Page 49 of Speak No Claim

Thirty.

I knew because I counted.

The pungent smell of bleach hit me, and my hand immediately rose to cover my nose and mouth. My heart pounded so profusely that I found it hard to breathe. My lips parted, and my chest heaved with each passing moment that escalated. Panic began to set in, and my mind already started running wild.

I anxiously tried to gather my thoughts.

I didn’t budge.

I couldn’t.

As soon as I walked into what looked like a monument of some sort, I took in every last detail. There in front of my eyes were crests built into the concrete walls around the room. The same emblem on Onyx’s blazer was in the center of the rest.

My gaze shifted to all the names, starting with Devereaux. Their separate crest was the same one on their estate. I saw Hawthorne. Their design had thorns and deep-rooted branches. I didn’t recognize any of the other names until I came upon the last one.

“Wait a second…”

I gasped, turning as pale as a ghost when I saw it. There in gold lettering, staring back at me was my last name.

* * *

Belladonna.

Chapter

Fifteen

Hennessy: Curiosity killed the cat.

My heart dropped to my ass.

“¿Qué es esto?” I called out for no one other than myself. “What is this?”

Nothing about this place made any sense, and the more I thought about it in those few seconds, the further I sank into my own misery.

Is my bloodline part of this place? What does this mean? Could it be another Belladonna? No, that’s insane. There are no coincidences.

Feeling sick to my stomach, I backed away, but not before snapping a quick photo of the place, including the Belladonna crest designed to mimic the poisonous plant.

I could’ve called Alfred to get me, but I didn’t want to stay there for another second. Instead, I ran out of there, escaping through the same window I came in. I left it the same way I found it, looking every which way, trying to decide what I was going to do now.

I was so lost, so confused, so taken off guard, that I didn’t realize I was running through the woods. Somewhere along the way, I must have gotten sidetracked and ended up running through an old cemetery.

I halted, leaning forward onto my knees to catch my breath.

“What the hell?” I exclaimed, shaking my head and breathing through the anxiety suffocating me.

It wasn’t from the cemetery. I didn’t mind them. In fact, I started to calm down just standing there, gathering my bearings. From an early age, I was taught to respect the dead, and for the first few minutes, it was really peaceful out there under the moon and trees, surrounded by headstones.

Finally feeling a little more stable, I stood. Hearing all the crows, birds, and insects helped me find my footing again. This time, I didn’t rush. There was no need for me to run.

I grabbed my cell phone and shone the flashlight ahead. I couldn’t see much without it. The few overhead lights scattered through the cemetery weren’t enough for me to see. I looked to see what time it was. It read 9:30 p.m. It was only then that I noticed how long I’d been out there. Alfred had dropped me off at 7:30.

Two hours had flown by in the whirlwind of exploring. It usually did when I was invested in something. Maybe I did see more than I thought. I tried to make a call and let Alfred know I was walking home, but I didn’t have any service.

Dry leaves crunched beneath my boots, and I breathed deeper. Closing my eyes for a moment, I shoved away the haunting feeling of my last name being attached to the Graves. It made sense why Onyx asked me how much I knew about my bloodline. My father didn’t just attend school here. He was a part of something bigger.

Why did he have his own crest? Why did any of them? What did it mean?