Page 73 of Malice

“Cheese with extra black olives.”

“What about your brother?”

“Just pepperoni for him.”

“Pepperoni is meat,” she says, looking at me with wide eyes. “And you don’t eat meat.”

“Correct,” I tell her.

“That means I get to order two pizzas.” She lights up and shows me her phone. “I even downloaded an app!”

“It’s fun,” I say, smiling at all the little things she doesn’t get to do anymore now that she’s undead.

“I got turned at the wrong time,” she says, making a face. “If they had waited, I would be really old and probably not even alive anymore.”

“That is true. I’m glad you’re here,” I tell her.

“Me, too.” She smiles and sits next to me to order the pizza. “How are you doing?” she asks. “Like, really doing?”

“I’m okay,” I tell her right away.

She just gives me a look, letting me know she doesn’t believe me.

I let out a slow sigh and push the book away from me. “I’m scared,” I confess. “It just seems like we’re facing the impossible, and with an invisible doomsday clock ticking above my head, I haven’t even had time to process how fucked up everything is. I don’t know if Antonio is okay, and I feel like a terrible sister for not checking in on him more.”

“You’re not talking about being physically okay, are you?” she asks gently.

“No. He died, and his parents just stood there and watched. I don’t think Vivian and Marco intended for him to lose his life, but Vivian just…did nothing.” My eyes widen as I think back to it.

“Zeke told me,” she says. “I had him explain it in great detail, and I’m shocked, too. Losing a child does something to you. And Zeke said Vivian didn’t even go to his side. She went to the body of that Order guy instead and took a necklace off of him or something.”

Hearing her say it out loud makes something click into place in my head.

“Holy shit,” I say. “Holy fucking shit.” I look at Mabel, eyes wide. “You’re a genius.”

“I am.” She agrees instantly, then gets a confused look on her face. “Wait, I am?”

“Yes, because it all makes sense now.” I get to my feet, hardly able to contain myself. I pace across the floor and then come back to the table. “It all makes sense,” I say again, knowing that to her, I’m not making any sense at all.

“I think you’re going to have to explain,” she says patiently.

“Vivian didn’t go to Antonio. She went to Marcus Henry.”

“Yes,” Mabel says, still not following, and I don’t blame her because I know I’m rambling. Hell, I’m still trying to process it myself, double-checking my own thought process.

“Vivian is a monster, but not that much of a monster. I don’t think she is,” I continue. “She wasn’t upset by seeing Antonio’s body because she thought she could undo it.”

“Undo it?”

“With the demon’s help. That’s why she went to Marcus Henry and took something off his body.” I sit down, looking into Mabel’s eyes. “The sigil,” I go on. “He was wearing it around his neck.” I swallow hard. “Vivian has the key.”

Chapter

Thirty

“Are you sure?” Mabel asks, and I know she’s trying not to get too excited.

“Yes,” I say confidently. I suppose there’s no way to be one hundred percent sure. “There’s no way Marcus Henry would go through with this ritual if he wasn’t in possession of the key. It would be way too risky for him.”