Page 139
His bruised face sends regret settling into my stomach. The thought I could’ve lost him and hated him for this long is potent.
“Burn this entire fucking town to the ground,” I grit. It’s a command to Nova. I don’t know who she is, but Dorrian does. And if she’s here to help, that’s the one thing I want.
Burn. It. The. Fuck. Down.
Kain takes my hand, tossing the can aside and I flick on the lighter, locking it as I limp over to a stray picture on the stairs, pick it up—I don’t want to look at it—and I light it, watching as the flame swallows it like that night they sent me away. Then I throw it onto the petrol. Flames engulf the haunting, gothic structure within seconds, burning down all the lies and corruption with dead bodies still inside it.
Including two of my abusers.
“We’ll be on standby, just make sure to press zero.” Nova hands me a phone with a small keyboard, and I nod before shutting the door to her luxury car.
I limp towards the castle while Kain props me up, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my waist. Camila gave me some strong fucking painkillers, which has made it easier to walk and Kain’s wrists are wrapped in snow-white bandages as they rapidly turn crimson from where they’re still bleeding.
We’re wearing clothes that don’t belong to us, but somehow, they feel like a fresh start before we finish this completely.
“Are you sure you can do this?” His voice is laced in concern.
“Even if I die trying.”
He stops, twirling me into his arms. “We’re not dying in there. We got this far. It does not end like this.”
“It might.” I press a kiss to his lips.
“Jordie, your hip—”
“It’s fine,” I insist. He doesn’t argue, just drinks me in before cupping my cheeks and kissing me deeply.
I face the castle again. No lights are on. It stands quiet, empty, ominous in the night.
We look at each other—both broken in different and same ways, but now united, with only one goal in mind.
End this.
My knife scrapes on the castle wall with a sharp ding when I release it from the wall. “You can’t hide in here, heathens,” I snarl. My hip is screaming, but I don’t want Kain to worry, so I push through.
Kain pours petrol to the floor while we meander through the castle, checking every empty, dark room. He smashes bottles of alcohol we find along the way once the can runs out.
We’re only left with the underground of the castle. We both limp our way down the stairs, wandering through corridors we’ve never seen. Passing human bones. Satanic sigils carved into the wall. An evil incubator.
Until finally, a tumble.
I whip my head to Kain, who growls and kicks open a door leading into what looks like a study. There, like a frightened pair of kittens, they stand on either side of the room.
“Well, who do we have here?” My voice isn’t my own.
Maybe my mother was right—maybe the Devil possesses me after all.
Vivian tries to get past me as we walk into the room, but I stab the knife into her stomach, halting her in her tracks. She folds in on herself, wailing in pain, stumbling backwards as I let go. A grunt sounds from the other side of the room and I whip around, but it’s Kain who knocked Heath off balance.
I grin.
“You can’t escape your sinning children now,” I whisper as I continue leading Vivian backwards. Her ungodly eyes sear into me. She really can’t help the evil inside her even when she’s about to die. “Why didn’t you run? Get out of the town?” I coo as I push Vivian onto the ground by the desk.
I stroll over to Kain, pulling out the old piece of paper with Blackcastle’s rules on it. “Let me see”—I pause for effect—“rule number two: Blackcastle residents are not to leave town under any circumstances.” I glare at them both as Kain stabs another knife into Heath’s abdomen. He wails and stumbles to the ground next to Vivian. I crouch before them, pulling a lighter from my pocket.
Something demented settled within me and it’s not leaving until they’re dead.
“If only you didn’t believe this bullshit so much, maybe you could’ve got away,” Kain snarls, twisting the knife inside Heath. His screams are deafening and satisfying all at once.
