Page 81 of Ashes

I was glad he was doing the talking because it was taking all my willpower once more to not just say fuck it all and burn down the hospital, and grab my heaven and best friend from there, then leave this place for fucking good.

I dipped my hand into my pocket and brushed my fingers against the cool metal of my lighter as I tried to calm myself.

“Fair enough,” Asylum said without missing a beat. “I won’t argue that for a period of time in the near future I’ll be without her.”

I didn’t feel like playing any longer. I just needed answers. We all did. “Get to your point.”

“Then simply ask your questions. Some are harder to answer than others. Know that going in.”

I snorted. Of course they were. I couldn’t shake the fact he’d known about Stitches trying to hang himself though. It was still weighing heavily on me.

I pulled my lighter out then opened and closed it five times before starting over. Everything was stressing me out lately. Being in this damn place not only gave me the creeps, but it sent ugly memories of finding my heaven in that damn coffin with Asylum, filling my head with heartbreaking images.

“Fine. What’s happening to Stitches?” Church asked.

“Wrong question. Ask me something you’ve never told anyone before. Or something I shouldn’t know.”

Church let out an exasperated sigh. The fact he was still playing along surprised me. I was ready to just storm the hospital and take back what belonged to us.

“What’s my favorite color?” he asked.

“You like. . . white.”

I blinked in surprise and looked to Church quickly. Whitewashis favorite color.

“Mine is yellow,” Asylum continued. “It’s quite cheerful.”

Sin let out a soft snort.

“What’s wrong, Sinclair? You don’t think I’m deserving of cheer?”

“I think psychos like yellow. I mean, I think that’s what I heard during one of my group sessions.” Sin stared back at him.

If it bothered Asylum, he didn’t show it. Instead, he simply winked at him.

“Where is Bells buried?” I asked softly, wanting to get to the heart of the matter.

“Trick question, Valentine.” Asylum’s focus snapped to me. “For she isnotburied. She swims in the water. The flames grew hotter. She floats on the wind. She became the ultimate sin.” He smiled widely at me. “Church lured her in like a spider waiting, and then he and Sin killed her. She screamed for them to listen to her as you flicked your lighter.Open. Close. Open. Close.Five times. A pause. Five more times.” He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply as my guts churned. “Mm. Yes. The watchers removed her body when life left it, and you set it ablaze to become nothing but ash and bone. Her bones are. . .” He snapped his eyelids open and cocked his head as I held my breath.

How the fuck did he know?

Church’s body was tense, his eyes narrowed, his chest heaving.

And Sin… Sin looked like he was going to throw up.

“She liked Poe,” Asylum said softly after a moment. “‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ was her favorite.” He focused on Sin and cocked his head in the other direction as if he was listening to someone nearby we couldn’t see. “Why do you keep her there, Sinclair?”

Nausea twisted my insides as Sin licked his lips. “Keep her where?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I know your level of depravity,” Asylum murmured. “Beneath the floorboards, of course.”

I widened my eyes as I looked to Sin. I had no idea what he’d done with the bones. He’d said he’d take care of them. We’d figured it’d be best if only he knew. Besides, he’d wanted it that way even though I’d offered to be with him when he’d gotten rid of them.

“Tell me there aren’t bones in my fucking house,” Church hissed, his hands balled into tight fists.

“There aren’t,” Sin answered, his voice strained.

“No, not in the house. They’re in Sully’s office. Clever, clever,” Asylum said in a sing-song voice. “Veryclever.”

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