I watch as their faces turn an ugly shade of purple, their fingers clawing at the smoke as their feet swing as I raise them in the air.
Walker slams the door open, taking in the sight before him.
“They were going to kill me.” I say with a voice that doesn’t sound like my own.
“Salem.” My grandmother manages to croak out.
Walker stands beside me. “They tried to kill you?” He asks, cracking his knuckles.
I nod my head at him. He grabs the fire poker and I watch as he stalks up to my grandmother. Her eyes are wide and bloodshot and her legs twitch as the life seeps out of her.
“Go to Hell.” He says stabbing her straight through the heart with the poker. Blood sputters out of her as she slumps down. I release her, letting her fall to the ground with a crack of bone on marble.
“Grab the grimoire.” I instruct, as I watch my mom’s final moments.
“I had so much love to give you, if you only made the effort to return it.” I tell her as she stops fighting the black smoke. Her head lolls as her heart stops beating. I let her go, laying her next to my grandmother.
The power from the demon recedes and I crumple to the ground, my knees slamming into the marble flooring as I take in the dead bodies of the women who raised me.
“We need to cover this up.” Walker says, returning with our carry-on items.
I nod my head, feeling like I’m in shock.
He shoves the grimoire in my bag and takes the fire poker out of my grandmother’s chest. He goes to the fireplace and removes one of the logs tossing it at the green curtain. It ignites, fire climbing easily up the walls.
“Salem, let’s go.” He grabs me up by the waist. I follow, my legs feeling unsteady beneath me. I take one look back as the flames jump from the curtains to the ceiling and down around my grandmother and mother. The rooms begin to fill with smoke, as we exit the house.
The cold wind pinches my skin as we stare back at the house, watching the fire eat it section by section.
“Let’s get back to school. We can deal with this mess later.” Walker says, leading us away from the blaze down the long driveway.
I know in my bones that I’ll never come back here.
ChapterFifty-Two
LUKAS
SONG: I WANT YOU BAD BY THE OFFSPRING
The house has been empty since everyone left for Thanksgiving break. Thankfully, my father was halfway around the world and too busy to fly back for us to spend it together in awkward hatred.
I turn my tattoo gun on and fill it with ink. I’ve finally perfected the design I want to represent Pierce. Where I’ve done one of a rose for my mother on my hand, I want an interlocking rose in black for my twin. I place the transfer where I want it, looking at the purple outline wrapping up the back of my wrist and connecting with the existing tattoo.
It’s in the exact spot I envisioned so I take the gun and press the needle into my skin. It burns as it transfers ink to skin. I make fast work of the design, shading it in all the right places. As I’m almost finished, Skye walks into the room with her bags.
I switch off the gun and place it down on my desk.
“Hey.” She says with a shy smile.
We’ve been texting each other nonstop since she left to spend time with her dad, but I still missed the fuck out of her.
I know we’re not anything official since she’s made it clear that she has feelings for Graham and Sloan, who thankfully shook off his demon sometime that night we were all chased by the hell dog. No one else has reported their demon taking over again since.
I stand, grabbing her to me and placing a kiss on her plump lips. She melts into me, dropping her purse on the ground. I pull her over to my desk and she sits on my lap, looking over my sketches.
“Let me see.” She demands, and I give her the arm I’ve been working on.
“Do you want to try?” I ask holding up the tattoo gun for her as her ass nestles perfectly against me on my lap. My cock takes notice, growing hard as I hand her the gun.
