Page 78 of Absentia Mori

“When was the last time you went down to the river?” I ask him.

He ignores me while making his grandmother’s nightly drink. I watch in horror as he adds a clear shot to a batch of rose tea.Fuck, this family really likes their gin.“That’s disgusting.”

He shrugs. “So is she. A fitting combination.”

I can’t help but wonder what made him like this. What sorts of atrocities did he endure in his youth? Monsters aren’t born, they’re made. And his inner beast lurks closer to the surface than others. A little too close for my comfort.

One of these days, Draven Blackwell is going to blow up like a fucking bomb. And I pity whoever gets caught in the shrapnel.

As if reading my mind, he snarls at me. “There’s nothing to figure out, Lib. We’re not kids anymore. I’m a Blackwell. The darkness comes for us all eventually.”

I take the tea from him, avoiding his gaze. My stomach knots when I think about that darkness flowing through Maureen. Will she be as hard as Draven someday? I can’t wait to get back to Raven’s Gate to make sure that doesn’t happen.

He leads me all the way up to Penny’s private suite. “I’ll be out here to make sure no one bothers you.”

How nice of him. I’m pretty sure he just wants to hear her choke to death.

I give him a curt smile before heading in. Time for some fucking payback.

“What took you so long, woman? I’m parched.” Penny Blackwell sits with her back to the door, gazing into the fire. Her black hair, streaked with gray, is pulled up into a tight bun on the crown of her head.

“I was making it extra special for you,” I drawl. I try with all my strength to keep the fury out of my voice.

She tsks and waves me over, still unaware of the predator in her room. It figures that this bitch wouldn’t know the voice of her own staff. She probably doesn’t even know their names.

I pour the vial of cyanide into her gin-spiked tea before setting it down on the glass table beside her. She still doesn’t bother to look up or back. One of the things that people like her forget is their own mortality. They think that their money and power protect them at all times. I should know. I was like her before. Unfortunately, she should be more aware of her surroundings.

She whimpers as the steaming tea hits her lips. She takes a bigger sip than I expect, relishing in the strange concoction. “What do you call this drink, Ms. Blackwell?”

She takes another sip, and I can almost hear her smile into her favorite indulgence. “An Eye for an Eye.An old family recipe. It tastes better tonight. Did you add something to it?”

I chuckle with her but for very different reasons. As I shift forward to grip the back of her chair, the scalpel I have stashed in my waistband presses against my back. “I did. A rare ingredient.”

She nods. “Mmm, well, perhaps we should give it a new name.”

My fingers tremble as I bide my time. I can’t have her discover me yet. But I can’t fucking wait to see the look in her eyes. “Yes,” I agree. “How about…A Soul for a Soul.”

She giggles again. The toxin is flooding her bloodstream, making her giddy as it increases the effect of the gin. “Absolutely sinful. I like it. What is therareingredient?”

Now it’s my turn to giggle. “Cyanide.”

She freezes, her arm in mid-air with the cup hovering just below her lips. “Damn…”

I slide around the back of the chair to face her. “Did you really think you could fuck with a Thorn?”

Her eyes narrow at me. “You… You’re supposed to be dead. I’ll have to retire Dr. Hall once and for all.”

I laugh. “Oh, I already did. She told me everything right before I poured two vials of nightshade down her throat.”

Penny glares at me then looks away, turning up her nose. “Good. You made your point. Now give me the antidote.”

The fucking audacity. She thinks I’m just having a temper tantrum. “That’s not how this works. You stole six months of my life.My freedom. The things I went through in there…” I pull out my scalpel and twirl it through my fingers.

Her eyes dart toward the door. “I made a mistake. You are the more worthy Thorn. I see that now. Give me the antidote, and I’ll give you power you’ve only dreamed about. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

I snicker as I toss the scalpel back and forth between my hands. “Well then, I definitely can’t give you the antidote because what I want is for you to die.”

She glares at me with those familiar gold-flecked eyes. Like burnt honey. There’s a madness that runs through this family. A sickness. Maybe once she’s gone, it will release its hold on Draven and Maureen.

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