Chapter 58
58
Even though SLEEPY BEARS pack a serious (and possibly illegal) punch, I can’t be too careful. If one of them wakes up, it’s over. And I’m still not sure if I’m doing the right thing. If my thoughts and actions are even mine—or if they’re Eto’s. (But Eto can’t be real. Right? Right? )
Heart pounding hard against my ribs, I gingerly untangle myself from their lithe limbs, moving arms and thighs like they’re sleeping cobras. The bed shifts under my weight as I navigate through their bodies. Kelly moans and I freeze, pulse electric. She smacks her mouth as if tasting something delicious, and giggles. Goose bumps prickle on my arms as the giggles spread among the girls, contagious.
I slide off the bed and land on my tiptoes, barely making a sound. The bungalow groans. Wind whips at the thatched roof, whistling through the slatted windows. The door creaks as I open it into the night. Before I shut it behind me, I listen to see if anyone stirs.
Muffled snores and deep, sleepy breaths. My thundering heart.
I let out all the air from my lungs as I gradually close the door behind me. I keep my eye out for any prowling staff members. No white-teethed workers in sight.
Fog and rain scent the cool evening air. I keep to the line of trees until I reach the farm, then creep into the wooden shed. The rusty door shrieks as I pry it wide. I glance over my shoulder to see if anyone heard. Nothing but night.
The shed is pitch black. I feel around the walls for a light switch, but I can’t find one.
I wish I brought my phone as a flashlight. All I can see are vague shapes: shelves, boxes, tarps. Shadows shift with the rapid current of clouds covering the moon. Something skitters across the floor. I shiver at the memory of the mice. From the corner of my eye, I spot a long cylinder that looks like the handle of an axe. I fly toward it, eager to get it in my hands. But it’s only a garden hoe.
There’s a creak behind me.
The hairs on my neck stand, itchy, like someone’s watching.
Bang! The shed door slams shut, the walls shuddering. Dust coughs from the shelves, landing in my face. Heart thundering, I spin to the door.
A shadowed figure holding an axe, the sharp end pointed toward me.
I try to scream but nothing comes out. My heart is jammed into my throat, sheer panic crashing through my body.
The figure reaches up and I shrink away, scrambling to hide behind a series of boxes, but the light clicks on before I make it. A moth throws itself against the humming bulb. Splat, splat, splat.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I blink, my eyes adapting to the brightness.
It’s only Viktor.
I’m frozen with fear, staring at the axe. It doesn’t look like he’ll harm me. I think I’m safe—for now.
“W-well, I mean…” I gesture at the axe.
“Oh! I was putting it away after I sharpened it.” He swings it toward me and I jump back.
“What the hell!”
“Sorry! I just wanted to see if you cared to examine my work.”
“Um… Okay?” I step a bit closer and glance at the raw edge. It’s pristinely polished, shining like a mirror, reflecting his eager expression. “It’s… very sharp.”
He nods excitedly. “It takes a lot of skill to sharpen an axe, you know. I spent the past two hours honing it down with a file. It should chop through a log like butter now.” He stares at me, waiting for more compliments.
“Really impressive.” This Skarsg?rd boy toy just made my life that much easier. Luck is finally on my side. “Could I borrow it for a second?”
“Want to chop some wood?”
“Something like that.”
He grins, handing me the axe, but just as I wrap my fingers around it, he pulls away and steps back. His head cocks to the side, lips curving into a frown. “You weren’t thinking of doing anything bad with it, were you?”
Fuck.
“Bad?” I let out a nervous laugh. “No. Nothing bad at all.” Which is the truth. Breaking Iz out isn’t bad. Hell, I’d be a hero by most standards.
He narrows his eyes. “You’re lying.” His grip tightens around the wood handle.
Why has he chosen this moment to be perceptive? “I’m just trying to help Isla.”
He backs away, shaking his head. “Bella Marie wouldn’t like that.” He’s already halfway out the door.
“Stop!” But he doesn’t. What should I do? I can’t physically overpower him, and he has a literal axe in his hand. Right as he’s about to run out, I shout, “Chloe’s sacrifice!”
He freezes.
“You broke decades’ worth of ritual by telling me. Bella Marie wouldn’t like that very much.”
He’s stiff as he turns toward me, eyes sharp. The muscles in his jaw worm up to his temples.
“If she hears about it,” I say, voice cracking with nerves, “she’ll be mad. She might even get rid of you.”
A grim expression creases his forehead. “That’s not a very nice thing to say. I don’t like you very much right now.” He points the axe at me, but I step toward him. My gut tells me I have the upper hand. He’s a brainwashed minion with a nice smile. He’s a victim too. There’s a way to take control.
“If you try to stop me,” I say, “it will be the end of you.”
He furrows his brow. “How?”
“I scheduled a message to Bella Marie detailing everything you told me. It’s set to send tomorrow morning.” There’s no such message, obviously, but this caveman Skarsg?rd doesn’t know any better. “So even if you deal with me tonight, you could still get in trouble.”
A sheen of sweat drenches his fine upper lip.
“ But… Bella Marie doesn’t have to know. If you let me go and give me the axe like the good boy you are, I’ll delete the message.” I lay a trembling hand on the weapon.
“How can I trust you’ll delete the message?” His voice is tight.
“Why would I lie? And also…” I push the blade away from me. It goes down without resistance. Whatever I’m doing, it’s working. “You must remember what Eto has accepted as my offer. Soon, Bella Marie and all the other girls will be gone.” I step closer to him and place my hands on his arms, hoping he doesn’t notice how nervous I am. “With Bella Marie gone, who will take care of you?”
Fear widens his eyes. He shakes his head in agony and drops the axe. I resist swearing when it clangs to the ground an inch away from my foot.
“But you can trust me ,” I say. “Outside of this island, I have millions of fans. Hell, some videos I make get even more views than the Olympics.”
He chews his nails with the energy of a frightened mouse. “Really?”
I nod. “Really. And I told you before, didn’t I? You have the white European man appeal. With the two of us together, I know we’ll make something great out of you after this all blows over.”
He bites his lip and pivots. Wiping the dust off a flat side of a shovel leaned against the wall, he glances at his reflection. “You really think so? Can I be like a Skarsg?rd?”
“Yeah! Totally. Well, Skarsg?rd-adjacent, maybe. We could work on the branding together.” I inch toward the axe and grab it now that he’s distracted by his own appearance. With the weapon in hand, I am much more secure. But just in case, I seal in the deal with some validation. “I know you’re scared, but I know something else too: you’re smarter than you think. You need to believe in yourself. I will let you make the decision about whether you let me go tonight. A show of my trust. I’m putting my life in your hands.” I’m mostly gentle-parenting out of my ass, hoping he’ll believe me. But just in case I need to do something tragic, I grip the axe so hard I fear it will slip right out of my hands like a bar of soap.
He glances at me through the reflection on the shovel. “You promise not to tell Bella Marie?” His gaze is sincere.
“My lips are sealed. I promise. You can trust me.”
He considers me intensely. I hold my chin high, serious. He sighs and cups his palms over his eyes. “Oh! It’s so dark in here, I can’t see anyone or anything. If someone were to walk past me right now, I’d never know!”