A flash of red hair ran toward us. “Veda.” The name slipped from my lips for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. I shook my head, and when the room came into focus again the red hair was a rich brown.
“Give me a lift,” she said, planting her hands firmly on my shoulder. I locked my fingers together and lifted her up. Thewitch reconnected the sigil, sealing the wraith inside. My arms felt as though they were made of lead. With a grunt, I practically dropped her to the ground, my hands shaking as I released her.
I bit down hard on my tongue at the pain. A metallic tang filled my mouth as I tried to swallow the building scream. The stairs—my freedom—seemed so far away. The ground swayed and the room tilted. The room faded in and out as the wraith’s magic took hold.
My legs buckled, and the little angel slung my arm around her shoulders, helping me ascend the steps.
“Are you okay?” she asked, trying to get a better look at my wound. “Oh,” she hesitated. “It’s not even bad.”
“Really? ’Cause it fucking hurts.” Talking hurt. Breathing hurt. Shit, everything hurt.
We made our way up the stairs, her tiny frame struggling to keep me upright.
“What’s your name?” she grunted as I went nearly boneless in her arms.
“Grey.”
“Lyra.” The name barely registered, my mind too preoccupied with survival. I only needed to hold the memories back a little longer.
I braced my bloody palm against the door and pushed it open. Music and voices from the hallway poured into the basement. For a split second, everything went dark before snapping back into focus.
“Whoa, need any help?” someone asked as we clumsily made our way down the hallway.
“No, he’s just a lightweight,” Lyra said in a super unconvincing tone. We didn’t dare stop; our momentum carried us forward. We stumbled out the front door, and the night sky drew my attention upward. A sight I never thought I’d see again.
Lyra ran a hand through her hair. Blood splattered her white dress, and her dilated pupils hid the hazel of her eyes. Too many thoughts churned in that pretty little head of hers.
“Let me get my car keys. I’ll be right back,” she said, letting go of me, and disappearing into the house. She had zero clue what I was if she believed I’d be here when she got back.
After a long, deep inhale, I pushed off the column and vanished into the night.
Finally, I had my fucking freedom.
CHAPTER 5
LYRA
Each step sent a sharp stab of pain shooting up my arches, and I was pretty sure my toes had gone numb. I tried to wiggle them, but nothing happened. Heels were by far the worst choice I could’ve made.
Scratch that. Freeing a potential mass-murdering monster from the basement took the top spot.
Maybe I should’ve taken my chances with the wraith.
I wiped my hands down the front of my dress. The silky material, soaked with Grey’s blood, clung to my body. He’d left a trail of it from the basement to the front porch.
Shouts erupted from the kitchen, drawing my attention to the people circling the large dining table, playing an intense game of flip cup. A douchebag with a prominent unibrow yelled at the girl next to him who was struggling to flip her cup. Cheap beer sloshed from the table to the floor as the game raged on.
I spun in frantic circles. There were too many people, their faces blurring together, making it impossible to focus. And there was no sign of Emory.
Finally, I gave up the search. The cool night air whipped my hair around as I stumbled back onto the porch. Panic clawed atmy chest when I saw the empty spot where Grey should have been.
He was gone.
I narrowed my eyes, scanning the porch and beyond, searching for the bloodied, dark-haired male. No trail of dead bodies or screams pierced the night. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary as I stood looking out into the darkness. The faint sound of music seeping from the house as people continued to dance and drink themselves into oblivion.
The world began to spin, forcing me to take a seat on the steps. The contents of my stomach churned, and I shut my eyes tight, taking a deep breath to keep from puking.
“Nice costume.” A voice sounded in the distance. I squinted, trying to keep the nausea at bay, watching as the person pushed up his mask to reveal caramel eyes and dark brown hair.
