the feeling I had when I was her… me… whatever. That feeling, all that powerful, was intoxicating, and I would do anything to get it back…
No.
No…
I don’t want it back.
That’s not what I mean.
I don’t want it.
I don’t want her to have it.
I don’t crave the demon blood.
I don’t crave the power.
I don’t miss Hart.
Except I do.
I so do.
“You don’t have to talk. The stench of guilt is nearly overwhelming. I can’t believe you and I ever inhabited the same body.” She turns and heads toward the hutch, the same hutch with the little red cup lying beside it. The little red cup that I dropped when I found out Hart was giving me demon blood. I hate that cup.
I want to lick it.
Stop it!
She, the Abomination, leans down and opens the bottom drawer and rummages around in there for a bit. I don’t know what she’s looking for. We never put anything in there. Nothing really. I think I have some school books that I’ll never need again, but I don’t want to throw away, just in case. Maybe a Bible or two. Kinda ironic now.
After a few seconds, she smiles—side note: it’s freaky to see yourself smile when you aren’t looking in a mirror—and pulls out a very heavy, very golden, very sacred, very important, very bad book.
Seth’s book.
The one he used to try to open Hell.
The one Hart hid from me to try to keep me from turning into the Abomination.
The same one I’m holding right now… or she’s holding.
How did it get here?
It didn’t…
Hart.
Hart must have brought it back.
When?
Before I killed him, obviously… but why hide it there? Not like it’s the most secure place in the world.
I wonder where Hart is now that I stabbed him. Is he in Hell again? Will he be there long?
Will I ever see him again?
Or is he gone? Just gone. Never to be back again. Never to hold me or tell me that everything is going to be okay?
I never thought I loved him.
That’s not true. I always knew I did in some twisted way. I just never thought it would be the kind of love that would destroy the world.
Love is weird.
This is weird.
The Abomination opens the book, and a gust of wind fills the room, making me gasp. She hears it and smiles in my direction. “There’s my girl. Let’s go watch the show.”
She takes the book and walks toward the French doors that lead outside. She throws it down on the newly filled in graves, those demons that Hart drained for me, and snaps her fingers. The fire lights up the outside, so bright I have to cover my eyes. She laughs.
I fall to my knees as Seth’s book, the one book that can tell us anything about the Abomination and stopping her, is engulfed in flames.
Through the flames, her eyes meet mine. “Now try and stop me.”
Thunder rumbles overhead as the fire grows, embers fly off into the dark afternoon sky.
It’s the end.
There’s no way to stop her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Lucien
I WANT TO HATE MY BROTHER.
I need to hate my brother.
Hating my brother would make this so much easier.
On the other hand…
I want to trust my brother.
I need to trust my brother.
Trusting my brother would make this so much easier.
He says he can destroy Gracen if we ever get the chance. If Seth finds the book. If there’s something in there that can stop her. If… if… if…
I hate the word if.
I never liked it as a human the first time. I hate it even more now.
Hart is looking up at me with those big, puppy eyes that make everything better in his world. He thinks he can get away with anything when he uses them. He thinks he can just do whatever and then say he’s sorry and whatever. “Who were you talking to before?” I can’t keep myself from asking. I don’t think it matters. He was probably talking to the wind, but I ask because I’m not ready to let him go, and I’m not ready to believe him.
“Who was I talking to?”
“Yeah, before I came in, I heard you outside. You were talking to someone. Then you weren’t. And I came in and
No.
No…
I don’t want it back.
That’s not what I mean.
I don’t want it.
I don’t want her to have it.
I don’t crave the demon blood.
I don’t crave the power.
I don’t miss Hart.
Except I do.
I so do.
“You don’t have to talk. The stench of guilt is nearly overwhelming. I can’t believe you and I ever inhabited the same body.” She turns and heads toward the hutch, the same hutch with the little red cup lying beside it. The little red cup that I dropped when I found out Hart was giving me demon blood. I hate that cup.
I want to lick it.
Stop it!
She, the Abomination, leans down and opens the bottom drawer and rummages around in there for a bit. I don’t know what she’s looking for. We never put anything in there. Nothing really. I think I have some school books that I’ll never need again, but I don’t want to throw away, just in case. Maybe a Bible or two. Kinda ironic now.
After a few seconds, she smiles—side note: it’s freaky to see yourself smile when you aren’t looking in a mirror—and pulls out a very heavy, very golden, very sacred, very important, very bad book.
Seth’s book.
The one he used to try to open Hell.
The one Hart hid from me to try to keep me from turning into the Abomination.
The same one I’m holding right now… or she’s holding.
How did it get here?
It didn’t…
Hart.
Hart must have brought it back.
When?
Before I killed him, obviously… but why hide it there? Not like it’s the most secure place in the world.
I wonder where Hart is now that I stabbed him. Is he in Hell again? Will he be there long?
Will I ever see him again?
Or is he gone? Just gone. Never to be back again. Never to hold me or tell me that everything is going to be okay?
I never thought I loved him.
That’s not true. I always knew I did in some twisted way. I just never thought it would be the kind of love that would destroy the world.
Love is weird.
This is weird.
The Abomination opens the book, and a gust of wind fills the room, making me gasp. She hears it and smiles in my direction. “There’s my girl. Let’s go watch the show.”
She takes the book and walks toward the French doors that lead outside. She throws it down on the newly filled in graves, those demons that Hart drained for me, and snaps her fingers. The fire lights up the outside, so bright I have to cover my eyes. She laughs.
I fall to my knees as Seth’s book, the one book that can tell us anything about the Abomination and stopping her, is engulfed in flames.
Through the flames, her eyes meet mine. “Now try and stop me.”
Thunder rumbles overhead as the fire grows, embers fly off into the dark afternoon sky.
It’s the end.
There’s no way to stop her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Lucien
I WANT TO HATE MY BROTHER.
I need to hate my brother.
Hating my brother would make this so much easier.
On the other hand…
I want to trust my brother.
I need to trust my brother.
Trusting my brother would make this so much easier.
He says he can destroy Gracen if we ever get the chance. If Seth finds the book. If there’s something in there that can stop her. If… if… if…
I hate the word if.
I never liked it as a human the first time. I hate it even more now.
Hart is looking up at me with those big, puppy eyes that make everything better in his world. He thinks he can get away with anything when he uses them. He thinks he can just do whatever and then say he’s sorry and whatever. “Who were you talking to before?” I can’t keep myself from asking. I don’t think it matters. He was probably talking to the wind, but I ask because I’m not ready to let him go, and I’m not ready to believe him.
“Who was I talking to?”
“Yeah, before I came in, I heard you outside. You were talking to someone. Then you weren’t. And I came in and
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