Page 29 of Shadows in Bloom

“What does that mean?” I punch my head so many times, and Darius grabs my hand.

“Stop it,” he says.

“Stop it,” I say, and I lift my hand up to hit my head again, but Darius holds it very tight.

“Stop it,” he says. “Don’t hurt yourself, only hurt other people. You can hurt me.”

“You can hurt me,” I say, but I don’t want to hurt myself, and I don’t want to hurt Darius. My words are getting all mixed up with his, and it’s making me angry.

“No,” Darius says. He pulls my hand closer to him and punches it into his arm. “Like this. Not you, only punch me.”

“Not you. Not you,” I shake my head.

Darius shakes his head too. “Do you know that I killed my dad and my mum and Max and Maisy. They’re all dead now.”

My eyes go very big and wide like my mouth, and I whisper only to Darius. “Do you know I made a fire?”

I look at the boy called L who’s still looking out the window. “Did L kill his mum and dad?”

Darius shrugs. “He doesn’t say any words. Loren, that’s Doctor Monroe, she said he’s got something hurting in his head and he can’t remember words or his name. I just called him L.”

“He doesn’t say any words?” I make a shocked face, and Darius shakes his head.

“Come on,” he says, and he holds my hand and makes me follow him to the window where L is standing.

“L, can you say any words?” Darius asks.

L looks at us, then nods, and looks out the window again.

“Why don’t you wanna talk to us?” I ask him.

“Shhh…” he says, and he pushes his finger to his lips.

CHAPTER 2

SALEM FROST

(previously Salvatore Forrestor)

15 years old

Chadwick Kingsford stands in front of me, hands clasped behind his back. “Social hierarchy dictates each choice a human makes…” As he continues to talk, I take in his words, listening carefully while paying attention to his facial expressions, his movements, and the inflection in his tone. “At the top, like hunters watching over the land, are the rich and powerful. Each move we make is calculated, measured, and weighed to ensure the outcome benefits those of us deemed worthy.”

My eyes drop to Chadwick’s hands where he’s lighting a thick cigar. The tiny flame appears atop the lighter, and my eyes fixate on it. “Greed, envy, lust, and pride reign supreme. A smorgasbord of cardinal sin awaits us...” I can hear Chadwick talking, but I can’t drag my gaze away from the flickering flame and the memories it forces into my mind.

Children screaming.

Miss Tanner pounding on the door.

The smell of smoke.

Flickering flames.

Heat coils in my gut and a shiver races down my spine as my jaw tics, threatening a smile.

“Salem!” Chadwick’s shout causes me to flinch, and I shake my head hard.

“At the bottom of the hierarchy are?” he questions, waiting for me to complete his sentence.

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