“You don’t have to do this,” I tell Henry.
“Yeah, you’ve mentioned.” He walks beside me, hands stuffed in his pockets. While I opted to wear darker colors, near-black shades of burnt orange, Henry is wearing his usual estival attire. A lavender suit jacket. Light beige slacks. A golden watch, gifted to him by an old friend.
Even beyond his bright clothing, Henry doesn’t belong here. He’s smiling, for one. I’m certain people in the Night Realm don’t smile. His chin is tipped toward the sky, breathing in the air like it’s the freshest he’s ever smelt.
It’s not. This place smells like werewolf fur and spilled blood and filth…or at least itshould. I’m certain there are undertones of it, lingering between gusts of fresh wind from the neutral territory.
“I’m serious, Henry,” I say. I stop walking, catching him by the shoulder. We’re only a few miles into the Night Realm. That leaves us plenty of time and space to get the hells out of here before reaching Secora Reed’s lair.
“You?” Henry asks, a grin splitting his face. “The Elliot I know wouldneverbe serious.”
“We can go back,” I say, ignoring his mocking. “I’ll never mention it again?—”
“Look, I know this woman ruined your life, so I’m trying to be courteous,” Henry interrupts. “But I’ve been fascinated with Secora Reed for years. I’m intrigued by her. I’ve dreamt of meeting her someday to figure out what goes on in that twisted little head of hers. I’mexcitedto meet her. If anything goes awry, we’re skilled enough to get back to the Day Realm. All right?”
I swallow. My throat is suddenly too dry to speak.Excited?
“I told you I was trying to be courteous,” Henry says. He sighs as he starts walking again, and my hand falls from his shoulder. I force myself to keep pace, even as my mind races and my entire body begs me to turn around.
It was stupid to bring Henry into this.
And why? To get memories I didn’t realize I was missing until a couple weeks ago? To potentially discover I was a useless bystander at my best friend’s murder? To learn some other, horrible truths? I should have accepted Cora’s obvious lie and pretended shedidn’tsteal a damned thing from me.
“Is that where you tried to buy vampire blood?” Henry asks.
Much as I wish he’d picked a different subject, I’m thankful for the distraction. We’ve reached the first cluster of buildings in the Night Realm. They’re not well-maintained, and they clearly don’t have building codes here. The structures are close enough together, if one falls, they all will. From the looks of it, it’s only a matter of time.
“Yes,” I say, glancing at the dreary stone building. It doesn’t have a proper name that I can tell, but there’s a sign in its front window that reads:High Quality, Quick Blood!I hadn’t even made it through the door before Sebastian’s men grabbed me.
“We could probably just steal blood now,” Henry muses, dropping his voice. The entire strip of businesses is dark andquiet. It’ll remain this way until nightfall, at which point vampires will fill the street like it’s a holiday festival.
“Yeah?” I ask. I look over the shadowed building once more before giving Henry an unimpressed look. “And what will we do if there are vampiresinthere?”
By his slackened expression, Henry hadn’t considered that. Of course, I have. I’ve considered every option other than the one we’re pursuing now. If there was some other way to save Mama’s life, I’d do that instead. As it is, Cora’s her best chance—and therefore, mine.
“To the vampire manor, then,” Henry says. By the way his lips tilt, he’s not particularly disappointed.
I don’t respond, focusing instead on the walk ahead of us. Overhead, the sun hangs high in the sky, warming the cool fall air. We have several hours before nightfall, and Cora’s only criteria for us meeting at the manor—rather than in public—was that we be gone by dark. She didn’t want to be responsible for getting us to the neutral territory once the vampires were out.
As if we’d be begging her, a literal murderer, to protect us.
The strip of businesses abruptly comes to a stop. The Night Realm is so poorly designed it’s actually funny. A random cluster of buildings here, a few miles of unused rocky landscape there. To the west, another section of buildings rests against the skyline, but it’s too far to tell what they are. More businesses, maybe, or a subdivision of vampiric fortresses.
To the east, Sebastian’s manor sits isolated amongst jagged rocks. It looks like a miniature castle, all rough stones and overgrown vines. There’s no proper lawn. No trees or bushes, vegetation or flowers. A short set of stairs leads to a neglected porch, and I’m so busy studying it, I don’t realize Henry has stopped.
As soon as I pause to look back at him, he lurches forward to grab my arm. His grip is painfully tight, but his eyes aren’t onme. They’re on a small, darkened figure as she approaches from the far side of the manor.
Cora cuts across the plane of dark stone. She’s not using the main trail, as we are, yet she glides effortlessly all the same. Her hair is pulled tight, accentuating her large features. Her clothes are baggy. Her body scrawny.
And yet, there’s something about the way she moves that captures attention. That makes your spine straighten. Secora Reed may be small, but she is undoubtedly fearsome.
“She looks pissed,” Henry says from beside me. He’s still gripping my arm too hard, and now, his magic is pulsing into his palms. I can feel the heat through my jacket, threatening to sting me.
“She’s a murderer,” I remind him. “Of course she’s pissed.”
Henry doesn’t have a response to that, but his posture has changed. Gone is the boyish charm and nonchalance. Now, he looks as nervous as I’ve felt this entire journey.
“You look like Harrison,” I blurt. I’m not sure why. It’s not a good time to say such a thing. I know that. Iknowthat. And yet, I can’t stop the word vomit from spilling out of me. “You might remind her of him.”
