Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“Vivian has the key,” I rush out. “She’s had it this whole time. We just didn’t see her take it—well, we saw her take it, we just didn’t put two and two together.” I go on, my brain working faster than my mouth can keep up.
“What makes you think she has the key?” Xavier asks, somehow able to keep his calm and composed demeanor. But he can’t fool me. I see the hope gleaming behind his sky-blue eyes.
“I was just recounting everything that happened with Mabel,” I begin. “Before Marco and Vivian left, she went to Marcus Henry’s body and took something. She seemed quite happy about it, too.”
Xavier pauses as he thinks back. “It was a locket or some sort of necklace,” he says. “Could that be the key?”
“Yes. From what I was able to gather when talking to Marie, the key could really be anything. It’s more symbolic than anything else, and a small gold locket sealed with Blackwood blood would be the perfect, unsuspecting key. Anyone could wear it without raising an alarm. It would be a good way to keep it close to your chest—literally.”
“Then let’s find Vivian. Now.”
“I don’t know where she is, and I need Leo to bring me something of hers so I can cast the locator spell.”
“Fuck that,” Xavier says, taking my hand. “I will put out a fucking APB on her, offer a reward, pay off someone in Homeland Security to run facial recognition across the whole damn country.”
“She might not even be in the country,” I say, hating that I’m the reasonable one for a change. “If she believes this demon can undo—”
“Undo?” Xavier interrupts.
Before I have a chance to explain, Mabel and the guys come up from the basement.
“Is it true?” Antonio asks, coming right over to me. He takes my hand in his and looks into my eyes. “You found the key? Vivian has it?”
“I think so,” I tell him, and look around the room. Theo has even joined us, and everyone is looking at me. I don’t want to disappoint them, and I don’t want to let myself down—because I really don’t want to die.
“After it was clear that you were dead,” I start, looking at Antonio, “Vivian didn’t seem too torn up. Which maybe is because she thinks if she gets the sigil and can let this demon out, he can bring you back.” My brows go up, feeling like I just offered a sliver of hope to Antonio. He does matter to his parents. They didn’t leave him for dead.
“The demon can bring people back,” Mabel notes.
“Back into their bodies,” Theo says flatly, giving Antonio a sympathetic look. “They left you for dead and left your body to burn. Sorry, mate.”
“Wait,” Zeke interjects. “You’re saying the necklace Vivian took from Marcus Henry’s dead body is the key?”
“Yes.” This time there’s more certainty. “There’s no way Marcus would have attempted that sort of ritual if the key was just out there anywhere. The demon told me the Order has been controlling it for half a century. That’s how long it took them to figure out it needed blood from the witch who cast it,” I continue as the thoughts race through my mind.
“And then they had to figure out not only who trapped the demon, but then find a family member they could…you know, trick,” Antonio says roughly. “None of this is your fault, Wren. If anything, it shows how much effort the Order put into this—if that makes you feel any better.”
“It doesn’t, but thanks.” I take a breath, closing my eyes and remembering it all again. The manic look on Vivian’s face as she pulled the necklace from Marcus Henry’s body. The way she didn’t so much as look back at Antonio. Theo is right—if they intended on saving him, they would have dragged the body out with them. But they didn’t. They left him to burn and then made up the stupid rumor that he had been turned into a vampire. That way, they had the perfect excuse for why no one would ever see Antonio’s body again.
“We need to call Leo,” Antonio says, “and have him meet us tonight with something of Vivian’s.”
“That will take too long,” Xavier says. “Instead we will go to him.”
Chapter
Thirty-One
We leave in a rush, grabbing just enough stuff to get us through the night. We’re not going far, and Asheville has plenty of stores if we really need something. Antonio packs up the few weapons I have here at this house, and Devon helps grab all the supplies I need to cast the locator spell. I’m running low on a few herbs, but the kitchen is always well stocked at the Russo compound.
The pizza comes right as we’re getting ready to head out the door. I can tell by the look on Xavier’s face he’s struggling with not wanting anyone to have food in the car vs the fact that Antonio and I are human and need to eat.