to keep the cut light and straight.
“Yes…” His energy brushes against the metal walls of his cage.
My heart knocks against my ribs. I stop the blade when I reach my hand. Then I back away and let the knife clatter to the stone.
Her chest rises and falls with heavy breaths. Blood continues to spill out onto the floor. I did something wrong. She’s going to bleed to death.
“Aric—” The chains securing his prison pop off the wall, a loud and sudden sound that almost stops my heart. I retreat further away.
The metal box groans. Fallon starts screaming again. The bars over the door shoot off and fly around the room. A screech leaves my throat, and I duck as one comes flying at my head. Vibrations roll across the floor, toppling over treasure and chests and weapons.
The electric green smoke grows thick around the box and Fallon’s body. I stay crouched and crawl over to the wall.
The door cracks and gets pushed out by a rush of energy. The smoke gathers, cloudy and watery at the same time, and a strong, hot wind blows through the room. More treasure is blown to the floor and against the walls. A hissing roar builds and fills the air, followed by a near-deafening crunch of metal as the boxed prison starts to cave in on itself. The wind pulls my hair free from its loose braid, and the waves blow into my face, partially obscuring my vision.
Formless smoke spills out of the box and builds up, higher and higher, thicker and thicker, until the metal prison is nothing but a misshapen marble on the floor. Then the energy, all of it, dives into Fallon’s body.
Strange, gurgling sounds tumble from her lips. Her limbs jerk and her back bends to an unnatural angle. T
he bones crack and split from the force of what’s inside her.
Panic builds inside of me, causing my breath to come out quick and rapid, near to hyperventilating.
Her elbows bend back, and the sound of breaking bones reaches my ears.
I curl into a tight ball against the wall.
What have I done?
Veins expand over her face and down her neck, spooling out like ribbons. Something leaks onto her hair, starting at the roots. It’s like melted bronze, inky and shiny, spilling over the blonde, coating it, elongating it.
I cover my head and bury my face in my knees. Hard shudders shake my body. What am I going to do? I…killed her. Something heavy falls to the stone slab. I don’t look up. It doesn’t sound right. It sounds…wrong. Like a sack filled with oil. That’s not how a body is supposed to sound.
Footsteps start towards me, crunching over the debris. My heart skips a beat. I curl up as tight as I can. No…
Choked sobs squeeze out of my throat.
I’ve done something terrible. So terrible…
Something that feels very much like a hand drops to my shoulder. My breath catches.
“Jade…” A familiar voice lands on my ears. It sounds like Aric, but it isn’t accompanied by the usual hissing and heavy breathing. “Are you all right?” The hand rubs slow circles over my back. “I’m sorry to have freaked you out so badly. And I’m sorry to have misled you about my intentions. But I knew if I told you that Fallon would die, you wouldn’t bring her. And there was no way I was going to have you sacrifice anyone else.”
His energy wraps around me, thick and warm like a blanket. “Shh, it’s okay. Can you sit up a little? Can you look at me?”
I don’t want to. I never want to get up from this position. I don’t want to sit up and see that Fallon is gone. Gone because of me. God, I’m so stupid.
“It’s going to be okay.”
I find some weak and small version of my voice. “People are going to notice she’s gone.”
“No, they won’t. At least, not if you help me. Jade, I still need you to help me. It’ll be a little while before I have my strength back. I’ve been in there a very long time.”
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