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Thankfully, Margo and Susan seemed to have the sympathy part under control, because it wasn’t just me not offering any.
“What in God’s name was in that food?” Leonard questioned, repeatedly running a hand through his hair.
“God had nothing to do with that. That was some lethal ass poison by the looks of it,” Charon answered.
I placed the recorder back on the butler’s tray, risking a glance at Ciaran. He was already staring at me; he’d only stopped to watch Heather die. Now he was paying no attention to the dead girl a few feet away from us.
“You don’t seem too shaken up,” he remarked. It almost sounded like a taunt.
“Because I’m not,” I muttered, saying a bit louder, “Neither do you.”
I wasn’t entirely sure what there was to be ‘shaken up’ about to begin with. Yes, someone had just died. I was looking at her body. I was breathing in the stench of it. That didn’t change the fact that what Heather had done was beyond stupid. Who decided to pop some random ass fruit in their mouth after what we’d been through—were still going through?
I didn’t trust anything or anyone around me, aside from Mel and Grace. Especially the ocean eyed mystery with the darkened aura that was slowly sucking me in.
The piano music ceased abruptly, and a clunking sound echoed from the foyer at the same time a heavy black curtain slid across a track on the ceiling.
Behind it was a solid oak door, not a window like I’d have expected.
“I’ll check that out,” Leonard volunteered, nearly running from the room. He’d been staring at Heather’s body, looking as if he’d personally killed her. Within seconds he was back, shaking his head and speaking beneath his breath.
“That was the sound of the front door locking us in; we can’t go out that way.”
“That’s not anything to be shocked about,” Mel replied.
“What was the point in us coming here?” Gracelyn asked, massaging her brow.
“I think it was for that.” Selena nodded at Heather, crossing her arms tightly over an ample chest.
“We came here for my friend to die?” Abby snarled, lying Heather back down on the floor. She gently removed her glasses and closed her eyes.
“I doubt it was any one person specifically,” Kyrous responded, his tone cool and collected. “The recording made that rather clear.”
“That’s true. I think whatever way this went, somebody had to die,” Maverick shrugged.
“Any person that would have been dumb enough to eat this fucking food would be lying on the floor beside your little friend,” Ciaran stated.
His tone was as disinterested as it had been when he mentioned the people that’d died on the shuttle.
This was one thing he and I had in common: being callous and detached. I’m not sure that was a good thing, but at least I knew how to keep my mouth shut. He could have faked some compassion.
“What is wrong with you people?” Abby yelled. “Do none of you care?”
“Of course, we do,” Margo comforted, wrapping Abby in a hug.
“We’re all a bit on edge right now. Maybe we should just take a minute to relax,” Leonard suggested.
He couldn’t be serious. Relax with a dead body while breathing in vomit and piss mixed with the aroma of honeyed ham? Yeah, that was going to be a hard pass.
“I think we should keep moving.”
“I’m sorry about your friend, Abby. I know that means absolutely nothing right now and you’re hurting, but I don’t want to stay here,” Gracelyn said, pumping out some commiseration for all of us.
Abby turned more towards Ciaran and I, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “And go where? What about Heather? We can’t just leave her here.”
“I don’t think she’ll mind,” Ciaran replied with what I dared say was a brazen hint of humor.
“That wasn’t right, son,” Leonard chastised.
“It was the truth,” he countered.
Feeling the tension growing, I stood taller and attempted to calm the waters.
“Heather is dead. Leaving her or not isn’t going to change that. We need to keep going if we ever want to figure out how to get out of here. Unless you’re gonna be the one carrying her around, Abby. She has to stay here.”
“You could pretend to give a shit, Lacy,” she ground out.
Huh, funny. I’d just thought the same thing about Ciaran. Now, because she wanted to be cute, I took it back.
“Lana,” I corrected, moving towards the door.
Once I was sure Grace and Mel were following me, I twisted the knob and opened it. I was met with the cool night air and a brick pathway winding through a gorgeous garden situated behind the Blight House.
Stepping outside, I turned my head left to right, keeping an eye out for, well, anything. I didn’t know what we would or wouldn’t encounter in this place, and it was now more apparent than ever that we weren’t alone.
