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“Exactly,” I say.
“Could that be what we’re seeing?” Jayla says. “Not Haitian or anything like that, but the basic idea that someone has raised the dead to serve them.”
“Necromancy,” I say. “That’s another very old idea. But the way they were killed…” I shiver.
“Ripped apart, you said,” Garrett says. “Not cut up.”
Jayla looks sick again.
“I don’t think a person did it,” I say.
“So this couple, they were messing around with dark magic,” Jayla says. “They actually raised something or summoned something, and it ripped them apart and won’t let them die.”
Now I’m the one who feels ill. Are John Sinclair and Rachel Rossi still in those bodies? Still conscious?
“You know this shit,” Garrett says, his voice low, gaze on me. “You knew that someone planted that Satanic stuff. You knew what could happen.”
“Knew what could happen?” Jayla says. “That a hex circle might actually hex someone? Laney didn’t believe that, and if she’d suggested otherwise, you’d have laughed at her. It’s not like being a chemist and knowing the water is tainted. This is made-up bullshit. Or it’s supposed to be.”
“She still knew something could happen. And she brought us here.”
“Brought?” Jayla sputters. “Kit snuck over to help her, and I joined him. Both of us knew what was found here. Sadie also knew and also snuck over, and presumably you knew too. We all came uninvited—”
“Not Madison.”
That one hits hard enough that I suck in breath.
Garrett’s gaze meets mine. “You knew, and you brought her.”
“That is not fair,” Jayla says, bearing down on him. “No one thought it was anything more than a prank.”
“But it’s not, is it?” He throws open the door and stalks into the hall. “My sister is out there, and I’m going to find her.”
I hurry after him. “Please, don’t. At least wait until—”
“Until what? She’s dead? Dead and reanimated like some fucking zombie? There is something out there, Laney. Something that murdered your cleaning guy and your renters, and now it’s after my sister.I am helping her, and you are going to sit on your ass and look after Madison.”
“I—”
“You brought her here!” he shouts, voice rising with each word. “You came because someone was doing God knows what on this island, and you brought ourdaughter.”
Jayla lunges at him. “Lower your goddamn voice, Garrett.”
“Why? What difference does it make now? Anna’s dead. The kid’s dad doesn’t want anything to do with her. Who exactly are we keeping up this lie for, Laney? Oh, I know. For you. To punish me and to punish Sadie. All my sister wanted was to get to know her niece. You stole that from her. Stole my daughter from me. Stole Sadie’s niece from her. You got to stay in our daughter’s life.Aunt Laney.And now you have her all to yourself. You get our daughter, and Idon’t.”
“Laney?”
The voice behind me is so soft I think I’ve misheard. Then I turn and see Madison there, her face pale, brown eyes fixed on me.
“Laney?” she says again.
“Stay with your mother, kiddo,” Garrett says, his hand on the sliding door. “No matter what happens, you stay in here with your mother.”
“Youbastard,” Jayla hisses.
Garrett leaves. Jayla moves to lock the door. The alarm light flashes. I run over and hit the sequence to disarm and then rearm it. Then I slowly turn to Madison. Kit is behind her, breathing hard, as if he ran from the kitchen. He puts a tentative arm around Madison’s shoulders, and when she allows it, he gives her a quick squeeze. Then he nods at me.
Do something, Laney. Take control of this. You only get one shot.
