Page 100 of Hell and High Water

I’m crumpling up the red velvet cloth Hellena passed me when I feel something inside the fabric. A seam long the side splits, dropping a long, odd-looking key into my hand.

“Um. Any notes in there about what this goes to?” I hold it up for everyone to see.

“Looks like an old skeleton key.” Evan crosses over to me to take a look. “Hopefully, there’s some indication in the book for what it goes to.”

“There’s always another mysterious secret in Sanctum, huh?” Hellena smirks, tucking the book under her arm. “Let’s go. This place is…”

“Yeah,” I concur, feeling the emptiness in the house, the loss. “Too many memories here. We can regroup and dig into this back at the safe house.”

“Right before we uproot everything and move to another safe house,” Evan grumbles, giving Hellena a pointed look. “I don’t have endless secret hideouts.”

“Hey, it’s not really my fault, you know?”

“I would love to hear why you think that’s the case, but…” Evan starts trailing off as he saunters out the door, leaving Hellena looking ready for a fight and flushed.

They really know how to get each other into a tizzy.

After combing Damon's old house one final time for clues, we all pile back into my truck and head back toward the safe house. The drive is thoughtful, a little amped up with what we might find in the journal, what Damon might have left Hellena to find.

Me, I feel drawn out. Stretched thin.

Too much history and painful memories have surfaced in the last few days. Just the thought that Alaya is probably alive…

And that I may have to face her again. I have no clue what that will mean.

Not that I still have feelings for her. Not exactly.

I’m fully in love with Hell. Hopelessly.

In the best way I never thought possible.

Still, the idea that Alaya was just here haunts me, as much as the shadow of her memory does. It’s the worst sort of deja vu.

Hellena sits next to me on the drive back, her hand resting on top of mine. I should say something, open up. I should tell all of them about who she was, who she is. Not that I can presume to know her anymore.

Ghosts and secrets, my entire past dredged up.

And Hellena is taking it in stride like she always does. I’ll tell her when we get back. I have to.

Especially if Alaya is here for revenge. The problem is, we just don’t know what she’s after. Alaya’s spontaneity was always one of my favorite things about her, but now it’s cause for concern. She was always impulsive, erratic.

She may be here just to take me out.

That I can handle. I can’t handle it if she goes after Hellena again. I won’t stand for it.

If it comes down to it, I’ll make sure Alaya goes back to the way I thought she was before.

For certain this time. Dead.

“Find anything yet?” Tell leans between the front seats.

“I might if you’d quit interrupting me every two minutes,” Hellena snaps back, a teasing tone in her voice. I realize they’ve been talking, chatting quietly the entire time, but I’ve been off in my own world.

“We’re almost there, then we can see what’s on these flash drives.” Evan mutters absently, staring out the window. He’s quiet, not out of the ordinary, per se. But the four of us haven’t spent much time together. It’s new, uncharted territory.

I share his apprehension.

The guy doesn’t open up easily. But he’s here for the same reason as Tell, as me. Hellena.

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