Chapter 11
MIA
O ne of the things I learned from the orphanage is self-preservation. How to survive even when it seems impossible. But what terrifies me more than anything is being vulnerable. When I sleep, I’m in my weakest state. So I fight for control of everything when I’m awake. Last night reminded me of that.
Are there others like me? Do they know? After all these years, Nox still has so many secrets. He’s told me nothing of where he comes from or why he’s with me. It took me so long to come to terms with the fact that he’s real. That I didn’t just make him up in a fever dream. Even when the doctors and priests called me crazy, I knew Nox had to be real. There’s no other explanation for the marks that I wake up with. Yet sometimes, I question my own sanity. I question everything…
If there are others who know he exists, then maybe I can get some answers as to why he’s attached himself to me. Maybe I can finally accept that I might be cursed, but not insane.
But that’s not the only thing weighing on me this morning. I need to apologize to Villette. It’s not her fault that her brother and his friends are psychos. She’s the first person who’s been genuinely nice to me in a long time. Plus, she was born and raised here. She might be able to shed some light on my affliction. Or, at the very least, maybe be someone I can talk to about it. It’s hard keeping this pent-up inside me. For years, I’ve lived with this secret. This shame.
I shoot off a text to her and try not to hold my breath while I wait for a response. I clean up the kitchen, make a pot of coffee, and do my best to distract myself. There’s still so much work to be done around here. I have to finish exploring the house, put away my things, and call someone about fixing my front gates.
I sip on my coffee while staring hard out the front window. Seeing all that twisted metal scattered all over the yard makes my blood boil. But thinking about what happened right after sends a flush across my skin. I have to stop having sex with Draven Blackwell . He’s the enemy. The asshole who is trying to run me out of town.
I think a small part of me is afraid to fully unpack. I’ve spent my whole life feeling unsettled. Even at the orphanage. It was the only place I ever knew as a child. And yet, I still kept a bag packed, thinking my parents were going to show up one day and take me back home.
That day, of course, never came, and it never will. But I’m still waiting for something. A sense of home. Of belonging. And until that clicks into place, I think I’ll always have one foot out the door.
My phone buzzes, breaking my trance. I look down to see it’s a text from an unknown number.
A couple of men will be by later today to start work on your gate. Don’t give them any trouble… Trouble.
Well, fuck.
This man never ceases to amaze me.
I respond back with: Great. It’s the least you can do.
He texts back: I’m not doing it for you. Once you sign the papers, I’ll have to fix them anyway .
I grit my teeth as a spark of anger returns. This fucking guy. He can’t do or say anything nice. Even when he’s fucking me, he’s a complete prick.
My phone buzzes again, and I’m about to tell him off when I see this one’s from Villette.
Thanks for reaching out, girl! I’d love to hang out. Meet me at the Headless Horseman in an hour. My treat!
I reply back with a thumbs-up emoji and finish my cup of coffee in the front window. My broken gates look even more insulting to me now that Draven is determined to fix them out of the unkindness of his heart.
I’m not sure what to expect when I pull into town. I’ve only been to Duff’s, and that was at night. And I was pretty drunk. But in the light of day, this place is charming. It’s old world with its Victorian-style lampposts and cobblestone sidewalks—quaint and cute despite the creepy, dark forests that surround it. The fog is thick, and the air is crisp. Like something out of a Gothic novel.
I park my truck in one of the many empty slots in front of the Headless Horseman, wondering if I’m about to have my third cup of coffee or a mimosa brunch. I don’t know what type of girl Villette is—a caffeine freak like me or a day drinker.
All my questions are answered the second I waltz through the door, and the sharp, pungent scent of freshly roasted beans hits my nostrils. A wave of euphoria seizes my senses. My shoulders drop, all tension flitting away as I spot her at a corner table. As much as I love a stiff drink, coffee truly is my preferred poison.
She waves me over, her face bright, skin glowing with hardly a stitch of makeup. Her black hair is piled high on her head in one of those perfect messy buns that really isn’t messy at all.
When she stands to greet me, I can’t help but drool over her outfit—skinny jeans, brown leather knee-high boots, a lace camisole, and an ankle-length patchwork cardigan that looks as expensive as it is soft and fuzzy. She looks like she just stepped out of a fall fashion catalog.
“You look amazing,” I sputter as she hugs me. Fuck. She even smells divine. Like freshly baked cookies.
“So do you,” she replies, her tone matching the warmth of her smile.
I look down at my ripped jeans, motorcycle boots, and black zip-up hoodie, and I cringe. “You don’t have to lie to be my friend,” I tease.
She giggles in that infectious way that you see pretty girls do on television. “I’m not. You have a unique style. I like it.”
I order a black coffee while Villette sips on her pumpkin-spice latte. It literally goes with her outfit, so I refrain from making a smart-ass comment about having a little coffee with her sugar.
“So, I want to apologize for the other night. I was not my best self, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you,” I ramble out without taking a beat.
She shakes her head. “No need. You didn’t offend me. I grew up with those guys. I know better than anyone how infuriating they can be. I’m sorry that my brother is acting like such a creep. I can’t believe he broke into your house.”
I’m dumbfounded. I threw a drink at one of her friends, insulted her brother, and told her to fuck off, and she’s apologizing to me? This girl is an angel.
“Well, I appreciate that, but still… I had no right to snap at you. It’s not your fault. Friends again?”
“We never stopped.” She grins over her sugary drink. It lights up this entire room.
It’s nice to have her to talk to. I’ve been around girls my whole life, but as soon as I left Wickford Hollow, it was just me. Then my ex for a bit. But I never made any girlfriends outside of the orphanage. Most people think I’m weird and unapproachable. I guess I am. But Lettie is different. I don’t think she has a judgmental bone in her entire body.
“So what’s the deal with the three of them? Why do they want that poison so badly?”
She rolls her eyes and huffs. “They are relentless. I’ll try to bring you up to speed. Are you familiar with the poison trade?”
I’ve never been one to partake in it. It’s like the crème de la crème of drugs. Better than all of them put together. But it’s lethal to most unless taken in small incremental doses. “I’ve heard that some people are immune to it. That they can drink it like it’s a glass of wine or a shot of whiskey. But I don’t know much else.”
She nods. “It’s true. There are families who have built up an immunity to it—the Thorns, of course. They make and supply the poison. Then there’s the other four, Blackwell, Erebus, Graves, and Crane. Our history runs deep in this town and in Raven’s Gate.”
Somehow she looks even more badass to me now. “Crane? That’s your last name, right? You can drink poison?”
She sighs. “I can. I don’t though. Not in a long time. So, Aries’s father is a monster. He did horrific things to Aries’s twin sister, Libra. He didn’t even bother to look for her when she went missing last year. Anyhow, she finally resurfaced about a month ago, and we learned that she’d been held captive in Absentia Asylum. And it had been arranged by Draven’s grandmother, Penny Blackwell.”
What the fuck? These people are nuttier than I thought. I order a refill and lean back in the booth, wishing I had popcorn for this story. “Wait, aren’t Draven and Aries best friends? I can’t believe his grandmother would do that.”
Villette snickers. “Oh, you didn’t know Penny Blackwell. Up until recently, she was the most formidable person in this town.”
“What happened to her?” This just keeps getting more unhinged.
She nods. “I can’t say it out loud, but… let’s just say she got wh at was coming to her.” She mouths Libra , her hand cupping the side of her mouth, blocking the view of the other customers.
“Holy shit.”
“Libra signed over her shares of the poison fields to Aries so he can have a bigger stake than their father. They are working on ousting him from the business altogether. In order to do that, they need more buyers, more money, and more poison. That’s where Harker Mansion comes in.”
I gasp. “The baneberry. Fuck. I thought Draven was just being a self-entitled rich asshole. I had no idea that I was sitting in the middle of a fucking poison war.”
She looks at me with pity, like I’m a wounded puppy. “I’m sorry you got mixed up in all of this.”
Fuck. This changes everything. “What will they do if I don’t sell?”
She looks out the window and bites her lip. “I don’t know.”
But something in her expression tells me that she does and can’t bring herself to say it out loud.
“Lettie. Be honest with me. Please.”
She sighs, and when our eyes meet again, she shivers. “Our world isn’t meant for everyone, Mia. Maybe consider taking the offer.”
No one put her up to this. She’s actually terrified for me. I fold my hands in my lap to keep them from shaking. “I… I’ve never had a home before. Or a family. Harker Mansion is the closest I’ve ever had to having one. It’s not about the money.”
Lettie’s eyes water as she reaches for my hand from across the table. “I’m sorry, Mia. Whatever you need, I’m here for you. Maybe there’s another way.”
Ahhh, fuck. I dab at my eyes with my crumpled napkin. “Why would my grandmother leave me this mess? She had to have known this was coming.”
Lettie shrugs. “Emma Harker was kind but also cunning. I’m sure she had her reasons. Maybe there’s something in that house that can give you the answers you’re looking for.”
That’s the one thing I’ve been avoiding—searching through things that belonged to people who never wanted me. “All I have is a letter, but it doesn’t make sense. It’s like a riddle.”
Her eyes widen. “Then it means something. That’s how the founding families communicate when it’s important and top secret. Can I see it sometime? Maybe I can help you decipher it.”
Finally, I catch a break. She’s so sweet and genuine. It’s baffling that her brother is such a psycho. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
Her warm smile returns to match the sparkle in her eyes. “You can bring it tonight. To the Circle . That is if you don’t have other plans.”
I snort. “Lettie, you’re the only friend I have in this town. What plans?”
She giggles and blushes. “Perfect. I’ll text you the directions later. Um, but… full disclosure. The three of them will be there. But I promise they won’t harass you if you’re with me.”
My stomach knots. I can’t avoid them. This town is too small. And I refuse to hide out in my house every night. “It’s fine. What is the Circle anyway? Is that like a club or something?”
She shakes her head and snatches the bill before I can reach for it. “It’s a fight club in the woods. Bones is the main event every Friday night. I hope you aren’t squeamish. It’s pretty brutal. But it’s tradition.”
Well, fucking hell. This town is psychotic. Even this sweet innocent beauty across from me might be a little cuckoo. But the longer I’m here, the deeper I get drawn in. Fuck it. “Well, then I can look forward to watching your brother get pummeled. No offense.”
She smirks. “Don’t get your hopes up too high. Bones never loses.”
My heart sinks. I have a feeling that none of them do.
When it comes to anything .
Ever.
I shrug off this feeling of dread. Part of me wants to cancel on her later to avoid any drama. But if I stay home, they’ll only think they have more power over me. I still haven’t even processed the fact that my property is the key to them winning a poison war. If I don’t sell… they might actually kill me.