Thomas peered down at his wrists. “I’m not sure what it is you expect me to do.”
Philip swore. “Do you have any idea—any at all—what’s going on here?”
“I have some,” Thomas admitted. “I know you’ve been forcing Vivienne to take out your competition. I know Isaac Shaw is a living witness, and that as soon as he recovers, you’re done for.”
“I’m done already,” blustered Philip. “Do you think either of us are making it out of here alive?”
Silence rose up between them, cold and resolute.
“Have you ever seen fishermen chum the water for sharks?” Philip asked. “They take a bucket of slick and dump it into the sea. Wait for the sharks to sniff it out.”
Thomas said nothing.
“That’s us,” Philip said. “That’s why we’re here. He’s got something in that basement—Christian does—and you and I are what’s going to draw it out. Mark my words, Walsh—I’ve watched that man in a courtroom for years. I know when there’s about to be blood in the water.”
Out in the hallway, a door cracked open. There was a shout—the sound of running footsteps. A figure stumbled into the parlor, clutching at the door frame. Thomas recognized the wide, wild eyes of Adrian Faber immediately. The last time Thomas had seen him, he’d been barricading them in the church. The boy stared up at him from beneath a wild flop of hair, gesturing to his throat. Sinking to his knees, he fell to retching violently.
“Oh, for the love of God,” spat out Philip. “Getup.”
“There’s spiders,” Adrian croaked. “Spiders in my throat. In my—my lungs. I can’t—I can’t breathe.”
An unseen door slammed shut. There came the kicking, scrabbling sound of someone being dragged. Another door squealed open on rusted hinges and then fell closed. Thomas was certain—as certain as he’d ever been of anything—that he’d just heard Vivienne. He didn’t bother calling after her. Instead, he began to struggle in earnest against his bindings.
Philip watched Adrian claw at his throat. “She couldn’t have said more than one word to you,” he bit out irritably. “Get up.Up.Untie us.”
Adrian rolled flat onto his back, eyes shut, scratching at his skin. Thomas skewed a sideways glance at him as he breathed in several garbled breaths. Finally, his arms fell slack. He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling.
“Hey,” called Thomas. Adrian’s eyes rolled slowly toward where Thomas sat bound in his chair. “You good?”
Adrian gave an unconvincing nod.
“Listen closely,” Thomas said, “because I’m only going to say this once. With or without your help, I’m going to get out of this chair. And then I’m going to tear this place to the fucking studs. You can either be left behind, or you can help me out.”
Adrian sat up straighter, still breathing hard. He seemed to be seriously considering Thomas’s offer when his body was racked with a series of bone-rattling coughs. He doubled over, heaving violently into his hands. When he finally sat back, something black and decidedly eight-legged writhed in his palm. He yelped, flinging it, and scrabbled backward. The eight-legged thing scuttled darkly away, moving under the bookcase.
“What the hell was that?” asked Thomas.
“I don’t know,” Philip said. “Her abilities have never manifested into something tangible. It’s always been hallucinatory.”
Not in the church, Thomas thought, but didn’t say. He thought of looking down into the box and seeing his own eyes staring back up at him.
“The House was built on a supernatural locus,” Adrian gasped out, dragging himself bodily toward the chair. “It’s like catching sunlight in a magnifying glass. Everything is … concentrated.” He gagged once, violently. “I’ll untie you. But you have to swear you’ll get me out of here alive.”
“If I make it, you make it,” Thomas promised.
With one last hiccup, Adrian set to loosening the knot on Thomas’s wrist. On the chaise, Philip beamed at Thomas.
“I knew you’d come through,” he said. “I never doubted. I’ve always known a good investment when I see one.”
Thomas ignored him. His focus was on Adrian. “Tell me what’s going on here.”
“The chairman wants to ascend,” said Adrian. “He thinks feeding Vivienne to the House will help him do it.”
“Elaborate.” Thomas scowled, wishing he’d go faster. “And hurry up.”
“It’s infinite knowledge,” said Adrian. “The ultimate power. And ultimate power requires the ultimate sacrifice. The chairman promised his firstborn son, and when he tried to go back on that promise, the House demanded his entire line.”
“But Vivienne’s still here,” said Thomas.
