Page 55 of Absentia Mori

Libra takes a long deep breath as she licks her lips. A swirl of light circles her pupils. “Mmm, nightshade. Fuck, that’s good.”

She’s my little poison bud. Intoxicating. Seductive.Deadly.

Mordecai growls as he and the big guy square off again. “Let’s finish this.” They exchange blows, each landing a few punches on the other. Mordecai spits blood on the floor. He smiles, flashing his metal grill. The big guy wobbles as the cuts on his ankles start to slow him down. He takes another sloppy step forward, and it’s the opening Mordecai needs. He steps to the side and catches him in the ribs, thrusting his knife deep inside the man’s massive frame.

He pulls it out and thrusts again, catching the man as he hunches over.Thrust. Thrust. Thrust.The man goes down with a loud smack as his face cracks open against the cement floor.

Dead.

Fucking finally.

With poison running through our veins, the last three are easy to take down. Fabien takes two of them on his own. “What? I needed to catch up,” he teases.

All I see is red. The walls, the floors, our hands and clothes… all red.

My chest heaves as I catch my breath. “What next?”

Fabien knocks back another vial. His breath hitches as his eyes glaze with euphoria. “I saw Dr. Hall on the way back here. She’s barricaded herself in her office. Dumb fucking bitch.”

Libra’s nostrils flare. She white-knuckles the hilt of her knife. “Well then, that’s what’s next. Me and that fucking twat need to have a little conversation before I kill her.”

“After you, freak,” I tease, flashing her a grin.

If my brother Aries could see me now, he’d be terrified. I’m a monster. A murderous, rage-filled beast. It’s this place. It’s everything. All the pain. The trauma. The fucked up memories I have to live with every day. The way I try to cover it up with designer clothes and makeup. The countless times I washed it all down with drugs and booze and poison. I’m a hot fucking mess. Being here brings every fucked up thing to the surface. But with each one I murder, the stronger I feel. The more alive I fucking feel.

It take us less than ten minutes to take out the two guards in front of Dr. Hall’s office and for Raithe to break down the door. He pushes hard against it, clearing away all the debris she stacked up on the other side.

I walk in first, the bloody knife in my hand. Dr. Hall cowers behind her desk. “Take whatever you want and go,” she pleads. “Please, just don’t hurt me.”

If she was innocent, Iwouldlet her go. But she’s the guiltiest one. I thrust my knife into the top of her desk and lean forward, leaving bloody handprints on the wood. “Say my fucking name.”

“Li-Libra Thorn.” Her lips quiver.

I draw in a deep breath. “See, that wasn’t so hard. How long have I been here?”

She starts to cry. “We were told to keep you in a coma for six months. I don’t know why.”

Fucking hell. “Six fucking months?” I yell. I wonder how many times Gorman and his creepy little crew touched me while I was unconscious. I shudder at the thought. Six months… no wonder I was so out of it when I woke up.

She flinches at my tone. “I just do what I’m told.”

“Who the fuck told you to keep me here? Are you even a real doctor?” My blood is boiling. I’m ninety-nine percent sure I know who, but I want to hear it from her trembling lips.

Dr. Hall backs up against the wall as if, by some miracle, it will open up and let her out. “I used to be a doctor until I lost my license. Ms. Blackwell gave me another chance. All I have to do is keep the ones she wants here.”

I slam my hands on the desk, making her jump. “And you let your orderlies do vile and disgusting things to us. How do you fucking sleep at night?”

She looks away. “I don’t know anything about that.”

“Bullshit!” I yell. “You keep us here against our will. People have died in here. Innocent people who didn’t do anything except piss off the wrong people. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

She whimpers. “I-I’m not proud of it. But it’s all I know. I need… the poison. Please, understand.”

I snicker. “So you’re a junkie. Great. Not only are younota licensed doctor, but you’re a poison addict in charge of an entireasylum full of people. You help bad people do bad things. You will not get my pity.”

Dr. Hall hangs her head. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”

I snicker. “I’ll let your ghosts decide your fate. Your orderlies are all dead. We’re taking all of your supplies. The dead don’t need them.”

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