Page 162

His innocent firefly.

“Don’t look at me like that, Tommy. These people deserve this for what they did to Talia and what they did to me. Let me do this for her, and for you.”

I hadn’t noticed when the van stopped, but Bax suddenly slides the door open, his tall, lanky frame filling the doorway as he lets out the warm air. “Hey guys, time to party,” he announces, waving his hands in the silly way he does, lighting a joint.

He stops short, his eyes widening as he takes in the scene of me on top of Tommy, surrounded by blood. “Oh, damn.” He coughs, the stench of weed filling the van. “What the hell did I miss?”

Talia, seemingly unfazed, pulls out a mirror from her small bohemian bag and begins adjusting her dark bangs, feigning boredom. “We were just making plans for the evening. Are you in or out, Tommy?” she asks, her voice tight, and she snatches the joint from Bax. “It’s getting late.”

He pulls one arm off me, grabs the joint, and takes a long drag, but keeps his other arm around me. “I’m in. But this is it. I’m done after this. I’m done with all of it after tonight. Every damn part of it. No more lives being ruined.”

Talia gives him a soft nod, and we all stare at Remy, who is sitting back in his leathers, with a broody look on his face.

Talia’s brows arch at her brother. “Remy?”

Remy takes a hit from the joint. “I’m in.” I finally dare to make eye contact with him, and he just shakes his head and hands me back my knife. “Let’s get this over with,” he says. “What exactly is the plan?”

“All Didi needs to do is draw them out and away from the group, then we kill anyone that follows her.” She flicks pieces of dust off her jacket. “Easy.”

Simple like scripture.

We all pile out of the van, and Talia passes out burlap masks to each of us. “We’ll go in with our faces visible,” she says. “These are just in case you need to hide.” Her dark gaze is fixed on the bonfire’s glow among the trees and toward the echoing voices drifting from the flames.

Talia glances at everyone and clicks her tongue. “Now try to relax. It will all work out. Let’s try to have a little fun tonight. Everyone is far too serious.”

DIDI

“Don’t worry about Tommy and Remy,” Talia whispers as we approach the party. We are still hidden by darkness and the giant trees that surround us, but the crisp cool air chills my skin as we make our way over to the bonfire. We follow a narrow animal path using a small flashlight to guide us. The boys are off a few feet ahead of us, and we stand back into the shadows.

On the outside, they couldn’t look more different. But each of them bears the weight of three centuries worth of secrets and unparalleled darkness that runs through their blood.

We finally reach the clearing, close to a stream where the large fire is burning and several of our classmates are huddled around. I’m not sure how many are here, but it looks like nearly forty. And we are nowhere close to town and the crippling curfew hankering everyone’s fun—laws don’t apply out here.

It’s all the Jesus people, from what I can tell. Soft folk music plays from a nearby stereo, and everyone is swaying and laughing, but my attention zeros in on the ones originally from Kinsmen. Cindy and her friends—my tormentors in high school.

The false shadows.

Talia and I stand to the side, not completely hidden but not in the mix. Not that it matters, no one notices us. There are a few people doing keg stands, and many of the girls are swaying, stumbling, and giggling.

“See and be seen,” Talia says quietly as a few girls stumble by us. “And under no circumstances do we draw attention to ourselves. Everyone needs to know we were here.” Talia grabs my hand. “Come. Let’s get a drink.”

She pulls me over to the keg, where the guy handling the keg hands us each beer in a red solo cup. Talia knows a few people, so she spends a few minutes chatting with the group and introducing me as her friend Rose. I stand awkwardly beside her, trying to contain my beating heart.

She takes a long drink and stares at me and smirks when I don’t do the same. I bring it to my lips but don’t drink it…but that seems to satisfy Talia.

My fingers curl into fists watching as Cindy and her friends smile sweetly as they stride by, looking confident and cocky as they are good at doing. Tommy’s wearing his letterman jacket, and Remy’s in his leathers, and Bax heads directly to the fire. Although tonight has nothing to do with fire. Tonight is about something else entirely.

Tonight, my serpent sings.

Cindy makes eye contact with me, a silent dare, and walks up to them and places her hand on Remy’s chest. I can tell she likes Remy the best, and perhaps if circumstances were different, they’d be together. Even with her boyfriend close by, she still gives him attention. I sense Talia’s tension and grab her hand.

“Get her alone, her friends will follow. And when you have the opportunity, slit her throat. Don’t hesitate. We will be there to protect you.”

That we can agree on.

Cindy laughs, flicks her pretty curled hair, and then runs her hand down Remy’s arm. I vividly recall the smell of her father, the holy water cleansing me after he was on top of me, and her attempts to drown me in the school hallway. Tommy is speaking to another girl, but he keeps glancing nervously in our direction.

“What about the rest of them? Should I kill them, too?”