Page 36 of Ashes

“I’m not Seth. I’m Asylum,” he said. You don’t trust me. And you shouldn’t. But you can’t deny that I made her scream. If I can make her scream, I can make her talk. So have a little faith, Asher. Everything happens for a reason.”

Anger raced through me, but I pushed it down. Instead, I reached into my pocket and squeezed my lighter, the cool metal calming me.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” I whispered. “Don’t hurt her more. I swear on everything I am, I’ll set you on fire while you sleep and watchyouscream if you hurt her.”

He cocked his head at me. “We do love the suffering, don’t we? We’re sick. Twisted. Monsters who don’t deserve life, much less love. Yet, we seek it. Perhaps to continue tormenting ourselves. Fascinating, isn’t it? Tell me, Asher, if I offered you the chance to help me bring her back, would you take it? Would you leave the watchers and join me?”

I glared at him. “I’m never leaving the watchers. Just like she’s never leaving us either.”

“Ah, but what will you call it when I’m buried inside her warm, wet confines and she’s clinging to me? When she’scomingfor me?”

I couldn’t take it anymore. My fist collided with his face, knocking him back, blood trickling from the cut on his lip. I glared at him, my body shaking as he righted himself and let out a laugh which shook me to my core.

“That’s the fucking spirit, Valentine.That’swhat I wanted.”

“You’re a sick, twistedfuck. If you touch her, I’ll kill you, Cain. That’s a fucking promise.”

His blue eyes sparkled, making my anger boil harder. Nothing bothered the asshole. In fact, he seemed to enjoy my outburst of violence. Rather than give him what he wanted, I backed away. I knew if I didn’t leave, I’d burn the entire place down and take Stitches and Sirena out of here while I let the world scream.

“See you around, Valentine,” Asylum called after me as I turned and stormed away. “I meant what I said. Tonight. Say your goodbyes.”

I said nothing as I walked away.

Fuck Seth Cain. Or Asylum. Whoever the fuck he was.

CHURCH

Icouldn’t concentrate as I sat in class all day. Knowing my brother was on a psych hold and my girl was struggling really had me on edge. I knew Ashes had gone to see her and had checked on Stitches. I hadn’t heard back from him, which I supposed was a good thing because no news was good news. At least I hoped so.

The fact our group was shrinking had me chomping at the bit to figure out what the hell was going on. I knew Stitches was always toeing a delicate line with his sanity, but I never thought he’d do what he’d done. It broke my fucking heart. He was my brother, even if it only by adoption. We’d been through way too much for him to try to leave me like that.

And specter… Fucking damnit.

“Dante, can you come up and read your short story?” Sister May interrupted my morose thoughts.

I frowned at her. “I didn’t write one.”

She blinked at me like she was stupid and didn’t understand what I’d said.

“It’s due today,” she finally said as the class sat in silence.

I assumed they were waiting for me to explode. “OK. And I didn’t do it,” I snapped back.

She frowned and studied me for a moment, the act really pissing me off. Finally, she forced a smile onto her pretty face and moved on to Melanie, who was far too eager to jump up and read a story about a girl who was beautiful but ignored.

Shit had to be about her, although I’d have omitted the beautiful part. Even her soul was ugly. Not that I was one to talk. Mine wasn’t much better in the grand scheme of things. I’d murdered before. I’d done plenty of fucked-up shit in my life.

I found it odd that the only thing lately I regretted wasn’t the murders, but rather the fact I hadn’t been with my specter when she’d been stuffed into that fucking coffin. I’d have killed whoever had done that to her. I was really beginning to doubt Seth had acted alone. There was just no way he could’ve lifted that heavy stone lid to close it over them. Not from inside the coffin.

I planned on finding out which of his leach friends had assisted him. Then I’d punish them accordingly. It may end up with me gutting whoever it was in the forest like I did to all the animals who were unfortunate enough to cross my path. I was getting rather good at carving.

Classes were dismissed, and I got to my feet, sauntering to the hallway, students, patients whatever the fuck we were called, giving me a wide berth.

I spotted Bryce in the corridor and zeroed in on him.

He froze when he realized I was headed straight for him.

“H-hey, Church,” he greeted me, his gaze darting around like any of those assholes around us could save him if I decided his time was up.

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