Page 157 of Ashes

Completely out of character for me.

Fuck it.

She was worth it.

I watched as Cady hung the bat from a string from the tree in our backyard.

“Claws! Bats fucking hang!” I shouted at her as she hung it head up. “Haven’t you ever seen a fucking bat before?”

She gave me the finger. “I’ll hang your ass from this tree if you don’t shut the hell up!”

“It’s for Sirena,” I snapped back. “Do it fucking right or don’t do it all.”

She sighed and pulled the bat down and hung it upside down. I let out a breath and nodded.

Finally.

I looked to Ashes who was setting up wood for a bonfire. He loved building this fire. It was the only time we really let him near flame on campus. Troubled thoughts masked his face. I’d been suspicious more than ever of what Sin had been up to, especially after hearing again that Sirena screamed when he was near her and the way his face twisted when the words were put out in the open.

I didn’t want to think one of my best friends hurt the girl we all loved, but I was beginning to really consider it.

And it was pissing me off.

Add to it the fact he’d been MIA through a lot of this shit, and I’d say I was fed up with all of it. I’d do anything for him, even beat the fuck out of him to set him right.

I wasn’t sure if I could forgive him if he’d had a hand in Sirena because when it boiled down to it, it affected all of us. I’d cut my brother out of his fucking closet because of this shit and begged him to come back to us.

I couldn’t forgive this shit.

Someone would pay.

Maybe even with their life.

I really hoped Sin hadn’t fucked up. It was all beginning to roll together though. His disappearance the night of. His withdrawn behavior. The way Sirena screamed when he was near. Asylum promising to take something from us and return Sirena.

Yeah. Shit wasn’t looking good for him.

Tonight, I’d get my answers. I had a plan.

I walked to Ashes, and he straightened as I approached. Stitches rose from his chair on the patio as I gestured to him and came toward us.

“What’s up?” Ashes asked.

Sin had disappeared again, but I looked around anyway to make sure we were alone. Cady caught my eye and approached. Typically, I’d tell her to piss off, but gave her a head nod to join us.

“Secret squirrel meeting?” she asked, stopping at Stitches’s side.

He glanced at her. Stitches wasn’t as familiar with her as we were. He’d been odd since he’d returned to us. I figured it was all the trauma from nearly dying and the fact he was somewhere inside his mind, fighting his bi-polar.

He never would have been this way though if someone hadn’t fucked with my specter.

“I want to get Sirena alone at the party,” I said. “I want to get her to tell me who helped Asylum that night.”

Ashes widened his eyes at me. “Asylum won’t let her out of his sight. You know that.”

“That’s why we need a plan to get her alone. Cady, I think you’re perfect for the job,” I continued.

She beamed at me. It was the first genuine smile she’d ever given me. “I’ll do it.”

---