Page 24 of Ashes

Sully had beaten Riley’s hands so hard with a ruler last year, his bones had fractured. He hadn’t told anyone but me and Cody. And all because he’d failed to recite some Bible quote correctly.

Honestly, I’d wanted to kill Sully then. While killing wasn’t my thing, I’d do it if I had to. Everything ended in death. It didn’t bother me to take a life. I found little joy in it though. There were much more satisfying things to do, like feed people their eyeballs after I carved them out of their skulls with a dinner fork.

Maybe I didn’t enjoy killing as much as the next lunatic because aside from small animals, Sirena had been my first human attempt. Maybe I had PTSD from it.

I had nightmares of her crying for me to stop for the first few years after I’d done it. In turn, I’d cry. I’d slipped into an awful depression as my life had spiraled further.

Then I’d gotten the chance to fuck up the asshole who’d causedusso much pain.

I wish I could say life had gotten better, but it hadn’t.

There’d been a gaping hole in my existence, and it took seeing our Rinny again to realize she was what had been missing.

Now, I felt like I was on fire, and she was both the water and the gasoline. It was driving me insane. Well,more insaneone might say.

When I’d gotten my chance to be with her, I’d snatched it up without contemplating exactly what it would mean. All I knew was I wanted her, however I could have her.

And now my forever girl was locked in her own mind.

I couldn’t save her. It was fucking eating my blackened soul to know she was even further from me now.

It made me ache inside when I realized I might have to finish the job I’d started all those years ago just to put her out of her misery. But first, I’d try to get her back before I had to resort to such drastic measures. I’d go with her this time though. Without hesitation, I’d go.

Riley and I parted ways without a word, and I strolled to Sully’s office and knocked lightly on his door.

“Come in,” he called out in a gruff voice.

I opened the door and stepped inside his office, moving to stand in front of his desk. He gestured for me to take a seat, so I did.

“I’d like to discuss Sirena Lawrence with you,” he started.

“Go on,” I said evenly, my mind racing.

I knew Sully. If Chapel Crest was hell, he was a devil lurking in the darkness.

“Now, I don’t typically discuss student health issues with anyone but the staff treating them. However, we’re close to losing one of our own with her. Her mother would like to unenroll her and take her home. Her stepfather has agreed to leave her under my. . .treatment.”

I stiffened in my seat.

She can’t leave. I can’t let her leave me. No. No. NO!

I’ll stop them.

Take her. Fuck him and his treatment. Take her. Take her. TAKE HER.

“You see, I’ve spoken to her family. They say you and Sirena were once very good friends. Yes?”

“Yes,” I said evenly.

“Aside from your scripture writing as punishment for the mausoleum incident, I had another idea. You being there with her during her ordeal in the cemetery, well, it prompted me to read her file again. You know what I found?”

I stared back at him, unflinching. Unmoving.

“I found she had an accident right around the same time you moved away from her. Interesting, don’t you think?”

“Useless facts can be interesting to a simple mind.”

He gave me a sinister smile that made me narrow my eyes.Definitely the fucking devil.He just didn’t realize he was fucking with a god.

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