Page 36 of The Eighth Isle

I was out there, almost—almostclosed it, when she said…

“There might be a way.”

I stopped.

With my eyes squeezed shut, I stopped and I begged my pride to take a step back.

When it did, I forced my body to move, to turn around, to listen to what she had to say.

After all, wasn’tthiswhat I was here for? This was Mamayka Sionne, the original seductress. If anybody could find a way to navigate an impossible situation, it would be her. This is what she did.

“What way?” I whispered, standing tall when all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball right there against the wall.

“Close the door,” she whispered, then fell back in her chair like she was already exhausted.

So was I.

Pushing the door closed, I went and sat with her again, hopeful. So fucking hopeful so suddenly it should have been funny.

“What way, Mama Si?”

Her eyes were closed, and she tapped her fingernails on the armrests of her chair in a perfect rhythm—fast.She moved her head to the melody she could hear in her head, and for a moment that’s all she did.

I just watched her and waited and waited…

Then she laughed.

God, how she laughed—with all her heart, like I’d never seen her do before. She laughed so hard the entire desk shook, and I could do nothing but wait some more until she calmed down.

“We’re all going to die,” she eventually whispered. “At last.”

Fuck, nothing got to me the way this woman did.

“What.Way?” I said through gritted teeth, unable to help myself.

“You know, you really hurt me with how you spoke to me at the party, Fall Doll. My soul is still wounded.” And she brought a hand to her chest.

“Oh, fuck your?—”

“Choose yours next words wisely!” she shouted, pointing a finger at my face.

I clamped my mouth shut and sat back, so desperate I wanted to either cry or laugh—or both. Because I knew what this was. I knewexactlywhat this was, and despite every cell in my body demanding I keep my mouth shut and swallow those words, I couldn’t. Because she said,there might be a way.

And if she believed there was a way…

“I apologize,” I choked.

It was like pulling nails out of my throat, not words.

“For what?” the bitch said, arched brows to the middle of her forehead.

Oh, how she was enjoying this—and it beat me why she bothered. Didn’t she just hear that we were all going to die soon? Or was she doing thisbecauseof that? To get one last laugh at my expense?

“For how I spoke to you at the party,” I said anyway.

She smiled. “Good girl.”

My eyes closed. “Mama Si?—”

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