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I was out before my head hit the ground.
* * *
I woketo the smell of rot and mildew, mold and decay, and the feel of cold, rough stone under my body. Before I even opened my eyes, I knew where I was—the Arbor family cemetery, which rested just behind Bea and August’s cottage.
When I finally cracked my lids, searing pain ricocheted through my skull, bringing a surge of bile and Evan Williams apple to my throat. I went to reach for my mouth and realized that I was restrained. I tried to calm my heart rate, steady my breathing, but panic was steadily creeping in, becoming its own monster ready to overtake me.
When I steadied enough that I knew I wouldn’t throw up all over myself and possibly die from drowning in my own vomit, I slowly turned my head to see someone standing in front of a raised platform, their back to me. I couldn’t make out features or details in the dim light and through my blurry vision, but I got the sense that it was someone large—at least much larger than me.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, with more confidence than I felt.
“Ah, you’re awake. Wonderful,” they said. It was ahe. Or at least it sounded like a male. I probably shouldn’t make assumptions. I mean, it was the least of my concerns. But they still didn’t turn around to face me, just kept doing whatever it was they were doing.
I felt a shiver rush down my body and a feeling of dread took up root in my belly. This wasn’t good. And I wasn’t even sure if anybody had examined the crypts yet. Would they even think to look for me here whenever they realized I was missing?
“I’m sorry I had to hit you so hard, but we were running out of time for me to get you out of there safely.”
“Sure, yeah, you’re forgiven. Now, just let me go. We can forget it ever happened.”
“But that’s not how this works,cher. You’ve been destined for me, forus, for a very long time. I was sure of that the first time I saw you. Call it . . . intuition. Honestly, it’s past time we established that.”
What the fuck is this person talking about?
“Uh, do I know you?”
“Mmm, kinda.”
That voice. I knew that voice. Why did I know that voice? From where? I tried to shuffle through my memories but all it did was cause my head to hurt worse and nausea to roll through me.
“You know,” he said conversationally, as if we were sitting down for coffee, “that night all those years ago has never left my thoughts. You in that sexy black-and-red number, your crimson-streaked hair shining in the strobes, your body moving to the music.”
My blood turned to ice. I remembered that outfit. The way my hair had been back then. A decade ago. The night Reagan had been killed.
Oh. My. God.
“I knew I wanted you even back then,cher. We wanted to assimilate. Show you the way. But then you took off, and I was left with your friend. Now, don’t get me wrong, she was sweet. Her blood like sour candy on the tongue, but she wasn’t who I wanted. Not really. However, she was my first, so she will always be special. I didn’t actually mean to take her life. I only wanted to share in it with her. But things went too far. I feel guilt that I didn’t have a coin to give her like I do my sacrifices now. Especially since she basically started this little adventure for me. She deserved better.” He continued messing with something on the raised platform. I saw what looked like tubes and a flash of metal.
Holy motherfucking shit. This was the serial killer. This was R?DRΩM. And he was the asshole who had taken Ray from me, who had stolen August from Bea, who had killed my mark. This was the depraved son of a bitch who’d cut Dev’s twin’s life short, thus stealing Findley’s, as well. This was the psychopath who’d viciously murdered Burke and who knew how many others.
I wanted to killhimwith my bare hands.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked, my entire body shaking. “How can you be so . . . evil?”
“Oh, come now,cher. All those my shadow-self becomes obsessed with play an important role in the circle of life. They are all important—in this life and the next. But I know now that all of them were to lead me to you. It’s divine guidance. And the fact that everything ties back to you in some way is very telling, don’t you think? I didn’t realize it until recently. But when I had the epiphany, I knew. I justknew. This was all meant to be.”
He turned to me then, and the light of the lantern on the corner of the slab hit his face. The electricity and ice-water rush of adrenaline flashed through my veins so fast it locked my breath in my lungs.
Holy hell.
It was . . .
He sketched a bow.
Fucking Remy Dee Reaume.
The R?DRΩM made so much more sense now.
Heeeere’s Remy.
