Chapter 25
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
SUMMER
D ani and Misty are both wearing loose sweats when I get home, looking fresh as daisies. They are sitting and drinking wine at the kitchen island, their hair and makeup done to the nines.
Dani’s eyes widen when she sees me walk in like a drowned rat. I did my best to wipe the mud off my face, but I’m sure it’s still caked on. “Summer? What the fuck?”
Guess not…
I wipe my hands over matted hair, as if that would make me look any better. “I fell asleep on the lawn at school, then got caught in the rain. It’s not a big deal.”
“You look like death reincarnate. And seriously, every time I see you, it looks like you’ve been…”
I raise an eyebrow at her. “I’ve been…?”
A wide grin spreads on her face. “Never mind. Are you going to tell us what happened?”
My pussy is still throbbing and raw… It’s like Dani can smell the sex on me, even if that sex was with a piece of wood in the forest.
Misty spits out her wine, her face tight, her eyes lingering on me for too long. I must look bad, and I glare back at Misty.
I drop my bag on the couch and sigh. “I need a hot shower.”
Dani pushes her barstool back. “Nope, not doing that. Where the hell have you been? And who is this mystery boyfriend? I recognize that look on your face, Summer. Something happened.”
My mouth gapes open at the audacity. How could she possibly…
“Don’t try to get out of coming to this party,” she adds. “It won’t be as crazy as the last one.”
Misty doesn’t seem too keen on my coming or my presence here at all as she sits and scowls. She remains silent, but her eyes, hard and unreadable, seem to dissect every inch of me.
Lincoln didn’t invite me to this party. He must have known this was going on, given it’s at his house. I guess I’m good enough to fuck on his desk but seeing me in public doesn’t seem to be too high on his agenda.
I stalk toward the hallway, toward the stairs to my attic bedroom. “Look, Dani, I get it. I just don’t have time.”
Dani sticks out her fingers. “Two drinks. Only two small glasses of wine, then you can go shower and get ready. Who’s got you so distracted?”
Misty cocks her annoying eyebrow, her eye twitches. “Oh… Summer, I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone.”
“I’m not,” I say too quickly.
Dani gives me a don’t bullshit me look, and Misty gives me a cocky smirk, not unlike the one she gave me when she was prancing out of Lincoln’s office when I first met him there. We haven’t spoken since that moment. It was as if she was silently saying, I want him, too .
“I swear, I am not seeing anyone.” Which is true, technically.
Misty’s gaze pierces through me like blazing flames. Like she can see my hidden shame and is envious. “Oh…” she says in a mousy voice. “I thought you liked our TA.”
I do like our TA, and I’m pretty sure she likes him, too.
He kills people who look like you, I want to scream at her.
Dani pours me a glass of wine, which I accept and ignore my wet clothes and how I want to puke at the soft, sweet aroma pouring out of Misty.
Intense jealousy fires up deep in my core. It expands in my stomach and wraps itself around my heart, burning me.
It’s unexplainable. Like I’m jealous of her mere existence.
I glare at her. “I don’t. If you’re so curious, I’m thinking about going out with Grant.”
Narrowing her eyes, Dani continues, “Grant? I thought you weren’t into him?” She shakes her head. “Never mind him. I want you and Misty to try to talk to Lincoln tonight. I need you to distract him while I try to dig up shit on Xander. I want to get into Xander’s bedroom without anyone seeing me.”
Misty and I stare at each other for a brief second before both of us break the stare.
“I thought you liked Xander?” I ask her, shooting my gaze toward Dani.
Her eyes twitch. “He’s hot, I won’t deny that…but there is something off about him. I have a bad feeling about them. Did you know they are all from here? All their parents grew up here, too. All they do is hang out with each other. It’s incestuous.”
I shrug. “That doesn’t make them part of a secret cult. This has nothing to do with your father, Dani.”
She leans back on the counter, her eyes glaze over and I immediately regret saying that. “I…I never said that…” She’s tongue tied. I’ve never seen Dani stammer like this.
She recovers quickly, but it landed on her like a gut punch. “It’s still suspicious. If anyone has secret society written all over them, it’s that group. I found an article yesterday that says they mark the flesh of the ones they kill. I want in that house tonight. I’m very curious to see inside. I have a feeling they are the key to everything.”
I suspect Dani isn’t telling me everything, either. She’s always believed so strongly of her father’s innocence. She must be connecting some dots, and I might be starting to connect them, too.
My stomach burns as I reach for my mark and tickle it with my fingers.
He’s already chosen someone.
I’m thinking it doesn’t matter. He’s made it clear I’m not the only blonde in his sights.
Maybe he’s done the same thing to Misty, and that’s why she’s acting so strangely. If she keeps glaring at me like that, I’ll be the one to leave marks on her skin.
I keep my face neutral, knowing Dani is watching me. I vividly imagine Misty’s eyes gouged out, and that thought brings a sweet smile to my face, even though it shouldn’t.
Fuck. What is wrong with me? These aren’t my thoughts. This isn’t how I think…
The room grows quiet, each of us in our own thoughts. Dani musing, Misty gleaming and me…I have no clue what’s going on with me, my body doesn’t even feel like my own.
Dani draws out a long blink, then claps her hands. “Alright, let’s get ready. I want to be there by ten.”
I let out an audible sigh and gulp down my last sip of wine.
“This,” Dani says, her eyes darting between us as she slams her hands on the island, “is going to be so much fun.” Dani has a knack for relieving tension.
I finally make it into the bathroom and eagerly step into the soothing shower. The hot water cascades over my chilled skin, instantly warming me up. I gently slide my hands down my breasts and glide them over my stomach, and a sense of relaxation washes over me. The mud oozes off my body as I clean between my legs, and I turn the water up so hot, it nearly burns.
As I lower my gaze, a gasp escapes my lips as blood slowly streams down and forms a crimson whirlpool in the drain. My stomach and breasts bare deep cuts, leaving gashes scattered across my body. These wounds mirror the exact slashes depicted in the photograph Lincoln had sent me.
My heart nearly stops.
Breathe, Summer…one shallow breath. I close my eyes and focus on inhaling oxygen, and when I open my eyes, the blood is gone. And for a moment, I am grateful for the all-consuming terror. Fear is the appropriate emotion.
But a clear pulse hits my center, and that’s when I realize I’m absolutely fucked.
I can imagine how soft he was before he killed Cali. How he spoke to her…so smart, so dirty, so fucking sexy.
Did he fuck her before he did that to her?
What the actual fuck is wrong with me?
This isn’t a kink or a sexual preference; I am actually fantasizing about being murdered. Pure, steely jealousy overtakes any other logic, and my jaw clenches just thinking of it.
Do you want me to kill you, Summer? Well, I sure as hell don’t want him killing someone else. Why the fuck do I keep fantasizing about it?
I shut off the water, head upstairs, and throw some makeup on while blasting music so my roommates can’t hear me scream. I stare at myself in the full-length mirror in my room, completely nude. Then I pull out my lace bra and matching panties—the ones he likes so much—and slide them on.
Then I toss on my tightest black dress and curl my hair in beach waves before adding some thick black mascara.
I pull out my phone and hesitate for only a moment before I click on his name. The picture of his slaughtered victim is still fresh in my messages, reminding me of what he is. My eyes linger on it for much longer than they should, and I decide not to text him.
It’s best if he doesn’t know I’m coming. I’ll keep my face covered the entire time, and he shouldn’t even notice me.
T he address on the invitation brings us to an imposing property on the outskirts of town. Dani’s eyes pop out of their sockets as we pull up to the front. The house—if that’s what you want to call it—is more like a compound with remnants of what looks like it used to be a Victorian manor. It’s hauntingly gorgeous, shrouded among the trees, and the lawn surrounding it is immaculate.
The place screams money, darkness, and slaughter.
We drove twenty minutes in the dark to get here and cars are lined up down the street. Shadows are darting around the lawn, swarming everywhere, with hanging lights dangling from the trees. The entire party looks as though it’s outside.
Dani finds a parking spot and pulls the car in, turning off the engine. “Look at how many people are here,” she says, twisting her head, trying to get a feel for what we are walking into. “I can’t believe we almost missed out on this.”
Misty chimes in from the backseat, “I wonder if Lincoln’s going to be here.”
I bristle and try not to respond or think about Lincoln and Misty interacting at all.
A guy stumbles beside us and hurls in a bush on the edge of the property. “Looks fun,” I quip, giving her a thumbs up. I’d much rather be in a quiet room studying…preferably with Lincoln watching me.
“Shut up, Summer,” Misty bites back.
Dani shakes her head. “Okay, what is up between the two of you? Both of you can cut it the fuck out. I want to have a good time tonight, and I’m on a mission to find out more about them.”
I lean toward Dani and whisper, “She’s just jealous because every guy she likes wants me.” Straightening up, I turn to Misty. “You’re not special, Misty.”
Misty gets out and slams the door.
Dani looks at me and frowns. Her pretty hair is in one of her loose bohemian braids that falls over her shoulder. The tank top she wore does wonders for her tits, too. For someone who claims she’s not interested in someone, she sure looks like she is.
“Do you have to be so mean to her? Is this about Lincoln? Because you just told us you were with Grant.”
I lean back and fold my arms. “This isn’t about Lincoln. She’s not special, and I don’t like fake people.”
Dani’s face drops as it always does when I’m being ugly. The problem is, deep down, I am ugly, which is why I put so much effort into making myself flawless on the outside.
Making Misty look bad doesn’t make me feel better…not at all. And I’m thinking this part of my personality is why I like the degradation that Mikael gives me.
Mikael sees that side of me; he knows the dark parts of me I desperately try to hide and loves pushing me to bring it out.
Tonight, I want to find out more about Mikael, if that is even his name—but it’s the name I’ve given the shadowed monster in Lincoln’s eyes. I have no proof he’s real, other than my dissolved memory and the fact he reacted to the name when I whispered it.
Misty stands just outside waiting for us, and Dani whispers, “What is with you lately, and what’s your problem with Misty? You only act weird like this when you have a crush on someone and you’re jealous. And I don’t believe you suddenly like Grant, so don’t bullshit me.” She covers her hand over her face. “It’s him, isn’t it? You are talking to Lincoln.”
I raise my eyes at her, and as soon as she says it, she knows. She sucks in a breath and says, “Summer…”
“We flirted,” I finally admit to her. “We have so much in common. He knows my father, and my family’s roots are here. We connected over him, that’s it.”
“Was he the one texting you that weird shit at the beginning of the semester?” Dani asks. “Should I be worried about you?”
A bang on the window. “Are you guys coming?” Misty calls from outside.
“We’re coming,” Dani yells back at her, but she gives me a look and I realize this isn’t over.
“It’s nothing,” I whisper, pulling off my seatbelt. Nothing I can truly explain, anyway. “We spend a lot of time talking, and he’s been helping me with schoolwork. I’m sorry I lied to you, but I’ll explain everything to you soon, and I’ll apologize to Misty.”
“Thank you,” she says, pulling off her seatbelt. “And you’re right, this conversation isn’t over, but let’s have some fun tonight.” She passes me her keys. “Here, take these. I plan on getting ridiculously drunk tonight. If you want to drink, too, I won’t stop you. We can find another way home.”
She’s already surveying the party and has a look in her eye, and I don’t want to question her. I have my own secrets tonight, my own agenda.
I slide out the passenger’s door and, taking a deep breath, face Misty. “I’m sorry for what I just said. Thank you for inviting me.”
Dani smiles and Misty still looks less than impressed but softens at my clear fake apology.
“See, isn’t it easier to be nice?” Dani says as we take a few steps closer. A group of people walk by laughing and my heart stops.
Each of them is wearing a mask, but it’s not him… None of them are him, even though he is everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. Shadows dance from the slits of their eyes.
“Here we go again,” Dani jokes, and we each grab a mask from a box on the edge of the property. I quickly throw it on, hoping it covers me enough. The only evidence is my white hair, which peeks out. A cool wind hits, and I eye one of the fires roaring in a pit a few feet away and the dark brooding house with flickers of light in the windows.
“Is the party inside or outside?” I ask. The house appears dark and ancient. The outdoor speakers are blaring music, like an outdoor festival or some kind of ritual. No one looks like they are in their right mind. But I guess that’s what Shadowface does—he gives people a release.
Dani shrugs. “I honestly don’t know.”
“And how do we know if we get…marked?” Misty asks.
I glance at her and roll my eyes. What a stupid question.
“I don’t know that, either,” I say, looking around and glancing at the curved entryway to the house, soft shadows dancing from within. We wander around for a few minutes, and I quickly realize finding Lincoln will be like finding a needle in a haystack.
My eyes stay fixed on those flickering windows and the warmth and mystery inside.
“I have to pee,” I lie as an icy breeze runs through the fabric of my thin dress and bare legs. I need to get inside of that house.
“We’re so coming with you,” Dani says. “Let’s do our best not to split up this time.”
That’s probably for the best…for my sake. But if Lincoln’s here, I’m going to find him.
As we step into the darkness, heading toward the house looming ahead, my eyes briefly meet Dani’s and a breath escapes me, taken aback. With a devilish glint in her eyes, Dani looks at me, as if she, too, embodies Shadowface. As I watch her with that face, my body trembles, and not in a bad way.
“It doesn’t look like anyone is in there,” Dani says.
“I guarantee they are inside,” I mutter. “And I bet it’s warm in there.”
We step toward the house and see the front door is actually being guarded by two masked men. As we walk up, one of them crosses his arms and stares us down…me, in particular.
“Let me in,” I snap at him. My patience is wearing thin.
He tilts his head and, to my surprise, he steps to the side, allowing us entry. I walk through first, and right as I cross the threshold, he shuts Misty and Dani out.
I glance back at him, only to be met with an iron wall. “What the fuck?”
“Only one goes in, and it’s you.” He smirks. “Your friends will have to stay out here.”
I grit my teeth and look at Misty and Dani standing a few feet away. Dani merely shrugs and waves goodbye. “Just go,” she says. “I’ll be in shortly, don’t worry.”
She stands back with Misty, leaving me facing the guards.
I’m invisible in this mask, but there is no way he’s not here, watching me as he always is. The guard grabs a flask and jerks his head for me to tilt my head back.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m not drinking that.”
“Everyone drinks.” He shrugs. “How badly do you want in?”
I don’t fight it. I let him grab my chin, pull up my mask, and pour the monstrosity down my throat.
“Have fun,” he says and nudges me through the doorway. I lift both arms at Dani, who I’m certain is reeling, because I truly have no idea what’s going on. These two can deal with the wrath of Dani; I bet she will be in right after me.
Two more people push through and try to enter the house, but they are immediately denied access. “Sorry, no entry unless you’re invited,” the guard says and pushes the two guys back.
“How come she got in?” one of them whines, pointing at me standing awkwardly inside the door.
The bigger of the two men crosses his arms. “She was invited. I don’t make the rules, man, I follow them. Now get the hell back before I get in shit.”
I get chills. Goosebumps prickle my arms in the way he says it.
How did Lincoln find out I was coming? I certainly don’t remember being invited, unless you consider that ominous card pushed under our door an invite. He had ample opportunity to personally invite me earlier this evening when I was degrading myself in front of him. All he had to say was?—
Hey, pretty girl, want to come over tonight?
Simple.
I also thought this society was supposed to be a secret, but it seems like everyone knows exactly who they are.
I wrap my arms around myself and rub my shoulders. “How do you recognize me? I’m wearing a mask.”
The smaller of the two extends their hand and grasps a lock of my hair. “You’re the girl with white hair. We were told if you wanted in, to let you in.” I swiftly swat his hand away, spinning around in annoyance.
They step outside and shutter the door, leaving me in the dark entryway of the house. It’s warm, but goosebumps still pebble my flesh as I take a tentative step inside. The interior of the home is vast, with a grand entrance that appears both empty and immense. Two spiral staircases, each twisting upward and meeting at the top, leading to a mezzanine level above. Intricate fixtures hang off the wall, delicate lights flicker within them, casting a mesmerizing glow that reminds me of fire. It’s the kind of house that has lots of nooks and crannies.
Family photos speckle the hallways, large portraits of people I don’t recognize. An old painting of a man is centred on the wall over the arch of the staircase.
Matteo Vital, 1756.
His eyes are like fire, his face like stone. I’m assuming he’s some sort of patriarch. Perhaps he’s the one they all worship.
He’s in the air, the walls, the creaky floors. It’s as if I can hear the screams of the fallen and his whispers of death. This is where He originated, and I am certain this all has something to do with me.
My bloodline, my heritage, and my future.
My roots are in Kinsmen. This is where I belong and where it all began. My grandmother is here, too; I can sense her everywhere, feel her in my bones.
Whoever He is, He just met the daughter of his predecessor, and I’m developing a taste for blood.