And then he was just…staring back at Sybil and her freaky eyes, suddenly able to breathe again, even though in the back of his mind, Seth knew he should be rioting.
He’d calmed down. And he hadn’t wanted to.
“Very good,” Sybil said.
“Should we take it all?” Daphne asked. Seth was able to dart his gaze her way for only a second before he was pulled back intothe abyss of Sybil’s black eyes. Daphne was cradling Riley in her arms on the floor, and Seth had to blink back tears at the sight. “Pretend this morning never happened?”
She looked so sad, so devoted.
It was confusing. Everything was confusing.
“No,” Sybil told her, not taking her eyes off Seth. “It would only leave room for another disaster. But we don’t have a lot of time. People will be here soon.” She stroked her thumb over Seth’s cheekbones in a way that was maybe meant to be soothing. “Seth. You cut yourself, and it woke Riley’s hunger. We were worried he would drink too much. We did what we thought was needed. He’ll wake in a few hours, good as new. I promise.”
More nonsense. Why was everyone only speaking nonsense riddles today?
Seth shook his head, focusing on the last part of what she’d said. The promise that Riley would wake up. “I don’t believe you,” he said dully.
Sybil gave him a hard look, and then she was…biting into her wrist? Savaging it with her teeth. She seemed to have her own pair of fangs, which somehow Seth hadn’t noticed until now.
Seth would have let out a horrified gasp, if he’d been able to gather the emotion out of whatever complacent fog she’d summoned within him. Instead, he could only watch.
“Sybil,” Daphne scolded. “We don’t havetime.”
“Showing is always easier than telling,” Sybil told her. Her mouth was bloody. So was the wrist she held up for Seth’s perusal. Bloody and torn.
But then it began…knitting itself back together. Damaged flesh filled itself in, and the sight was so beyond Seth’s comprehension that everything took on a surreal cast, like he was watching CGI. Soon the wrist was whole again, the skin bloodstained but unbroken.
“He will be good as new,” Sybil repeated, one hand still cupping Seth’s cheek. “I really do promise.”
“Seth,” Daphne called from the floor. “Do you have a friend you can phone to be with you? You’re in shock, you poor dear.”
Seth shook his head. All he could think was,I had a friend, but he’s on the floor, and he doesn’t look like he’s breathing. How can he be good as new if he’s not breathing?
Sybil’s grip tightened on his face, although her touch was still anything but rough. She cocked her head, her gaze growing distant, like she was listening to something. “Time to go,” she announced after a moment. “Seth. Do you understand what Riley is?”
Seth shook his head again. That seemed to be all he was capable of doing. Staring and shaking. At least he wasn’t screaming, although he didn’t think that was due to his own self-control but whatever spell Sybil had put on him.
Sybil tutted. “I think you do. You’re a clever boy, aren’t you? We’ll be seeing you soon.” And then she was tucking some sort of business card in Seth’s hand. His fist clenched around it almost without his permission.
Sybil released her hold on his face and turned away, leaving Seth on his own behind the counter. Seth watched in a daze as, despite her tiny size, Daphne picked Riley up in her arms like he weighed nothing at all. She carried him out the door, Sybil right behind her.
They were gone.
Seth didn’t know how long he stood there, his body frozen and his mind whirring. Riley’s face had changed, when this had all started. He’d had black eyes and sharp fangs, just like Sybil had when she’d bitten into her wrist.
Sybil had said Seth’s blood made Riley hungry.
Sybil could heal her wounds in mere moments, and Riley could apparently do the same.
If Seth believed them. If Riley woke up at all.
Seth didn’t stir until Violet showed up however many minutes later. Seth’s door was still unlocked, even if he hadn’t turned his sign. She waltzed right in.
Violet stopped. Stared. Seth stared back.
And then Violet was walking over with a determined stride, looking for all the world like she was going to join Seth behind the counter.
Seth turned in place to follow her movements as she slid around the counter’s edge. “What are you doing?”
