Page 49 of Mud

“Agent Michael is dead, and so is Erid Schtein,” Lauren said. “They both died fighting the catfairies. The original one killed them on the spot.”

“But those two made it,” said the man—that first man who’d spoken that I didn’t recognize.

“Yes, they did,” said Eric, and by then I was close enough that I could see just a little bit of the wide room. I could see the chairs before the beds began, and in those chairs sat none other than Jim and Jam, with their staffs in their hands, tapping their fingers on the white-ish wood nervously, and their feet to the floor fast.

“My granddaughter survived, too,” said Madeline, and I swear she sounded disgusted by the fact. Fuckingdisgusted.

My heart was beating so loudly that I thought for sure they were going to hear it, especially because of how perfectly silent it became in the room after her voice. So fucking silent…

They didn’t hear, though—not all of them. But Jam did.

Could have been Jim, too, but one of the twins, the one sitting closest to the door, looked at it, and his eyes locked on mine right away.

Fuck.

It was as good as over.

“Like Agents Andre and Andrew explained, the mutated catfairie got close to the team by moving on branches. Helanded behind them and killed both Agents Erid and Michael before any of them could react. He then went for Agent La Rouge. She’s currently being held in the interrogation room, unconscious. We haven’t had the chance to question her yet,” Lauren continued, and the twin kept staring at me, eyes never blinking.

Any second now…

Any second he was going to stand up and point out to all of them that Agent La Rouge was, in fact, right there by the door, spying on their conversation.

But he didn’t.

Jam didn’t do anything, just lowered his eyes to his staff again.

“Butshekilled him.” Madeline.

A single step—yes, that’s her. I knew exactly how her heels sounded when connecting with any kind of flooring. That’s how aware I’d been of her presence in the mansion my whole life.

“Somehow, a mutated catfairie killed a team leader while he was armed and prepared to fight, thenstainedmy granddaughter in some unknown way, so then she could kill him with a gun after?!”

Her voice became colder—my heart became heavier—my soul became bleaker—with every new word.

Silence—that heavy, heavy silence.

“Yes, it appears to be so. Agent Michael or Erid must have shot her by accident while fighting, but she could still stand after,” Eric finally said, his voice small, like he was wishing he didn’t have to talk. Like he was wishing he didn’t have tobein the room at all, a feeling I knew well.

“We will be questioning Agent La Rouge when she wakes up. She’ll be able to give us more details.”

“Ifshe manages to wake up,” said Madeline, and bilerose up my throat when I realized Jam was looking at me again.

Not only that, but Jim had seen me, too. Both their eyes were stuck on me.

“We think she will. After the interrogation, we will inject antibiotics and pain relief, and we’re positive that she’ll make it. The bullet didn’t touch her bones. She’ll suffer no perman?—”

Ice-cold laughter cut off the woman who was speaking—I had no clue who she was, and I didn’t care to know. All I could think about was Jim and Jam and getting out of here.

All I could think about wasstained.

All I could think about wasantibiotics.

The laughter finally ended. “Don’t be an idiot, Dora. What good is she toanyonenow?!”

To this day I am convinced that Madeline Rogan could make a daemon blush in shame.

And I needed to get the fuck out of here, asap.

---