A carpet bag. That was what they were called.
From inside, she withdrew a red can, then she moved away again. “You think these are innocent games, but you’re opening up young minds to the darkness, Mr. Davies. Ruining families. Offering a game likethat, hosting demon playtime for teenagers.”
“Game like what?” I rasped, trying to follow her words.
“Wizards and demons,Mr. Davies. Trying to lure children into Satan’s trap. Innocent children. This town has no idea the evils you’re unleashed. I tried to stop you, again and again, but you just wouldn’t listen.”
None of it made any sense, but the smell of gasoline abruptly halted my attempt to follow her thought processes. If she set fire to the store, it would spread straight toward Eden’s shop.
I’d never make it to her in time, not if I couldn’t get my ass up off the floor.
“No, please. You don’t have to do this,” I begged.
The words sounded clumsy and thick, my voice weak under the steady glug of the gas can. Wetness dripped from my temple toward my ear. With an enormous effort, I managed to roll from my side to my back, then my muscles rebelled and I lay there, staring up at the dirty ceiling tiles overhead and wondering, if I lived through this, would there even be enough of them left to be cleaned.
“Of course, I have to. Someone has to. ‘Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness,’” she intoned.
I opened my mouth to argue thatthou shalt not killseemed a little higher on the biblical priority list, but before I could force the words past my lips, the room started to spin before my eyes.
Then, slowly, everything faded to black.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Eden
Theclasswasnearlyover when a frantic pounding rang out against the steel door at the back of the shop. At first, I thought it was the bass from the music playing over Arnaud’s bluetooth speaker as we practiced elbow strikes, but the song ended and the beat continued.
“I’ll go see what that is,” I murmured, stepping away from Simone, who was my partner for this section of the workshop. We’d spent each short water break making plans for the boudoir photo offerings.
Arnaud caught my arm gently before I made it out of the room. “I’m coming with you.”
My mouth opened, then I snapped it shut and simply nodded at him as we made our way to thedoor. Arnaud, dressed today in his school’s t-shirt and a pair of track pants, tipped his head to indicate I should move behind him.
Since my pulse had skyrocketed the second we stepped into the hallway, I did so without argument.
Arnaud pulled the door open, stepping toward the threshold so no one could shove past him to get to me, then said, “Whoa, hey, what’s going on?”
I peered around him to see a young teenage girl, her face red and tear-streaked. She wasn’t dressed for the cold, wearing just short sleeves and leggings. It looked like she had slippers on her feet. Her hair, bleached blonde with pink tips, was pulled into a messy ponytail that had come halfway undone.
“Come in,” I said immediately, reaching toward the girl.
She jerked away like I was going to pinch her. “No! No, please, you have to hurry. I tried to stop her, I swear!”
Arnaud held up his hands in a pacifying gesture as he murmured, “It’s cold out, sweetheart, why don’t you come inside?”
“You have to get him out. You have to get everyone out,” the girl cried.
My heart turned to lead. “Get who out?”
“That guy next door. She’s lost it. I think she’s going to hurt him. Please, you have to get them all out of the building. I don’t know what she’s going to do!”
Addie came up behind us at that moment and wrapped her arm around the girl, drawing her out of the doorway. I jerked my head to meet Arnaud’s eyes, panic threatening to overcome me.
“I’m going to check on Milo,” I said, brushing past him.
“Not alone, you’re not. Adelaide, get the rest of the students out of the building and call 911. If she’ll tell you anything more, relay that to the police.”
Arnaud wrapped his hand around mine as we ran toward the back door of Dueling Dragons. It was locked, but Milo had given me a key. My hands shook so hard I couldn’t get the key in the lock, so Arnaud reached out to turn it.
