A pillar of smoke rises into the air out toward town, and I make out the faint scent of burning flesh and hair.
I pull my cell phone from my pocket and dial.
“What is that smell?” the voice answers, annoyed.
“You don’t want to know,” I tell Luke. “More bad things happened. The town still isn’t safe. How are things looking from your end?”
The sheriff sighs, and I hear him stand and boots click over a hardwood floor. “I’ve been patrolling the borders of town. People have been trying to come back and it’s no shock. This has been going on for three weeks.”
“What are you telling them to keep them out?” Anxiety hitches up in my chest at the thought of more innocent victims coming into this bloody town.
“That some sewer pipes froze, burst, and contaminated the water supply,” Luke says. I can just imagine him looking out his window at the mess of weather outside. “They all think the whole town is toxic right now.”
“The town is toxic,” I say under my breath.
“How long is this going to go on for, Alivia?” He sounds tired, sick of what has been going on. “This is ruining people’s lives. Things have to move on, life has to move on.”
I shake my head, even though he can’t see it. “I don’t know. But I have a feeling things are going to get worse before they get better.”
“How could they possibly get worse?” he asks in disbelief.
I explain to him what’s been happening. The bodies. The snake brands. The numbers Charles told me about.
“I told you the number of missing person’s cases in the area has skyrocketed,” Luke says.
“They all have a Debt to a master that is awfully careful.” I pace on the porch. I want to fight. I want to do something about this.
“This isn’t going to end well for anyone, is it?” he asks.
“I’m trying.” The words come out harsher than I intend. But I feel desperate.
“Just get that King out of here,” Luke says. “That’s a start.”
And he hangs up.
Get the King out of here. It is a start. One I have control over.
We need to finish the last part of his game. And then, I can reveal the truth. That I’m not his wife. And he can leave.
It’s a start.
“I DON’T GET IT,” ANNA says as she throws her hands up in exasperation. “It’s like they just disappear without a trace. There’s not a single sign of them around Silent Bend.”
I study the map on the desk in the office, rubbing two fingers over my lips. The twelve squares of the grid she made are all covered in red Xs. In their groups of four, they trickled back to the House as the sun began to rise. All gave reports. They’ve found nothing. No clues. Not a trace of the Bitten army.
“They must not be staying in town,” I say as I sink into the chair at the desk. “It’s the only solution that makes sense.”
“That doesn’t help us, either,” Anna says.
“They could be staying anywhere,” Raheem fills in. I look up to meet his eyes. He’s focused once more. Raheem is an elite spy, a man of plots and secrets. This is his element, and I’m glad to see him able to focus on something else again.
“Exactly,” Anna continues. “They disappear for weeks at a time. They could be traveling in from Montana for all we know.”
“Nah,” Danny says, shaking his head. “They’re watchin’ what’s going on. They planned that attack. If they aren’t keepin’ the whole army close by, they’ve at least got spies around, watchin’ us.”
“I can’t believe we’re having this problem with Bitten,” Samuel says in disgust. “They never have any idea what they’re doing. They’re idiots.”
“Excuse me,” Danielle calls out in offense from the foyer as she passes by. She walks up to the doorway, her eyes instantly glowing yellow in anger. “You Born may be stronger and more manipulative than us, but don’t forget we’re still people. And we’re at least not walking corpses.”
“You will watch your tongue,” I tell her coldly, and she immediately closes her mouth. “Please,” I say, turning to those around me. “You should show some respect. It’s not like those Bitten have any choice in the matter.”
“If you want me feeling sorry for the Bitten, that isn’t going to happen,” Samuel says with the shake of his head. He turns from the desk and collapses into a nearby chair.
“Then, you can leave,” I say coldly. He meets my eyes with surprise at my harshness. His brows furrow as if to test and see if I’m being serious. And when I say no more, he gets up, and walks out.