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14

Bianaca

Greed.

That word replayed in my mind as my heart leapt into my throat.

Craning my neck, I peered past the clowns and into the amusement park beyond. From this distance, I couldn’t see much, but I noted that a Ferris wheel was spinning, its bright lights twinkling in the darkness. I heard the distinct rattle of a roller coaster, as well as music from one of the game stalls. The hauntingly beautiful noise penetrated the silence, though it did very little to smother the pounding in my ears.

“Nope. No way in hell am I going in there,” Caleb hissed, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the abandoned amusement park. I couldn’t help but agree with him.

Heath flashed him a droll look. “So you’re going to stay out here for the rest of your short life?”

“I…um…” He glanced down at Kelly’s ashen face, his teeth gritting together. He didn’t respond, but I could see the resolve in his gaze.

“Does anyone recognize this place?” Aiden piped in. The only answer was the whimsical music emitting from the nearest game stall. “Come on. Fess up.”

Silence.

Tanner moved to stand beside me, his face uncharacteristically grave as he stared around at the clowns.

“I think we have to travel to the other side.”

Aiden whirled on him. “Do you recognize this place, Tanner?” There was an accusation in his tone, along with a hint of pain. Because if this hell belonged to Tanner…

No one wanted a repeat of what happened to Maria.

The mere thought of her had my heart battering my ribcage with frightening speed. My stomach spasmed, wanting desperately to empty itself onto the asphalt. I forced it, and all thoughts of Maria, down. So far down that not even a necromancer would be able to raise them.

Tanner’s jaw clenched so tightly, I was surprised it didn’t break. For a long moment, he didn’t answer, choosing instead to stare ahead at the park awash in shades of garnet red and white. Finally, he nodded his head, the barest dip of his chin, and gritted out, “My dad used to take me here.”

“Your…dad?” Aiden’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead as something indecipherable flashed in his gaze. “Didn’t he…?” He trailed off, though I was suddenly desperate to know what he was going to say. Did Tanner’s dad do something to him? Was that why he was here?

“Tanner—” I began, but he cut me off with a wave of his hand. His eyes blackened before flashing with fury.

“I’ll be careful,” he interrupted. “But we should go in.”

Anxiety wrinkled Aiden’s brow, but he nodded, turning to once again face the macabre amusement park before us.

Everything seemed to be covered in a dark red sheen, almost as if the lights had a filter over them that distorted the color until it was bloody. It gave the overall atmosphere an eerie, malevolent feel.

Tanner stood ramrod straight beside me. Fear poured off of him in a palpable wave, so hot and sizzling that it almost burned me. I yearned to reach out and comfort him, but by the tightness of his jaw, I knew that he would not welcome that.

Whatever this amusement park represented, he needed to face it by himself.

Still, I found my hand slipping into his, and I was grateful when he didn’t pull away. Tanner was usually all rough edges and sharp knives, but just then, he was vulnerable, the pain in his eyes visible for us all to see.

Aiden glanced at his friend in concern. “Tanner, are you sure there’s nothing you need to tell us—”

“Let’s just go,” Tanner bit out scathingly.

“I’ll go first!” Kace interjected, racing towards the front of the group. His eyes were wide and feverish, and he bounced on the balls of his feet as if he had an excess amount of energy he needed to dispel. I exchanged a concerned look with Aiden, whose lips were compressed into a solemn line.

“Kace, I don’t think—” he began, but once again, he was ignored. Kace rubbed his hands together and broke into a run, hurrying towards the entrance until he was face-to-face with one of the clowns.

“Shit!” I cursed, tugging on Tanner’s hand to get him to follow me. His heels dug into the ground, almost as if he was resisting me, before he released a ragged breath and began to move. Aiden remained one step in front of me, and Heath and Beau closed in on either side. Kelly and her men moved in a cluster, slightly to the right of us.

Just before we reached the entrance to the park, I paused, forcing the other men to stop with me.

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