relief, but it was short-lived. Ellie started trembling, a whimper falling from her lips. Trepidation tripped up Tilly’s spine as she turned to the girl.
“No,” the girl whispered, her head whipping from one side to the other as she fell back. “I won’t…I won’t!”
Mary dropped her knife and caught the girl. “Ellie!”
Ellie screamed, and then, she went limp, sagging to the floor. Her knees hit the wood and instinct pulled Tilly back. Shudders wracked the girl.
“Ellie, what’s wrong…tell me!” Mary caught the girl’s shoulders, shook her.
“Mary, get away from her,” Tilly said.
Mary didn’t even seem to hear.
The other two girls looked over at Tilly, but before she could even understand how to say what needed to be said, there was a flash, light glinting off metal.
And then, the arcing spray of blood.
For one macabre moment, Mary remained there, one pale hand rising to staunch the flow of blood as she stared at Ellie. Then, slowly, she toppled.
“Get away,” Tilly said to the other two. The twins. Brown hair with bright green eyes and giggly voices, they’d always annoyed Tilly with their inability to make a decision without the other.
But in that moment, she feared for them.
They were so close.
“Get away from her,” she said again.
As one, they swung their heads to look at Ellie—or the thing that now controlled her.
That was the last thing they did. More blood. Tilly raced forward, but she was too slow.
Her foot slipped in the blood and she went down, sliding in the obscene red. One twin went down, then the other.
And Ellie turned on her.
“I’m displeased with this turn of events,” Ellie said, her voice…odd. Flat. Strangely deeper.
She started forward and Tilly lifted her pistol.
Ellie went still, her gaze wary. “I don’t like taking the body of a woman. Now I’m trapped here until this thing dies. It’s a cursed bother. I—”
Ellie stopped, cocked her head.
Then, without saying another word, she lunged for the door.
I broke free.
Free from the memory, free from the odd, scary-ass man in front of me, and threw myself against the window. If only I was a little stronger, maybe I could make the damn thing break . Death was going to find me soon anyway, why not choose my own way for once?
“Don’t…” I gritted out, panting as I stared at him. “Ever…do that…again.”
I was drenched with sweat. My hands shook. I could still feel the blood on me. I could feel men, drunk and panting on top of me. I could remember…my stomach rebelled.
Fourteen. I’d been fourteen and my mother had sold me to the madam because she’d run out of money. A day later, I’d been raped by a man so large and filthy, the smell of him had nearly made me vomit.
I could have happily lived without those memories. And now I was trapped with them.
“Kalypso,” he said, his voice strangely gentle. He lifted a hand.
I don’t know how he knew my name. If he could climb inside my mind like that, force my thoughts and memories to follow whatever path he chose, he could probably find out anything he wanted to know. My name was easy. Slapping away the hand he lifted toward me, I drew my knees up. A sob caught inside my chest. Burying my face to my knees, I fought to keep that cry inside me.
I felt ruined. Stained. A hundred dirty hands grabbing at me…even though it had been more than a century ago and all responsible for it were rotting in their graves now.
I didn’t want these memories. Not at all.
Guilt and indecision rode him hard.
On the other side of the suite, Will stared out a window facing the river but his eyes saw nothing.
Or perhaps that wasn’t true.
He saw what she’d seen…and all the things she wouldn’t allow herself to look at, at least not yet.
She’d tucked herself away in a shadowed corner with that pistol of hers and she’d killed two more demons before they’d taken her.
Finn and Ira had arrived before they finished with her. She’d heard
“No,” the girl whispered, her head whipping from one side to the other as she fell back. “I won’t…I won’t!”
Mary dropped her knife and caught the girl. “Ellie!”
Ellie screamed, and then, she went limp, sagging to the floor. Her knees hit the wood and instinct pulled Tilly back. Shudders wracked the girl.
“Ellie, what’s wrong…tell me!” Mary caught the girl’s shoulders, shook her.
“Mary, get away from her,” Tilly said.
Mary didn’t even seem to hear.
The other two girls looked over at Tilly, but before she could even understand how to say what needed to be said, there was a flash, light glinting off metal.
And then, the arcing spray of blood.
For one macabre moment, Mary remained there, one pale hand rising to staunch the flow of blood as she stared at Ellie. Then, slowly, she toppled.
“Get away,” Tilly said to the other two. The twins. Brown hair with bright green eyes and giggly voices, they’d always annoyed Tilly with their inability to make a decision without the other.
But in that moment, she feared for them.
They were so close.
“Get away from her,” she said again.
As one, they swung their heads to look at Ellie—or the thing that now controlled her.
That was the last thing they did. More blood. Tilly raced forward, but she was too slow.
Her foot slipped in the blood and she went down, sliding in the obscene red. One twin went down, then the other.
And Ellie turned on her.
“I’m displeased with this turn of events,” Ellie said, her voice…odd. Flat. Strangely deeper.
She started forward and Tilly lifted her pistol.
Ellie went still, her gaze wary. “I don’t like taking the body of a woman. Now I’m trapped here until this thing dies. It’s a cursed bother. I—”
Ellie stopped, cocked her head.
Then, without saying another word, she lunged for the door.
I broke free.
Free from the memory, free from the odd, scary-ass man in front of me, and threw myself against the window. If only I was a little stronger, maybe I could make the damn thing break . Death was going to find me soon anyway, why not choose my own way for once?
“Don’t…” I gritted out, panting as I stared at him. “Ever…do that…again.”
I was drenched with sweat. My hands shook. I could still feel the blood on me. I could feel men, drunk and panting on top of me. I could remember…my stomach rebelled.
Fourteen. I’d been fourteen and my mother had sold me to the madam because she’d run out of money. A day later, I’d been raped by a man so large and filthy, the smell of him had nearly made me vomit.
I could have happily lived without those memories. And now I was trapped with them.
“Kalypso,” he said, his voice strangely gentle. He lifted a hand.
I don’t know how he knew my name. If he could climb inside my mind like that, force my thoughts and memories to follow whatever path he chose, he could probably find out anything he wanted to know. My name was easy. Slapping away the hand he lifted toward me, I drew my knees up. A sob caught inside my chest. Burying my face to my knees, I fought to keep that cry inside me.
I felt ruined. Stained. A hundred dirty hands grabbing at me…even though it had been more than a century ago and all responsible for it were rotting in their graves now.
I didn’t want these memories. Not at all.
Guilt and indecision rode him hard.
On the other side of the suite, Will stared out a window facing the river but his eyes saw nothing.
Or perhaps that wasn’t true.
He saw what she’d seen…and all the things she wouldn’t allow herself to look at, at least not yet.
She’d tucked herself away in a shadowed corner with that pistol of hers and she’d killed two more demons before they’d taken her.
Finn and Ira had arrived before they finished with her. She’d heard
Similar Books
