It is loud in the silent horror hotel, but my pulse in my ears is louder still.
There is a step.
I do not want to look.
I am afraid to know.
Sanford is staring at me as if he is sorry.
I do not want him to be sorry.
I want him dead.
I want to be far from here with Karia Ven in my arms.
I want to vanish with her, right now.
There are several different pairs of footfalls, but I don’t see anything as Stein Rule speaks, humor carved into his knife-sharp words.
And I know this time, we won’t be able to run.
“Who do you think let him out?”
Chapter 4
Karia
The room is too full as I face the door down.
There’s a thump behind me, and I imagine Sanford is shifting his position, but I don’t turn away.
I am between Sullen and him, the former in front of me, his broad shoulders tense as he stares at his father.
Stein glances past me for a flicker of time, a strange expression on his face. But I blink, and it passes. A cold mask slips in its place instead.
Three guards flank him, two to one side, one to the other.
For a moment, it is only this standoff, strangely silent, heavily tense.
Then there is the sound of running. Many steps advancing.
My heart leaps to my throat.
Seconds later, behind Stein and his men, more people fill up the doorway, wide-eyed and breathing heavy.
Too many of them are familiar faces.
My parents, Mads Bentzen—the leader of Writhe—and Von and Isadora both. Isadora’s parents aren’t there, and at the lack of Shella, my stomach twists into knots.
She let Sullen and I escape, before.
But I know now, none of these people will give into me. To us.
It doesn’t mean I won’t try.
“Dad,” I say quietly, pushing forward to face him more fully as he slips into the room past one of Stein’s guards. But Sullen darts out his arm, preventing me from going closer.
“Do not touch her,”Dad says, his voice hard as his eyes narrow on Sullen.
