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“Down!” Roth commands and we hit the floor as she fires at us and flees.
“You were handling it, huh?” Roth asks as we scramble after her.
“Why are you even here?”
It takes him a moment to answer, but when he does it’s enough to make me glad for his help. “I know what it’s like to lose important things.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT – ANORA & INFLUENCE
When I come to consciousness, someone’s tapping my cheek hard.
“Anora,” the voice says.
My throat feels raw and I’m aware of a band of bruising around my neck, like Thane’s arm is still there, cutting into my skin. My hands are bound in front of me, palms pressed tight together. I don’t know where I am, but this place feels familiar. The air carries the weight of the dead. It settles over me like some sort of soul-sucker, draining my energy. That tells me one thing: I have to be near a lot of dead people.
The tapping continues. “Open those eyes,” the voice coaxes.
I do and jerk away from Thane who’s crouched in front of me. I can still feel his cold fingers on my face—the same fingers that crushed my windpipe.
“I wasn’t sure you’d wake up,” he says, and stands, taking a lighter and a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. Once one is lit, he says with a smile, “I thought I might have done too good a job.”
I hate him.
But I don’t.
I can’t help thinking this isn’t Thane. He doesn’t look the same. This Thane is angrier, scarier, darker. This Thane is controlled by Influence.
“Thane...please.”
“Don’t beg, Anora. It doesn’t become you,” he says, taking a long drag from his cigarette. He acts so casual standing there, as if he hadn’t strangled and kidnapped me. It’s then I realize he’s brought me to the mausoleum—the entrance to Samael’s office. I knew it felt familiar. We’re in the main room, the one with the large stained-glass window. I’m resting on one of the red couches, the upholstery is soft, but dusty and makes my skin crawl.
“Why, then?” I demand.
“You’re going to help me get my mother back.”
“What?”
“I’ve been honest with you from the beginning about what I want,” he says. “When I was sure you were the Eurydice, I knew I had my bargaining chip—Charon will raise the Gates for you if you are dying, then I can demand my mother’s soul returned to me,” he pauses and looks at me. “And Shy will know what it’s like to lose something precious to him.”
“You have my coin,” I accuse and he shakes his head.
“Lennon has your coin,” he says and I’m not sure I can feel any worse. Shy was right which means….
“She killed Lily?” I whisper. “And…you knew?”
Thane shrugs. “I didn’t want Lily to die, but she knew too much. Lennon felt she had to get rid of her.”
“You work together?”
“I don’t know the occult like Lennon does,” Thane says. “Once I’m able to open the Gates and obtain my mother’s soul, she’s going to help me resurrect her.”
“With what?” I demand. “You don’t have a body!”
“There’s a whole cemetery full. We’ve been watching for the newly deceased. Lennon says it’s best to have a fresh one.”
Things are suddenly falling into place. With the coin, it’s possible Lennon can obtain a soul from Spirit. She’d resurrected Lily’s soul into her body for practice.
“You can’t be serious. Thane, your mom won’t come back right.”
