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“Oh, you think I care about him?” The laughter that follows her distorted words sends a chill down my spine.
“Plan?” I hiss to the others. “We have to go.” A fit of coughing takes over and I use my shirt as a barrier.
“We need to knock him out. Without him she’ll be super far behind. It might save him in the process,” Jayce says quietly so she can’t hear us.
“Let me,” Lucien says. Everything in me wants to scream no and protest but I have to trust him like I’d want him to trust me.
“Okay,” I say, giving him a look that I hope conveys everything I’m feeling.
“Don’t listen,” he says in a barely audible warning as he passes me. When he reaches her she stalls, uncertainty in her voice.
“Lucien?”
“I’m so sorry, Stella. I don’t know how I ever got so lost,” he says in a pleading tone. “It’s always been you. How could I let her stray me from our path?” He spits out ‘her’ like it’s a curse and I feel my chest ache even though I know it’s an act.
“What the fuck, Lucien?” Eli seethes on my behalf. If he’s acting, he’s one hell of an actor. Stella’s grin is broad now, eating up every ounce of their frustration like it’s a drug.
“She brought you back,” Jayce spits out along with Eli. “How could you use her!”
“Well, now that she brought me back, I can bring Stella back. Thanks for the body, Raven. But I’ll take it from here,” Lucien says cruelly. Stella’s laughter sounds like her for a moment, no longer distorted with the guard’s voice. She’s gaining energy now. As if she forgot she’s the security guard right now, she leans in like she’s going to kiss him. I flinch as Lucien strikes while she’s distracted and the guard falls to the floor with a broken scream.
“Go!” Eli yells, urging us forward. He pauses long enough to throw the big guard over his shoulder. I’m relieved, I couldn’t let him burn, possessed or not. “We have to get back to the car before she gets him up again!”
We race through the halls and down the stairs, using our trail to lead us the right way. By the time we burst outside the flames have truly taken hold, glass shattering and flames raging as we sprint away from the scene of the crime. We drop the guard on the outskirts where he’ll be safe from the flames.
By the time they find the gasoline cans and salt boxes, there will be no prints left to find. We’ll be safe and hopefully, we just need twenty minutes to get across town, grab a toe, and burn it.
Then we’ll be free. For good.
Sirens surround us as we drive away, long gone before they even have a chance to approach the old property. Thankfully, there are no businesses around or security cameras to catch us. It’s such an old building, they’ll likely write it off as an unfortunate accident.
We reach the college grounds and park on the side road, approaching Lucien’s old building from behind to avoid detection.
“Stay here,” I hiss to the others as I creep to the edge of the building. My eyes scan the campus until I spot security on the other side. Turning around, I nearly plow into Eli who looks unapologetic about following me. “We’ve got maybe ten minutes before they round this way.”
“Then let’s be quick. No splitting up,” Jayce says pointedly before pushing open the back door. We have to walk carefully in here to avoid the old floorboards and stairs that feel even more precarious than the last time we were here.
When we reach his office, Lucien rushes ahead, coming back with a single toe bone wrapped in the tissue I’d given him earlier.
We’re back out as fast as we were in, going back to the car. Jayce holds up a hand as he catches his breath.
“Tell me we aren’t driving with that.”
“No way,” I laugh. “Drop it on the concrete, Lucien.” He does as I ask and I open the trunk, grabbing the rest of the salt first and dousing it with more than necessary then putting on a splash of gas.
“I’m moving the car up,” Eli deadpans, pulling forward so I don’t accidentally catch our getaway vehicle on fire. When he’s satisfied I hand over the lighter to Lucien.
“You deserve this one,” I tell him. “It was your present after all.” He takes it without hesitation before crouching down and lighting it on fire.
We all step back and watch the tiny fire take hold and burn strong. As the last of the flames take hold, a horrifying screech tears through the night.
“Is it over?” I ask when the scream dies out completely and the only thing left are the familiar sounds of a city at night.
“I think so,” Lucien answers. The strange tone has me looking up, gasping as the white glowing form of Iris appears in front of us.
“Lucien,” she says in a melodic voice. There’s an ethereal echoing quality to it. “You’re finally free and so is she.”
“I’ve been trapped for so long,” he says. “I’m sorry I never reached you.”
