Page 150 of Dare To Fall

Why isn’t he moving?

Eli shouts Kellan’s name, his voice breaking, pressing his forehead to his friend’s. Every single movement is frantic and driven with desperation. My attention moves to the red covering his hands.

Blood.

Eli has blood all over his hands. Why is there blood on his hands?

The longer I stare, the more into focus the scene comes. Kellan’s top is covered in red … in blood.

This can’t be real.

“Eli?” My voice is barely a whisper, my lips feel numb.

“Oh my god.” Garrett’s shocked voice beside me snaps me from my daze.

Together, we move as one toward them, rounding the altar to get to Kellan. Eli’s gaze is locked on the unmoving boy, and he doesn’t acknowledge either of us when we stop beside him.

Garrett touches Kellan’s neck, searching for a pulse. When his eyes meet mine, they’re full of anguish, and he shakes his head.

Lips trembling, fighting against tears, I wind my arms around Eli’s waist. “Eli.” My voice shakes. “Eli, he’s gone.”

“No! No!” He snarls the words and shoves me away from him. “Shut your fucking mouth. He’s not gone.”

I reach for him again and hug him from behind. “Baby, we need to call someone. We need to tell them he’s here.”

Twisting, he thrusts me backward, his eyes wild. “Shut up. Shut up! You’re lying. Kellan is not gone. He’s not gone.”

I don’t try to touch him again. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Garrett releases a shaky breath, his phone in his other hand. “I’m calling security.”

I nod. A noise distracts me, and I search through the murky dimness until I find the source. A pair of tear-stained eyes are staring at me bleakly, and it takes me a second to register that I’m seeing Miles.

I hurry over, crouch down in front of him, and rip the gag out of his mouth. “Who did this? Who did this?”

Bowing his head forward into my chest, he sobs hysterically. I wrap my arms around him, my tears finally spilling free to drip down my face. I run my hands over every inch of Miles, searching for wounds but find none.

Behind me, I can hear Garrett arguing with Eli, who’s shouting at him to leave Kellan alone.

That he’ll wake up.

That he’s just resting.

That he’s not dead.

How did this happen? How did we get here?

Yesterday we’d been happy, and now we’d woken up and walked straight into a nightmare.

I kneel on the dusty stone floor and hold Miles as he weeps. He tries to talk, but nothing he says makes sense. Leaning back, I carefully untie the rope around his wrists, grimacing when I see the bleeding welts it’s left on his skin.

“Is he okay?” Garrett’s voice is low and anxious. “We should have help arriving soon.”

I sniff, wipe my eyes and suck in a deep breath, trying to get my emotions under control. “I think so. You ... are you sure Kellan is—” I can’t say it, my throat locking up.

He nods. “I can’t get through to Eli.”

“Let me try again.” Rising unsteadily, I scrub the wetness from my cheeks, leaving Garrett to comfort my other friend.

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