Page 8 of Tangle of Lust and Lethargy

With trembling fingers, she pushed a stray lock of hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her soft, low voice seemed to fill the catacomb. “You thought I was the traitor, didn’t you?”

The question was a punch to the gut, forcing the air from my lungs. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry as sandpaper. The bitter, acrid taste of guilt filled my mouth. Lying wasn’t an option. She deserved to hear the truth, no matter how much it pained me to admit it.

“Yes, I did,” I confessed, the words feeling like shards of glass in my throat. I met her gaze, forcing myself not to look away from the hurt in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I had these dreams about you, and I thought… I thought they were premonitions.”

Zara’s breath hitched. She wrapped her arms around herself as if trying to hold herself together. “Dreams can be misleading,” she murmured. She sniffed, then choked back a laugh that sounded more like a sob. “I thought so. All of you treated me like I was some kind of parasite.”

I flinched, feeling each syllable like a knife to my gut. But Zara wasn’t finished. She stepped closer, her eyes blazing with hurt and determination.

“But there’s something you don’t understand,” she continued, her voice growing stronger. “Betrayal goes against the Thistlewood code. When we pledge ourselves to help someone, we can’t go back on our word.” Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, knuckles white with tension. “We would be banned from the coven if we did.”

Her words drifted over me like a shroud. The damp, cool air of the catacombs suddenly felt suffocating. I heard my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, a rapid drumbeat of shame and regret. The enormity of my mistake crashed down on me, as suffocating as the walls of the catacombs. I opened my mouth to speak, to apologize again, but no words came out. What could I possibly say to make this right?

Damon clasped her arm. “Look, we screwed the pooch on this one. Backed the wrong horse, and it bit us in the ass something fierce. But I swear on my baby’s spark plugs, it ain’t happening again.”

Zara’s brow furrowed, her blue eyes narrowing in confusion. “I’m sorry, your baby’s what?”

Damon chuckled, the sound a low rumble in his chest. He shifted his weight, his leather jacket creaking as he crossed his arms.

“His car,” I jumped in, a smile tugging at my lips despite the tension in the air. “A Ford Fairlane. It’s back home. He considers it his baby.”

“Damn straight,” Damon muttered, his green eyes glinting with affection. “She’s a beauty.”

I turned back to Zara, my heart hammering. The musty scent of the catacombs filled my nostrils as I drew a deep breath,searching her face for any sign of forgiveness. “Can you forgive us?” I whispered.

Zara’s lips trembled, then slowly curved into a small smile. A wave of relief washed over me, so powerful it made my knees weak.

“Yes,” she replied softly. “Next time, if you doubt me, just ask. I won’t lie to you. It’s?—”

“Let me guess,” Damon cut in with a grin that reminded me of the Cheshire Cat. He cocked an eyebrow, looking every bit the confident hunter. “It’s against the Thistlewood code.”

“No,” Zara replied, tilting her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes flashed with amusement and determination. “It’s against mine. I might be many things, but a liar isn’t one of them.”

Her words hung in the air, as tangible as the moisture clinging to the stone walls around us. I swallowed hard, my throat tight with emotion. “I swear to you,” I told her, my voice cracking slightly. “We’ll ask.”

Damon nodded and clapped a hand on Zara’s shoulder. “You got it, Red,” he replied. “No more jumping to conclusions. Scout’s honor.” He held up three fingers in a mock salute, a hint of that Damon Grant charm shining through.

I faced her. “Zara, I promise we will help you free your sister. Even though we lost the Crown of Envy, we will find a way to break the curse that turned your sister into stone.”

“Thank you,” she murmured.

The tension in the air began to dissipate, replaced by a cautious sense of renewed trust. As we stood in the dim, flickering light of the catacombs, I felt the first stirrings of hope. Maybe we could move past this and become stronger as a team.

Justice tilted his head. “We need to get going. Maci could return with an army of demons, or the Aegis serpent might want to finish what it started.”

“Meaning Brody would have company in the afterlife,” Damon grumbled as he peered down the long, dim tunnel. “Yeah, let’s follow the creepy catacomb path out of here.”

I brought out my compass. “According to this, Damon’s right. That’s the way out.”

As I led them through the tunnel, I prayed we didn’t run into more catastrophes. I wasn’t sure my team could cope with another one.

But Maci was just getting started. Tearing her enemies apart from the inside was her idea of a good time.

CHAPTER FIVE

By the time we emerged from the catacombs into the forest, the sun had crested over the mountains, painting the sky in a palette of soft pinks and golds. The crisp morning air filled my lungs, a stark contrast to the musty dampness of the underground tunnels we’d left behind. Birds chirped in the nearby trees, their melodies a cacophony of joy. The world seemed to be waking, full of promise and renewal.

Yet the beauty of the dawn was lost on me. All I could think about was Brody. His absence was like a physical presence, a void that seemed to swallow the morning cheer. I could almost hear his booming laugh, see his crooked grin. The memories brought a lump to my throat.

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