Page 104 of Lust

“That was him,” Cody says.

“When you touched me…or he touched me…the vision was showing me what I had to do to save everyone.”

“I didn’t see it,” Cody says, “but I assumed based on what the guys said happened after.”

“And then what happened?” I ask.

“After I finished transcribing for him, he…possessed me. Went to Alexei, put my hands on him, and did something—therod in him split in two and pushed out either side. Then his skin healed in seconds. At least that’s how it felt.”

“When I found them,” Seth says, “Alexei was unconscious but breathing normally.”

“Did he say why he was out there last night?”

Seth shakes his head. “When he woke, he wasn’t sure. Seemed really confused and out of it.”

“It’s weird that he happened to find us even before you guys did,” I say, having a hard time making sense of that.

“The Slasher sent Seth and me on a wild goose chase,” Brad says. “It laid clues to make it seem like you ran in the opposite direction, and we fell for it.”

“That must’ve been why we had time to make that first circle of protection,” Cody says.

“But why didn’t it just kill them?”

The room falls silent. Cody looks to Brad as if seeking permission to share.

Brad nods.

“Because it was after you, like we suspected. We think it could sense your power and that it could feed off it. I don’t think that’s what the Guides were telling us before, though. I assumed because the Slasher could prolong killing to get more power, that was why it chose fire for one of the victims—before we knew it was you. But now I believe they were trying to tell us that you were the one who could destroy it with your powers.”

“That makes sense,” I say. “After I discovered my ability to start the fire, I suddenly knew things, like I know my own name. I knew something was different about this Slasher.”

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” Brad adds. “The Slasher described in the bible wasn’t as cunning as what we faced.”

“It was from something older, wiser in the Rift,” I say, filled with some intuitive wisdom planted in me after Cody touched me in the trench. “And a blow to the head or even tearing it apartwouldn’t have been enough to destroy it. It had to be incinerated to prevent it from coming back. And I knew the message they gave you was intended for me. That I had to go right then, before it could strike again. Save Brad and Seth.”

“If all that’s true,” Cody says, “then Kysar must’ve known everything would play out like it did.” He spins his backpack around front and fishes through it, retrieving the notebook he wrote in last night, flipping the pages before displaying more writing. It doesn’t look like his handwriting, but more like the scrawling I’d seen when he was in a trance.

Cody reads out, “I’m the Guide of the original Sinners. I was here to protect Mark and Josh. I am here to protect you.” Cody flips the page. “You didn’t unleash the Slasher. Something is happening. Something is shifting in the Rift.”

“What’s happening in the Rift?”

“He didn’t elaborate,” Cody replies. “But this is more than I’ve ever done before, and I think it’s more similar to how Dobbers used to communicate with the Guides. Here, look: there are a few lines that sayThis isn’t your fault. When all that stuff started happening, just based on the timing, we assumed it must have been from what we’d done, and then maybe involving your arrival, but he must know more.”

It’s not that comforting, especially when we don’t know much about Kysar or why he’s helping us. But what he says lines up with the things I felt in the trench, and at least he gave us some answers through Cody, even if they’re not wholly satisfying.

“Anything else I need to know?” I spit out.

“I think that’s enough for now,” Brad insists sternly. Cody and Seth glance at one another.

“Why did you say it like that?” When he doesn’t answer, I turn to Seth and Cody, who won’t make eye contact. “Why did he say it like that?”

Seth glances at the door, as if longing to make a break for it.

“It’s just a lot all at once,” Brad says. “But if you really think you’re up for it…”

“I don’t mind tearing off the Band-Aid.” After what I’ve been through, what could be so terrible?

Cody licks his lips, then says, “Kysar’s message included a warning:Something’s coming. Something worse than the Slasher.You need to be ready. Train. Train. Find me.”

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