“Here I thought you were coming to save me,” he says, “but you’re just gonna give up like a fucking pussy.”
My skin prickles as an eerie awareness comes over me.
This isn’t Matteo.
“Useless bag of bones.” He licks his lips. “But so tasty. I can still fucking taste you on my tongue. Feel what it’s like to spill my load into you.” He opens his mouth and offers a few licks of the air.
His words and gesture feel so fucking violating. My gut clenches up.
“You see why we gagged him?” Brad asks. “Well, that, and the little shit bit my arm when I was trying to restrain him.”
Matteo spits in his face.
“Okay, so we’re doing this again.” Brad wipes the spit off his face with the rag that was in Matteo’s mouth, then shoves it back in before tying the rope around his head.
Now I’m really, truly confused.
Cody’s attention returns to me. “Alexei, you need to tell us what you know, and how, and who these other people are.”
“I can get him to tell us,” Seth says, his words a threat as he moves toward me.
“You take another step, and you’ll regret it,” Luke says.
“And who’s gonna make me regret it?”
“You keep mouthing off to my boyfriend like that,” Brad pipes up, “and it’ll be me.”
“Seth, enough,” Cody snaps. “We have plenty to deal with right now without your attitude.”
That shuts Seth up, but the foul expression on his face tells me he’s not happy about it.
“What’s going on?” I ask. “What’s wrong with Matteo? What did you do to him?”
“We didn’t do anything,” Luke says, joining Cody. “Brad saw what looked like a man attack him in their dorm room. That’s when he called me. But the man disappeared, and Matteo was acting strange. Whatever it was, it’s inside him now.”
“Possessing him,” Cody clarifies, as though that word will magically explain everything.
“Possessing him? Like a demon?” It’s the only framework I have for possession.
“Maybe not a demon, but some kind of entity,” Cody explains.
“You said you know about our powers already,” Luke interjects. “Seth was able to subdue him for a while, but it wore off while we were in the woods. We brought him here to try and figure out what it is and how to get rid of it.” He steps closer, reaching his hand out to me.
“We are so fucked,” Seth says, rolling his eyes and heading away from us, like he doesn’t want anything to do with this.
I glare at Luke’s hand.
He’s not really my friend.
Never has been.
But just like that night when Cody healed me, Luke answering my questions throws me. They have the upper hand. If they wanted to, they could let Seth have his way with me, get answers out of me. It’s possible they’re trying to lull me into a false sense of security to get my compliance that way, maybe convince me to help them. But whatever their motive, I’m willing to listen. What other choice do I have?
I take Luke’s hand, and he pulls me to my feet, assessing my face. Now that things have calmed down, the pain’s really hitting me—throbbing, stinging.
“We could use some ice right about now,” Luke says. “Cody, do you think you could…?”
“I’ll try.” Cody steps beside him.
