“Jace!” I scream, trying to be heard above the wind. The woods fall eerily silent, my cry echoing around me, suddenly too loud. The last flakes of white settle to the ground, revealing the creature before me.
Frost-covered plants hang from its skeletal frame, icicles forming in the spaces between its ribs. Clouds of steam from the hollow nostrils of the elk skull break over my face. “A debt is owed,” it growls in a garbled, inhuman voice.
I stumble back, tripping over my feet. “I don’t have what you want!” I shout, shielding my face with my hands. It get closer, its bony maw inches away. Drool dribbles down my fingers, and I wonder if it’s possible to die twice.
“He’s telling the truth,” a woman says from behind the creature towering over me. I peer between my fingers, straining to recognize the voice. Bones creak as the monster looks over its shoulder, sickeningly clacking together when it steps to the side. Aunt Pearl, Mattie’s mama, comes into view. Her white gown flows around her small form, less than half the size of her companion. Dark brown hair cascades over her shoulders, covering what the sheer fabric does not. A small set of deer antlers sprout from her head, a crown of thorned vines resting between them. Her skin glows with a faint amber light, illuminating her golden skin. The contrast between her and the creature is staggering.
My jaw falls, my mind struggling to grasp what I’m seeing. “Auntie?” I whisper, waiting for her to vanish, only a distraction conjured by this creature.
“Cyrus, I’m sorry it had to be this way,” she says softly, stroking my cheek with her fingertips.
“What? What way? Why are you here?” I demand, anger rising in my voice. The questions tumble out of me. My thoughts scramble, all of them begging to be answered, but one is louder than all the rest. “Why didn’t you protect Mattie?”
“She has her own path to walk.” Pearl sighs, eyes flickering with unspoken emotion. “As we all do, but a debt is owed, and until it’s collected, we’reallshackled to our fates.”
“What debt?” I demand, my body shaking. “I don’t have anything. I’m fucking dead! My old man fucking killed me like he killed my mom—your sister—or do you not fucking remember?”
Pearl’s face hardens, her shoulders tensing. The monster growls behind her, shadows rising around it like black flames. “Elias is going to get what’s comin’ to him, but first, I need you to bring back the girl.”
“Jace!” I screech, my hands clenching to fists. Pearl nods. I move to sidestep her, but she’s faster, blocking my path. “No, I won’t do it. You can have whatever you want, just not her.”
“What if I can give you something you want?” she offers, stepping closer. “What if I can give you a second chance?”
28
JACE
Idon’t know if I’m heading in the right direction, but I don’t fucking care either. What was I thinking? Why would everything magically be repaired just because Cyrus is back in my world, if he’s even real at all? Coming back here was a mistake—it was a mistake for him then, and one for me now.
Cyrus is a ghost—he’sdead. No matter how much it hurts my heart, it’s the truth. Either way, it’s ridiculous to think him appearing again is going to solve all of my problems. The longer I’m here, the worse everything becomes. My pop and Cyrus were right about one thing: the past belongs in the past. My mind is reeling from everything that’s happened in the last few days, struggling to make sense of it in a way that doesn’t lead to an endless spiral of questions.
Cyrus was murdered. Our fathers were in a cult. Despicable crimes happened in Devil’s Nest, out in those woods. Now, something much darker is hunting for all of us. It all sounds insane—Isound insane.
A branch snaps behind me, sending me sprinting until I reach the cow pasture. My parent’s farmhouse sits in the distance, smoke lazily coiling from the chimney. The familiarity is comforting after the night I’ve just had, but my rage seepsthrough. It poisons my thoughts with images of my folks sitting around, enjoying a cup of coffee, still pretending everything is fine. They’re not out looking for their only daughter, who charged out alone into the snowy darkness. Maybe it would be easier for them if I just never came home, but I’m not going to give them the satisfaction.
The mid-morning sun glimmers across the snow-covered field. The cows nudge the snow with their noses, working to reach the brittle grass below. One of them moos, vocalizing its annoyance as I move past it. I reach out to scratch behind its ears, but it startles, bellowing as it stumbles away. “Fine,” I huff, pulling Cyrus’ flannel tighter around me. My bare legs are exposed, the shirt only covering me to mid-thigh, but I don’t feel as cold as I did last night. The sun is high in the now cloudless sky, but it’s likely my anger keeping me warm.
My mama is visible through the kitchen window, silently washing dishes at the sink. She looks at me, and I lift my hand to wave. Her face remains unchanged, not even a twitch to acknowledge my presence. I sigh, reluctantly accepting how this is likely going to go.
Mama opens the back door, tossing out the leftovers from a pot of stew. Brig bounds over, his tail wagging full force until his eyes land on me. He lets out a low whine, his tail curling underneath him. “What’s wrong, buddy?” I ask, leaning over and holding out my hand to him.
“Now don’t be that way,” my mama scolds, clucking her tongue. “Be thankful you’re even gettin’ the leftovers.” My head snaps to her, but she remains focused on the dog. Brig backs up before spinning to run away. Mama shakes her head, turning to go back inside. I follow close behind her, waiting for her to say something to me. Once we’re both in the kitchen, she slams the door behind me without even glancing in my direction.
“Mornin’, Mama,” I say, raising my voice just above normal. She only hums, washing dishes again. My face falls, unable to hide my hurt. “Or not.”
She pauses for a moment, pulling her robe tighter before returning to her task. It’s not the first time she’s used the silent treatment against me, especially after my pop took his anger at me out on her. There’s no use forcing it before she’s ready to talk, so I move on to the living room.
Pop doesn’t glance away from the tv, casually sipping his cup of coffee. The phone rings, making me jump, and he answers it after the second ring. “Mornin’,” he grumbles into the cordless receiver. I can’t hear the words, but I can tell by the voice it’s Elias. “No, I haven’t seen her since she stormed outta here last night. Figured she headed to you.”
There’s more garbled conversation, Pop holding the phone away from his ear. He knew I was going to Elias’ house and didn’t stop me, even knowing the type of monster he is. The betrayal stings worse than his slap on my cheek.
“Why you lookin’ for her anyway?” He finally asks the question I hoped he’d start with. “Frankly, Elias, it’s none of your got damn business where my daughter is!” he shouts, slamming the phone down on the couch.
My mama stands behind me in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. “What’s he callin’ the house for?” she asks, voice stern but hollow. “I thought we talked about this.”
Pop’s face pulls into a frown, turning back to the television. “Just lookin’ for Jace is all. Told him to mind his own business, Kate.”
“I’m right fuckin’ here!” I scream, looking from one parent to the other. Neither of them acknowledges me, other than my mama giving a drawn out sigh. Pop grunts, changing the channel, seemingly unbothered.
