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“Shit will pile up for a good while, but you’ll get a reprieve. The quiet times are never long enough, but it’s enough to where you think you can manage to hang on just a little longer.”
Bryn watched the man as he moved his jaw side to side. The urge to ask him what he meant, what caused the shadows in his eyes, was strong, but she wouldn’t do that to him.
“I suppose it’s why I keep to myself. I can’t much handle people too close to me, knowing what I’ve had to do. The things I’ve been told were best for this town, only to find out it was the agenda of one and not the good of all.”
Travis looked at her, his eyes cold, but she felt no threat coming from the man.
“This town will break a person. They’re good at it here. Don’t let them take that last spark I see in you. Watching you night after night, walking with your head up when this town wants you under its boot heel, well, it helped me to push through more than you could know on the really bad days.”
“I never knew. . .,” she whispered, but Travis just shook his head.
“Most don’t, but I’ve seen the skeletons in your closet the past few days, so I decided to show you you’re not alone. We may not be close, but I consider you a friend.”
Emotion clogged her ravaged throat.
“You’re a good friend, Travis,” she whispered, another cough reigniting the flames in her chest.
“My apologies, Ms. Kenneally. I’ve yet to grasp the role of nursemaid.” Giving her the cup of water from the bedside table nearest him, she took it, grateful as the water was cool enough to help her abused throat. His words finally penetrated her thoughts.
“Thank you. Is everyone else all right after... whatever that was downstairs?”
“Well, they’re recovering, but to be honest, they were far worse off than you. You’re the first to wake up.”
“Knock, knock.” Caden opened the door before Bryn or Travis could answer, earning a scathing look from Travis.
“Look, I’d wait and be a gentleman, but I knew you were in here, so no one was naked. Since Justin is down, you’re up. Gotta problem for ya.”
At Caden’s words, Travis stood, looking down on Bryn.
“I’ve got it,” she said in answer to the silent question. Giving her a nod, Travis and Caden stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind them.
Curiosity bloomed inside Bryn, so much like a young child, she leaned against the door to eavesdrop.
“. . . yeah, which is inconvenient when we had a group of rovers turn up at the gate while Justin was horizontal dancing across the floor.”
“More rovers? We’ve never had this many before. Are they still alive? Jace is down, so I am not sure how we can check for sickness when he is the only doc... and I ain’t killing innocent people at the gate, Caden. Never again. Arioch fooled me when I was younger, but I’ve learned.”
Bryn’s hand went to her mouth at his words. That was what haunted him. Arioch had him kill people at the gate. Instead of letting them through, he made Travis end their lives.
“I wouldn’t let him ask that of you ever again, but no, not this time. Travis... it... the new guy, Callum, said it looked like a sacrifice. It is not pretty. Fancy dress, too, which makes us wonder who exactly is hanging out near town. No heartbeats, so no one to ask.”
“Sacrifice?” Travis asked as confused as Bryn was. She understood the meaning of the word, but her brain could not correlate it to what he was saying.
“Dead. Eyes gone. Throats slit. Jewelry and goods were left on their person, dressed up like they were living in the king’s palace. Same across each body. They had to have had their clothes changed after they were killed too... since...”
“No blood.”
A shocked numbness crept over her as she settled back against the door, her heart stuttering. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to loosen the stunned thoughts stuck in her mind.
Yells from downstairs broke out, and the heavy footfalls of Travis and Caden told her they were already halfway down the stairs.
Rubbing at her tired eyes, she wondered if she should head down as well, though what she could do to help during a brawl was beyond her.
Irritation had her clenching her jaw. Irritation that she and her friends were in a position where everything was unknown, sacrifices were left on their doorstep, and a ghost told her that she was the one who had killed him. What this all meant, she’d been trying to figure out, stumbling along the way and still knew very little.
It was time forallthe answers about her past to be brought to light, and she was going to get them.
One way or another.
