He couldn’t have killed my grandfather, right? Someone would have seen him. No one saw anything. Grandpa had a few drinks, walked out, and died. There were no marks on him. No one suspected anything outside of a natural cause or some hidden ailment.
But now I’m unsettled. Because now that I’m thinking about it, I can’t stop. And I can’t read any more of this journal. Alara’s voice is disturbing. Grandpa hassled her constantly about trying different energetic therapies, much like he did to me, but Alara was convinced that the problem wasn’t energetic—that it was real. And she was right.
And now, because no one believed her, I’ve done something terrible, and I can’t take it back. If Aric had something to do with my grandfather’s death, it’s my fault. No one will ever forgive me.
I set the journal down on my desk. I can’t be in here alone anymore. I find my phone and send a text to Kaius to see if he’s around. He replies, “Just watching dumb videos with your brother.” I smile and head out.
Marley is in the hallway, pacing in front of her door with her phone pressed to her ear. She barely looks up as I approach the elevator. She waves and continues chatting about lighting equipment or some other photographer-nerd thing.
Kaius’s door is open when I get there, so I walk right in. Jerod is slouching on the couch, watching a video of some guy destroying expensive tech. Kaius walks into the living room from the kitchen. “It’s been awhile since we’ve all hung out like this.”
Jerod glances over and throws up a peace sign. I want to ask him how he’s doing, but I don’t at the same time. He looks gloomy though, so I’ll take that at face value.
“I’m going to Scotland,” I announce.
Jerod turns away from the video. “Whoa! Yeah? When are you leaving?”
“I don’t know. I was thinking this weekend, but I haven’t booked anything yet.”
“That’s awesome, sis,” Kaius says. “I’m glad you’re going somewhere, finally. What did Dad say?”
“He pitched a fit.”
Jerod rolls his eyes. “Of course he did.”
Kaius scoops his tablet off the sofa. “We’re going to book the flight now. No excuses.” He sits down next to Jerod and pulls up some websites. “You’re flying first class, of course. Can’t have our sister slumming it in coach.”
I grin and sit down on the arm of his couch.
He flicks me. “Didn’t your mom teach you anything? You can’t sit there. You’ll break the couch.” I start to stand, and he laughs and tugs me back down. “Who cares?”
Griffin comes in through the still-open door, bags of takeout in his hands. “I intercepted the delivery guy. Hey, Jade! Haven’t seen you in here in a while.”
“Right?” Kaius says without looking up from the tablet. “Thanks, man.”
“What are you guys up to?” Griffin dumps the bags on the coffee table and starts spreading containers out.
“Booking a flight to Scotland,” Kaius mumbles.
“Yeah? For when? Am I going?”
Kaius looks up, eyebrows raised. He looks from Griffin to me, and I shrug. “Okay. Two tickets for Saturday.”
“Saturday? Is that okay, boss?” Griffin asks.
Kaius snorts. “Sure, why not? I’ll cover for you.” He nudges me with his elbow. “Where to in Scotland?”
“As close to the haunted woods as you can get me,” I reply.
He laughs. “Nice. You would want to go there.”
“We don’t have enough silverware,” Griffin says. He gets up and heads to the kitchen.
Jerod leans forward and waggles his brows at me. “Going on a trip together so soon?”
I shake my head, but I smile. “It’s not like that. Honestly, we’re one hundred percent in deep friendship territory.” And I’m not sure how I feel about that. Things have been such a mess, I haven’t really taken the time to think about it.
“You know,” Kaius says, “I hear all the best and longest-lasting relationships are built on deep friendship.”
I laugh. “Shut up.”
Griffin hands me a package of plastic silverware and a paper plate.
“Wow.” I shake the items in Kaius’s face. “What kind of rich bastard are you?”
He laughs. “What? I’m not doing dishes.” He sets the tablet down and reaches for his own set of plasticware. “All booked. You’re leaving in the afternoon, after Granddad’s funeral. I forwarded you both the details.”
“I didn’t give you my card,” I say.
He tosses me a grin. “My treat.”
“Aww.”
“Yeah, aww,” Griffin echoes.
Kaius points at us both. “Shut it.”
A light, fluttery feeling expands in my stomach—nervousness, mixed with excitement. I’m finally going overseas. I’m going to have company. And I’m sitting in here with my brothers and Griffin, just hanging out and doing absolutely nothing. For the first time in probably over a decade, I feel like a real member of this family.
I push away any lingering negative thoughts and dive into the assortment of Italian food.
We talk about nothing. We talk about traveling. And we laugh periodically at whatever video Jerod has pulled up on the screen.
I just let myself relax and be in the moment. At least for tonight.
25
Reading of the Will
The whole family is crammed into the conference room, even Kaius’s mom, Vivian. She sits between me and Kaius, squeezing both of our hands, looking glamorous as hell in a designer pantsuit that probably cost more than the first-class tickets to Scotland. Her shining chestnut hair is pinned elegantly behind her head.
My own mother sits across from us and occasionally narrows her eyes in Vivian’s direction. Vivian sees this, I know she does, but she ignores my mother completely.
Malcolm and his associate stand in the front of the room, going over my grandfather’s estate. We have a meeting about all this twice a year, so everyone already knows what it says. But now it’s official.
Aunt Cece sits at the opposite end of the table, dabbing her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. Grief is built up inside me, like a giant, squishy ball wedged between my spine and ribs. It’s stuck there, trapping all the tears.
My grandmother shakes her head the whole time, her face pinched and streaked with earlier tears. As soon as Malcolm finishes up, she’s escorted from the room by my father. My mother stalks out after them, but I have a feeling she’s just going home. Or shopping.
Vivian stands and gives my brothers and me a tight hug. Arthur crosses over to us, and Vivian exchanges a hug with him as well.
“What did the autopsy say?” Vivian asks, her ageless features painted with concern.
“Nothing,” Arthur says, with a rueful shake of his head. “His heart just…gave out.”
“They didn’t give a reason?”
“Old age.”
She sighs. “I’m so sorry, Arthur. You know how much I loved him.”
Arthur nods and throws an arm around his wife when she steps up beside him. “He loved you, too. You’re still his favorite.” They both laugh a little. “I’m just glad I was here,” he continues. “That I got to spend so much time with him.”
“Are you heading back to New York soon?” Vivian reaches into her tiny purse and whips out a tissue for Aunt Cece.
“We’re going to see Enid off to Europe, and then come back for a few more days to help Mom out.”
Vivian shakes her head. “That poor woman. Is she going to stay on the property?”
“Yeah, she plans on it.”
We filter out into the lobby and start for the elevators.
“Do you have to rush out?” Arthur asks Vivian. “We’re going to head downstairs and hang out at the bar for a bit.”
“I can absolutely stay,” Vivian says. “I’d love to join you guys. We need to catch up.” She nods over to Enid, who’s thumbing through her phone. “How exciting for her. We’ll have to catch up again when she gets back.”
/>
Arthur mashes the down button between the elevators. “Definitely.”
Jerod leans in close to Kaius and whispers, “Don’t let me drink too much, okay?”
“I got you,” Kaius says.
Arthur presses the button again and looks at the lights above the elevators.
“I still feel like trash, you know,” Jerod says.
“I think the elevators are jammed,” Arthur says.
“Both of them?” Cece asks.
He pushes the button again. “Looks like.”
We cross the lobby to the other set of elevators. Arthur pushes the button, and nothing happens.
“That’s strange,” he mutters.
“These are out too?” Cece sniffs and blows her nose on the tissue.
“I guess so.” Arthur glances down at Vivian’s heels. “Mind taking the stairs? I don’t know how long it’s going to take to get these moving again.”
“Hon, I could run a marathon in these.” Vivian starts for the stairs first, and the rest of us follow. It’s a long way down, but I don’t think anyone wants to sit around in the lobby after listening to Grandpa’s final wishes and such.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in here. The main and residential staircases are wider and have fancier elements than the utility one. The rails are an immaculate, polished gray. The walls are mostly white, but a band of silver tile cuts across the middle section of each floor. Bright squares of light hang from every corner. There isn’t a shadow in sight. I used to hide in here during games of hide-and-seek a long, long time ago. We would cut the lights, find flashlights, and be as loud as we wanted.
We get down the first set, walking side by side, two and three at a time, chatting about what kind of drinks we want to get and catching up with Vivian. Our footsteps echo around us.
As we approach the third set of steps, the temperature changes, from quite cool to stuffy and warm. I stop for a second, causing Enid to almost bump into me. She pushes on my back, and I continue.
“Do you want to check the elevators again?” I ask.
Arthur laughs. “Afraid of a little exercise, kid? You know, in my day, we didn’t have elevators.”
Kaius rolls his eyes, but everyone laughs. Because it’s completely untrue.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jerod says. “And you had to walk to school in the rain.”
“With only one shoe on,” Enid adds.
“We know how rough you had it,” Kaius says. “You old men had to slum to school in a regular limo instead of a stretch.”
Arthur snaps his fingers and winks at us. “Exactly. So embarrassing. Our father said it would build character, but I don’t know…I’m still scarred from it. I can still hear the other kids laughing at us. You know, there was a girl in my class who would get dropped off in a limo truck.”
“What?” Jerod snickers. “That does not exist.”
“I swear!”
We round the fifth set, and the air has become thick and humid. I wipe beads of sweat from the tip of my nose and glance around. Everyone else looks a little warm as well, but no one says anything. It’s almost suffocating.
Our uncle continues to spin wild tales about his school days. But his voice is soon drowned out by a deep, slow hissing. It fills the entire stairwell.
My heart skips a few beats, and I stop again. This time Enid crashes into me. I start to fall forward, but manage to catch myself on the railing. Kaius slows down and reaches out to steady me.
“Whoa, you okay?”
Arthur and Vivian keep walking.
How do I tell everyone we need to turn back without sounding crazy?
Arthur misses the next step and goes tumbling down the stairs. Vivian cries out, and the sound intermingles with the hissing and causes a buzz in my ears.
Enid shoots around me, and everyone else hurries after Arthur while I continue to stand there, gripping the railing while my heart beats too quick and out of control.
Enid’s shrill screams get my feet moving again. Those are followed by panicked cries from Aunt Cece.
Uncle Arthur tumbled down three floors. His body is twisted at a couple of unnatural angles on the next landing, and blood leaks out from under the back of his head. Jerod looks up at me, and I know what the verdict is before I see the horror in his eyes.
26
Something Like Sickness
After Arthur’s body has been carted away, and after Enid and Cece stop crying long enough to be chauffeured back to the mansion, I sneak away to the tunnels. I keep replaying the fall in my head. Did something look off? Wasn’t the way he was stepping down a little unnatural? Didn’t he extend his foot a bit too far?
But I didn’t see anything suspicious. And I don’t want to burst into the cavern throwing accusations. Any why not? You don’t owe him anything. Don’t I, though? I wouldn’t have known the truth without him. But…
My steps slow as I approach the silver door. It’s wide open, and green mist billows slowly out through the opening. It’s warm and thick and coats my skin as I enter the room.
Aric kneels in the empty space that used to hold his prison, his hands flat on the stone before him.
My breath moves quick and hard through my lungs.
Suddenly, he smiles. “I’ve missed you.”
“My uncle is dead.” I step further into the room. “My grandfather, too.”
“Yes. A price must be paid.”
My throat constricts. “You didn’t.” My voice is barely above a whisper.
He lifts his head and opens his eyes. The shadows move in the cloudy one. The sight of it makes my skin crawl.
“I’m sorry to have kept it from you, but you wouldn’t have freed me had you known.”
My knees buckle, and I collapse on top of a handful of scattered coins. “You killed them.” The rugged edges cut into my knees, but my brain barely registers the pain.
He stands and stretches. “Jade, dear one, I had to. I’m confined to this property until all the men are dead. It was awful being in that prison, and I’m thankful it’s gone, but I don’t want to languish here.”
I choke on the tears that won’t fall. “Oh my god.” I cover my face with my hands.
“I’m not going to hurt you, of course. And I still want to help you be stronger than you can imagine. But to help you, I need strength, and to gain strength, I need their lives.”
Dry sobs roll over my chest.
Aric lowers himself to the floor beside me and rubs a hot hand over my back. “I know you’re distressed now, but I am doing you a favor by getting rid of them. I’m freeing you. Can’t you see that they deserve it? Think of what they’ve done to you. To your aunts. Think of what was done to Megara. Do you think she deserved that?”
My eyes sting.
“Jade? Do you?”
I shake my head.
“No, she didn’t. The men in this family have caused so much pain. Just so what? So they could keep me their prisoner? So they could sit on their secrets while their sisters and daughters suffered and died, and I wasted away?” His hand curls around my shoulder and tightens. “They deserve their fate, Jade. You’ll come to see that I’m right.”
A heaviness grows in my stomach, warm and unsteady. “But Arthur didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Didn’t he? Who told you about Alara’s journal?”
“Arthur—”
“And how long exactly do you think he’s known about it?”
I shake my head again. “No, he just found out about it—”
“Did he?”
“Yes!” I place a hand over my midsection. I feel sick. I push his arm from my shoulder and push myself to my feet. “He didn’t know. He would have told me.”
“Are you so sure about that?” The shadows continue a slow dance in his cloudy eye. I turn away from it. “Regardless, I think you know in your heart that he could have told you so much more. He could have done more. He could have helped ease some of your pain. He let your parents isolate you and poison yo
u. He stood there and did nothing. Don’t make excuses for that. He may not have put the chains on your wrists and the shackles on your ankles, but he watched your father do it, and that’s just as bad.”
I slide my hands over my face. I can’t listen to this. I can’t listen to him talk about my uncle that way.
“Stop lying to yourself.” Aric’s breath brushes against my cheek. “All the times he talked to you about Alara, you thought he was doing you a favor. But think about it, Jade. Really think about it. When did he ever tell you the truth?”
I leave without a word or backward glance and hurry up through the tunnels.
“I’m not your family, Jade!” His voice echoes after me, heavy and angry. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m going to help you!”
I run through the office when I get there and ignore all the strange looks people throw me as I speed through. The tears start the moment I step off the elevator. My legs give out again when I reach the bathroom, and I cough and puke into the toilet.
My heart burns, and each hard pump sends pain into my veins. I curl up next to the toilet and cry. Aric’s voice sighs around me, sliding over the cold tiles and warming everything beneath me.
He’s getting stronger. That’s what he meant by his hearing being temporarily duller.
He’s getting stronger because he killed my uncle and grandfather.
He killed them, and it’s all my fault.
27
The Whole Story
The office is closed today out of respect. But that also means I’ll have absolutely nothing to distract myself with. Aric still can’t speak to me, but I can feel his energy hanging off every corner like a ghost. I spend a couple of hours in headphones so I don’t have to hear the hissing. But I finally leave my room and bang on Kaius’s door at sunrise.
He answers it after several minutes, not looking much better than I do. His clothes are wrinkled, his hair is disheveled, and his condo is dark. Jerod rests on his couch, illuminated only by the light spilling in from the hallway.
Whisper Page 15