Serves her right for being such a slut , Kate thought. She knew about Trevor and Darcy’s tryst, and she was going to think of a way to make them pay for it. But not tonight. Tonight she had other plans, ones that involved taking a certain boarding school girl down a notch. Make her remember what it felt like to be afraid.
“Mrs. Endicott, can you explain why it has taken so long for the Endicott Hotel to start construction? Is it due to the tragedies that occurred earlier this year? Can you expound on that?”
Questions were being shot at Kate and Kiki from every angle. Kiki nervously twisted her bloodred ruby ring around her long, thin finger. Kate wondered how they would explain the events that occurred at Ravenswood without turning the public—and potential investors—off about the property. But her mother was a master at spin control.
“This is exactly why we need to raise money for the Endicott and cut through the historical society’s red tape so that we can officially tear down Ravenswood,” Kiki spoke up to one of the reporters, her voice cutting across the party like a sharp bell. “It is a blight on this town. A town that my family—the Endicott family—helped build. The town of Hawthorne needs to move past the tragic events that occurred in that horrible monster of a place.”
Kate, never one to let the spotlight stray from her for too long, spoke earnestly into one of the television news cameras there to cover the function. “That’s why it’s the perfect time for the Endicott Hotel. We need light and beauty and a fresh start,” she said, smiling her all-American-girl smile, dimples deepening.
Finn called out behind her, “Putting makeup on a bleeding sore doesn’t make it pretty, Kate.”
Flustered, Kate spun around angrily.
“Who invited you here, O’Malley?” she hissed quietly so that the television crew and reporters wouldn’t hear, her perfect features darkening, her cheeks appearing sunken and hollow in the dim light of the black-tie affair.
“As a member of the historical society of Hawthorne, I have every right to be here. As you know, Misery Island is open to everyone.”
“Yes,” Kate said through her perfectly white teeth, “but this party is not!” She turned to one of the caterers and said quietly, “Could you please escort this man out of here?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Endicott, the next boat isn’t scheduled to take people back to the mainland for the next two hours.”
Finn grabbed a crab-stuffed mushroom cap off the caterer’s tray and popped it into his mouth. “Looks like you’re stuck with me, Endicott,” he said with his mouth full.
Kate looked at him with disgust and then turned away angrily, desperate for another reporter to talk to. There was no way this lawn boy would ruin her night. Misery Island was her territory. And anyone who got in her way would risk the consequences.
Finn should know that more than anyone , Kate thought, smirking as she remembered his pathetic effort to save Cordelia. Some people never learn .
Finn winked at Maddie, who watched his exchange with Kate from afar. She blushed and nodded, silently thanking him for taking the attention off her and her mother. Once again, Finn O’Malley to the rescue. It was becoming a trend. Yet she knew that by the end of the night she and Kate would come face-to-face. It was a meeting that both excited her and filled her with dread.
The party was hugely successful. Despite a few drunken outbursts and awkward questions directed toward Maddie and her mother, they enjoyed themselves immensely. Abigail may have enjoyed herself a little too much, as it had been a while since she’d had anything to drink, and the wine that evening was flowing freely.
“Maddie Crane,” Kate said, handing Maddie a glass. Maddie hesitated and then straightened up a bit and took the glass from Kate’s manicured hand. Kate smiled and raised her own glass to toast Maddie. “Nice to see you back home where you belong.”
Maddie toasted Kate back. “Luckily, I’m not here for very long, Kate, so you can cut the Welcome Wagon act.”
Kate smiled and took a sip of red wine. “Pity,” she said. “I must say, there’s always so much drama when you’re around. I wonder why that is?” Kate never let the smile slip from her face. She served up the barbs as sweetly as slices of apple pie. From anyone on the outside looking at them, they just appeared like two girls—childhood friends—catching up on old times. No one would ever have believed what had occurred on Misery Island over a year ago. What Kate had orchestrated, what Maddie had witnessed, and what Kate had made Maddie do.
Feeling slightly emboldened by either the wine or the fact that she was no longer under Kate’s thumb, Maddie said, “I guess it’s just the problem with the company I keep that gets me into trouble.” She was referring to the Sisters of Misery, but Kate didn’t let Maddie get the last word.
“I’ll say,” she said. “Ever since you took up with the gas station boy, your cousin, and our teacher, you’ve had quite the roller-coaster ride, haven’t you? Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some important people that I need to talk to. Be a doll and make sure that you and your boyfriends”—she nodded to Reed and Finn—“stay out of trouble and out of my way. Cheers, Maddie.” She raised her glass and turned abruptly, striding across the makeshift dance floor to a large group of impeccably dressed women.
It was nearing the end of the night, and Maddie needed some fresh air. She made her way over to a dark, quiet spot of the tent that overlooked Marblehead and Children’s Island. Children’s Island didn’t hold as many negative memories for Maddie as Misery Island did, but there was still the ominous presence that hung over the island like a dark, misty cloud. Tess had told her about the legends. That the island was used as a place to treat patients with smallpox in the 1700s and then became a sanitarium for afflicted children in the 1800s. Even though it had been taken over by the YMCA in the 1950s—the pool and athletic facilities built on the exact site of the hospital that had been torched in the nineteenth century—it still gave certain people the ominous feeling of being deserted, forgotten, shunned. When Maddie was a child, Tess tried to explain the sadness that Maddie often felt when she returned home from summer camp on Children’s Island.
“Most people on that island knew that they would never return to their homes. They were sick with a contagious disease. They would never be accepted back into their communities,” Tess said, trying to help Maddie understand why she felt a sense of despair each day when she boated out to the island and the relief she felt upon her return home. “The problem is that the children that were sent out there didn’t understand why they were sent away. They couldn’t understand the abandonment by their families. That’s why their souls are still out there. They are waiting for someone they love to bring them home.”
Tess was speaking the truth. The rumors and legends of Children’s Island being haunted were known by everyone who grew up in the area. It was one of those campfire stories told over and over again, especially when the campouts were actually on the island itself. Even though Maddie never came across one of the restless spirits that so many people claimed to have seen—specter children running naked across the shore, crippled women soaking their limbs in the tidal pools, nuns wailing over the loss of the babies in their care, children with tiny crutches hobbling across the rocks—Maddie felt the oppressive nature of the place, even from a safe distance.
It was quiet on this side of the tent, the part that connected to the ruins of the old casino. Not too far from that spot was the last place she’d ever seen Cordelia. She wondered if she was the only one that night to realize the significance of the party’s location.
Who am I kiddi
ng? Maddie thought. Kate did all of this on purpose. She wants to show us all that she’s moved on and feels no remorse for that night out on Misery Island . She stared at the lights of the quaint town of Marblehead—a town so similar to Hawthorne and the other picturesque towns of the North Shore—and noted how it was lit up like a Christmas tree. She heard the waves churn beneath her at the jagged outcroppings of rock and wondered about Luke. And then she thought of Cordelia. She was lost in a slight wine buzz and the gentle warm hum of the electric heaters working at full blast when she sensed a person standing behind her. She felt warm breath on the back of her neck. If it was Finn, she decided she’d have to repay him somehow for shielding her and her mother from the spotlight. He probably expected some major sucking up.
“Maddie.” The husky voice said from behind her. She could hear the restraint in the voice. The hesitation and the desire.
It was Reed.
“Reed,” Maddie said quietly. She had noticed him throughout the night, moving about the party, looking uncomfortable as Bronwyn clung to his arm, laughing and chatting with well-heeled partygoers. His handsome face seemed weathered, almost defeated, as if Hawthorne had finally put him in his place and he was dutifully accepting the consequences. Every time she looked to see where he was, his eyes inevitably found hers. There was an invisible cord that seemed to tether them together as they circled each other like sharks throughout the night.
She turned to embrace her former teacher, her schoolgirl crush. Only now that he was no longer her teacher, it didn’t seem so strange that she would suddenly have the urge to kiss Reed Campbell, again and again and again. But she knew he was with Bronwyn, who was somewhere in the party looking exquisite: long blond hair swept up in a chignon, designer dress, four-hundred-dollar shoes. Who could compete with that?
“I’ve been thinking about something you said,” he said in a hushed tone.
“About the tarot cards?” She leaned in and could smell the sweet scent of his aftershave mixed with alcohol. He shifted his eyes back and forth from her eyes to her lips. He may have had too much to drink, which wouldn’t have been difficult that evening. His close proximity and the look in his eyes made Maddie feel even more tipsy than she already was.
“No, something you said before you left for Stanton. About waiting…for you.” His voice caught a bit when he said those last two words.
She inhaled sharply, suddenly overcome by emotions. Was it excitement? Desire? Fear? They all seemed to rush together.
The voices from the party swirled around her in a fog. They were tucked away out of sight, and yet for some reason Maddie felt exposed and on display. This both thrilled and frightened her. She suddenly wanted to be kissed by him, swept up in his strong embrace, and so much more.
He grabbed the back of her hair tightly and rested his hand against the back of her neck, pulling her against him. His mouth was only inches from hers, and his blue eyes peered into hers. She realized that she had missed everything about him. They were no longer bound by the restrictions of teacher and student, and suddenly she wanted him more than ever. And from the look in his eyes, Reed’s thoughts weren’t so innocent, either.
Slowly he leaned closer and gently kissed her. Yet when she felt the heat and passion in his kiss, mixed with hesitation, she began kissing him more passionately, letting him know that they shared the same feelings. Maddie could swear that she could feel the movement of the island beneath her feet. Everything else drifted to a faraway hum. All that mattered was right there between them. Nothing would come between them. Not the memory of Cordelia, not Bronwyn, not the Sisters of Misery, and not Abigail’s disapproval.
Nothing except…“Maddie,” Finn said sharply.
Maddie and Reed quickly pulled apart. She was flustered and looked around to make sure that no one else was witness to their impromptu display of affection.
“Hey, O’Malley,” Reed said lightly. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”
Finn nodded and looked at Maddie, acting like Reed didn’t exist. “You okay, Maddie?”
“Yeah, yes…um…sure,” Maddie said nervously. She looked back out toward the ocean, where the monstrous shadow of Ravenswood sat atop Hawthorne Hill. She could have sworn she saw a light in one of the windows—probably just a contractor working after hours. But it chilled her, because it almost looked like it was winking at her, goading her.
“Your mom wanted me to find you. She’s feeling tired and wants to head home. I can totally take her if you—if you’re not ready to go.” He fumbled over the words, while Reed shoved his hands into his jean pockets and looked uncomfortably back toward the party, noticing that Darcy—dressed in a dress similar to Maddie’s—was giving him an odd stare.
“No, no, I’m ready to go. I—I guess I’ll talk to you later, Reed,” Maddie said, peeling her eyes away from Ravenswood and trying to keep her voice businesslike, nonchalant. Their eyes met for one more brief second; then she brushed past him and back to the party. Finn did a two-finger salute to Reed with a cocky smile and then followed Maddie through the crowded party.
“What was that for? Extra credit?” Finn joked.
“Shut up, Finn,” Maddie snapped. “Just shut up.”
“Looked like A-plus work to me,” Finn continued to taunt. “Pity he isn’t your teacher anymore.”
“Enough!” Maddie said, trying to fight back a laugh. Only Finn could make a joke out of something as uncomfortable as getting caught making out with your ex-teacher, a lead suspect in your half sister’s disappearance, and the current boyfriend of the wealthiest, most powerful girl in town.
“Hey, at least you’re not getting graded on a curve.”
Maddie swatted him hard. “Where’s your jacket?” she asked, trying to change the subject and deflect any additional tauntings.
He shook his head. “Oh no, Crane, I’m not letting you off the hook that easy.”
She sighed and then continued into the party to find Abigail and go home to sleep off the craziness of that night.
“Your chariot, my ladies,” Finn said in a jovial manner as he helped Maddie and her mother into the launch boat. He seemed happier than he’d been in a long time. It pleased Maddie, but also made her a bit skeptical. What exactly put him in such a good mood? she wondered as the boat took them out onto the blue-black waters, heading toward home.
Chapter 13
NINE OF SWORDS
(Reversed)
Deception, premonitions and bad dreams, suffering and depression, cruelty, disappointment, violence, loss, and scandal. All of these may be overcome through faith and calculated inaction. This is the card of the Martyr and with it comes new life out of suffering.
I ’ m back on the island. The hum of people around me talking seems deafening. Everyone is looking at me and smiling. Why is everyone looking at me like this? I wonder. I feel different. As if I’m in someone else’s clothes, someone else’s skin. I try to look down, but it suddenly becomes clear that I’m only here as an observer—I have no control over my body or my actions.
My stomach drops when I see who Finn and Reed are talking to. They’re talking to me! How is that possible? Am I dreaming? I try to call over to them, but my voice won’t rise up over the sounds of the party.
I realize now that I’m sleeping, dreaming about the party. But why? I watch myself giggling and nervously talk
ing to both guys. For some reason, it makes me sick.
Then I turn away and see someone hunched over the icebox right outside the tent. I see the leather jacket and wonder how Finn was able to get over here so quickly. It’s freezing, but I move farther away from the tent. The waves are crashing loudly over the jagged rocks.
I close my eyes for a moment and when I open them, I see Darcy looking at me with intense fear. What’s wrong? I try to ask her, but the words aren’t coming out. I notice something on her face. Dirt and—what else is that? Blood?
Let me help you, I try to say, but I can’t make the words come. She shuffles away from me on the ground, looking at me in disbelief, as if I’m a monster. She inches herself closer to the edge of the island.
I look down at my hands and notice that I’m holding a heavy, steel tent stake. It’s covered in blood. Darcy’s blood.
Oh my God, Darcy! With everything that’s inside me, I try to move toward her and help her, but I’m helplessly stuck watching her cry and plead and beg. I can’t hear her words, but I know what she’s saying.
“Please don’t hurt me. I don’t want to die! I’m sorry!”
She’s screaming now. Why doesn’t anyone hear her? Why am I the only one here? Why is she screaming at me? I would never hurt her.
Suddenly, beyond my control, I move over to her.
Yes, that’s right, it’s over now. I’m going to help you, I think .
She looks at me with intense fear as I lift her to her feet. It’s that intense look in her eyes that stays with me as I shove her off the cliff and onto the jagged rocks below. Her lifeless body, hidden among the rocks, looks like a broken doll thrown carelessly on the floor. Her eyes are with me as I turn back to the party and try to scream. Darcy is dead! Why can’t you hear me! People nod at me as I walk back into the party. I grab a glass of champagne and fold into the crowd. I now realize that I’m trapped—trapped inside the body of a murderer. I just watched one of my oldest friends get killed by my own hands, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to change it.
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