“Tonight, I will fulfill my duty.” He brought the whip across his back with even greater force, slicing it wide open, only for it to heal right back up again. “I have sacrificed everything for you. Betrayed everything I love.”
Beth cowered in the far corner of the passageway, pressing her hands to her ears, flinching each time the whip struck his skin.
“And so it shall be,” he whispered. “At the harvest of the end of the world. The reaper will come forth and sever the wicked from among the just.” His words became more fervent with every blow. “Sever the wicked from among the just,” he groaned. “I am wicked, but I am just!”
Beth took in a sobbing gasp.
Spencer stopped and turned to look over his shoulder. I ducked back into the hallway. I wasn’t sure if he saw me or not.
Beth clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with terror, as he stepped toward our hiding spot.
He came closer.
Closer.
He’d almost reached the entryway when a loud, insistent rap came from the other door.
Spencer halted. He turned and crossed the room, shrugging back into his robe.
Beth fumbled with the wall, desperately pressing on wood panels. As soon as Spencer opened the door behind the altar, Beth found the right one.
Before I had a chance to see who was calling on him, Beth had pulled me out of the hallway and up the stairs.
“Holy shit, did you see that?” I hissed.
“No.” She squeezed my arm. “And you didn’t see anything either. Understand?”
We nearly collided with Lauren Mendoza at the top of the stairs.
“What are you doing down here?” Her eyes darted behind us.
“We were looking for Brennon’s room.” Beth smiled sweetly, the lie rolling effortlessly off her tongue.
I could see Lauren bristle as her eyes dragged up and down my body like a razor blade.
“I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m watching you.” Her cheeks were flushed, making her olive skin even more luminous. “If you hurt anyone close to me, you and I are going to have problems.”
Did she know about Dane and me? Would he have told her? Is that why she hated me so much . . . she didn’t want to see her brother get hurt?
She leaned forward, whispering in my ear. “I’m glad you got a chance to meet Teresa. To see what you’ll become.”
I felt the black silk ribbon stir against my neck as a venomous feeling rose up inside of me. My eyes settled on Lauren’s neck—on her pulse throbbing under her beautiful skin. Something inside me wanted to stop it from beating.
“Thank you for a lovely time,” Beth said, taking my arm and pulling me outside, breaking my dark fixation.
27
BONFIRE
I’D NEVER BEEN to a cult bonfire before, but it seemed to be nothing more than a barbecue. Of course, Henry went straight for the booze. That seemed to be a favorite pastime around here. What did they care if they rotted out their livers? They expected to become immortal in a few days.
Kids crammed around small fire pits scattered around the field, jockeying for position, trying to char their mystery meat skewers. It all seemed pretty harmless, except for the mammoth sculpture at the center of the field made of carefully arranged logs and willow branches. I didn’t know what the figure was supposed to be, but it loomed menacingly against the violet sky.
I spotted Dane on the other side of the sculpture. It looked like Spencer was giving him a stern talking-to.
“We’ll set up camp in a bit,” Beth said as she dropped the bedding carelessly to the ground and hugged me. “Don’t tell anyone what you saw today,” she whispered. “There will be a path to lead us from darkness.”
Why did she keep saying that?
She looped her arm through my brother’s and led him into the thick of the Grimsby camp.
“Stay close,” Rhys called over his shoulder. “We have a big day tomorrow.”
Hopefully, tonight would bring answers, because I needed to figure something out. Fast.
When I looked back across the field, Dane was gone, but Spencer Mendoza’s eyes had settled on my skin like a rash. I knew there was something off about him the moment I met him, but I didn’t realize how deep it went.
As he began to walk around the sculpture, I took off in the opposite direction.
“Miss Larkin?” he called.
Reluctantly, I waited. As soon as he approached, that eucalyptus smell with the rotting undertone nearly gagged me.
“I haven’t had a chance to formally introduce myself. I’m Spencer Mendoza. I understand you’re already acquainted with my nephew, Brennon . . . and Dane.”
I kept my face as expressionless as possible.
“You look so much like your mother. Except for the hair.” He’d reached out to capture a strand when I took a decided step back.
“I had a nice chat with Teresa today,” I said, but it didn’t seem to bother him in the least.
“Ah, poor Teresa. There’s nothing more pitiful than a conduit who’s run her course.”
He spoke of her like a nag who needed to be put down.