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Her expression is controlled and emotionless, and she says, “The Sigma party is happening tonight, and we are going to make an appearance.”
“Talia, that’s a terrible idea. We need to lay low, not confront anyone,” I growl.
She raises her hand, silencing me. “Stephen is going to be there, and given he is now in control, we need to play nice with him. The false shadows will also be there, and I am sick of them taking the glory for what we created.”
“It’s a trap. They are trying to draw her out.”
Talia clicks her tongue. “That might be so, but this is our legacy, and we have the most to lose. We have lost our power, but we have Didi, and she will help us get it back. I have faith in the Codex. Either way, this ends tonight.”
DIDI
Everyone seems darker than usual—our moods are off, like we all understand something bad will happen as we huddle together in the back of the Shaggin’ Waggin’ on the way to the party.
No one is talking or looking at each other, just staring at the dark trees in the backwoods of Kinsmen, the tension between us is sharper than a knife. It’s cold outside and ominous but since there is a curfew in town, this is the only place where everyone can gather without drawing any unwanted attention. War is brewing.
Tommy and Talia are on the bench directly across from us, a bead of sweat forming on Tommy’s forehead. Remy places his arm around me, pulling me into him.
Tommy and I exchange glances, and I give him a small smile as the dark trees whip by us and the road turns from paved to dust. I also notice the pretty rosary Talia is wearing around her neck that matches her soft headband.
Everything about her is so peaceful.
Remy’s fingers curl around me so hard he might break me. This morning when he came back from the phone call from his father, we made love twice. And now, he is holding me so tight he may break me.
The van bounces, and Talia crawls over, breaking the tense stillness between us, and kneels in front of me, fussing with my wig, making sure not a single strand of white hair is visible. She smiles at me and presses a kiss on my forehead. “Such a pretty girl. Such a shame we have to hide you.”
“How do we know it’s Cindy planning something?” Tommy asks.
Talia cuts him a look and sits back down next to him and lights a smoke. “Cindy wants revenge and what she believes is owed to her. What I don’t know is who else is involved. We need to draw them out using Diana as bait.”
I lean my head on Remy. “Cindy knows it’s me, she’s not said anything to anyone about it, otherwise someone would have come for me by now. But I saw the way she looked at me. She recognizes me.”
“I don’t like this,” Tommy says. “It’s too risky. What the hell do you think they are planning?” Remy, I notice, has gone quiet on the matter. He draws circles along my arm as if deep in thought.
“Talia?” Tommy urges.
She flicks her cigarette as smoke fills the air. “We have no choice. It’s us or them.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Tommy asks.
She blinks at him. Motionlessness, ruthless, and devoid of emotion.
“History is written by those on the right side of it. When I say it’s us or them, I mean it’s our generation or theirs. We not only need to kill Cindy, but everyone else who knows about us. We aren’t only killing them; we are erasing their entire existence. We are eradicating their bloodlines.”
Tommy crosses his arms and shakes his head. “That’s not what the Codex says, Talia.”
“It’s exactly what the Codex says, Tommy. I am the future. I am Shadowface. I will not let her take away three hundred years of legacy.”
Tommy reaches over and grabs my hand. “Didi, you don’t have to do this.” He glares at Talia as she sits with her legs crossed on the cracked seat. “You’re losing your fucking mind. Didi’s the one who’s going to get hurt through all of this.”
Talia watches with her catlike eyes blinking with her false lashes. A soft and questioning silence hangs between us.
She shrugs. “It’s up to her. Either way, I won’t stop until I leave a mark on this town so deep, they will feel it for the next thousand years.”
“Talia, I’m fucking serious…” Tommy barks. “This is getting out of hand.” He turns to face Remy. “How are you okay with this?”
Talia turns to Remy. “Remy understands how much this means to me and what we have to lose. We all have to do our part, and she does, too. My father doesn’t see the complete picture like I do. But I know the truth now. Matteo saw her coming. She’s meant to do this for us. That’s why she’s here.”
Remy’s fingers tighten on my waist, and the van goes ghostly quiet, save for Bax humming along to the radio in the front. Everyone is waiting for Remy to say something, including me. “They all need to die, Tommy. Every single one of them, including Stephen Garcia.”
