Page 80 of Ashes

“What if it’s a trick?” I asked, apprehension rolling through me.

It was becoming more apparent that Asylum wasn’t the normal sort of insane.

“Then he dies,” Church answered as he stared at the mausoleum. “We’ll bury him out here.”

I turned to Sin and found him staring at the mausoleum too, his lips turned into a deep frown.

“Why are you still standing here?” Asylum’s voice from behind us made me jump.

He winked at me before he passed clad in all black too. Turning, he walked backward and gestured for us to follow him. I glanced at Church again. A muscle thrummed along his jaw beneath the dim light of the moon.

He stepped forward, and we followed, letting the door to the mausoleum swing closed behind us. Old man Morse’s coffin was still in its place, minus the bones. Who the hell knew where those even were. I was sure if Asylum had anything to do with their disappearance then they were probably hiding in his closet or some shit.

We went from pitch-black to a soft, warm glow of light as a battery-operated lantern was lit. Asylum’s face shone eerily in the pale light as he held it.

“Don’t want any ghouls to play grab ass with us in the dark,” he said softly.

Had this not been a serious situation, I would’ve laughed. Instead, I simply kept my focus on him as he placed the lantern in the center of the circle we’d formed.

“Speak,” Church growled.

“Always straight to business,” Asylum said with a sigh. “I can’t give you all the answers you seek because I simply don’t have them. Yet.”

“So why the hell did we have to meet you here?” I demanded. “Stitches is clearly getting fucked with. We need to know what’s going on and how to get him out.”

Asylum cocked his head at me. “I remember the way she sounded when she screamed.”

“What?” I frowned and glanced to Church and Sin.

Church took a dangerous step forward while Sin appeared confused.

“Isabella,” Asylum continued.

My guts twisted at her name. I hadn’t thought about her in forever.

Sin’s ex-girlfriend. The one who’d killed their unborn child.

The one we’d killed and scattered as ashes on the lake.

“Don’t fucking say her name,” Sin said with a snarl, stepping forward to stand next to Church. “She left here.”

“Yes. Gone. Dust to dust. Ashes to ashes. Bells’s death was a must after Sin’s seven deadly lashes.” He let out a soft laugh at his fucked-up nursery rhyme.

It was the fact he knew what had happened which made chills rush across my skin.

There was no possible way. . .

“How do you know. . . ?” Sin asked, his voice wavering.

Asylum cocked his head to the other side. “How does a creature like me know anything? Must be the voices.” He let out another burst of laughter that echoed around us as he tapped his temple, his blue eyes sparkling with madness in the light from the lantern.

We stared at him, transfixed at what a lunatic he really was.

“He’s fucking with us. He doesn’tknow,” Church said. “Why is that bitch even important to this? She has nothing to do with Stitches or specter.”

“Doesn’t she?” Asylum stared right at Church. “She’s a little key to a vast kingdom, I’d say. You still don’t believe me, though.” Asylum let out a sigh and shook his head. “Fine. Test me. Ask me anything. If at the end of your questioning you aren’t convinced I know things, then I’ll go back to the shadows with my prize, and we’ll never speak again.”

“Your prize ismygirl,” Church said, his voice laced with barely controlled rage. “When you return to your dark corner, it’ll be alone.”

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