Page 117 of Roses and Skulls

“We should set him on fire, burn him alive,” my mother says anxiously by my side.

Draven casts her a nervous glance and starts mumbling, straining against the ropes. More blood flows from his mouth.

My crow flies over and perches on Draven’s shoulder, pecking at his lips as blood continues to stream from between them.

I rise slowly from the ground. “No, I think we’ve had our revenge. I think it’s time for my little friend and her family to get theirs.”

A few more crows fly down from the trees, poking at Draven as he struggles to free himself.

“I think we should leave them to it.”

My eyes meet my mom’s, she nods her head and whistles for everyone to head out. She joins my dad and heads up the path.

Elijah wraps his arms around my shoulder, guiding me away. My feet abruptly stop. I step away from him and crouch before Draven one last time. Several more birds have landed on him. “Oh, and if you’re wondering if anyone will miss you? They won’t. The DEA will be arresting every member of the Devils tomorrow morning. Seems someone ratted them out and went into the witness protection program but not before selling his bar.”

Draven’s eyes widen, his anger overriding the pain the birds are inflicting on him. He knows I’ve won. That I’ve been gunning for him since the minute he arrived in town. He thought I was weak. He was wrong.

“I bet you regret not killing me that day. My only regret is that I should have pulled the trigger one day sooner.”

He starts screaming, blood and spit flying out of his mouth, splattering my face.

I wipe it off with one hand, smearing blood and makeup over my hand. When I rise, his eyes follow my movement. “You want to know what I’m going to name the bar?” I ask.

“Oh, sorry. You can’t answer.” I tap my finger over my mouth. “On second thought, I think I’ll keep the name. The Black Rose fits, don’t you think? Didn’t you know that even the black ones have thorns?”

And with that, I turn, meeting Elijah at the end of the path. We walk away, listening to his screams as my friends tear the flesh from his body.

The club is up at the warehouse. Their bloodlust calling for a party. In this club everything calls for a party. Even death.

“I’m going to sit here for a while,” I tell Elijah, ducking out from under his arm.

He stares at me as I plop down on the grass just beyond the forest, my back to the warehouse. Screams break through the trees.

“Then I’m sitting too,” he says, hauling his ass right down beside me.

Neither of us say anything.

I’m numb.

There is so much to process.

Elijah pulls at the grass, the music firing up behind us as I continue to stare into the trees.

Gone are the days of magical fairytales, knights in shining armor and dragons needing slayed.

The only thing left is this gapping black hole that is threatening to suck me in.

Elijah bumps my knee lightly with his. “You okay, baby?”

“Not really,” I tell him honestly.

He runs his hand down the back of my hair. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when it all comes crashing down. I promise.”

A loud scream pulls my gaze back to the trees. “How long do you think it will take?” I ask, desperately trying to hold everything in.

“As long as it takes,” he answers, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close.

Silence falls over the forest, but I continue to sit, my eyes blurring from exhaustion. My parents join us on the grass. My mother sitting on the other side of Elijah, my dad beside me. None of us speak.

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