Page 61 of Heir of Illusion

Thorne stands over me, his vengeful gaze fixed on the woman. I can hear her coughing as she tries to pull air into her lungs, but I can’t drag my attention away from the reaper. The tendons in his jaw clench as his eyes find mine.

“Are you alright?” he asks, his tone hard as flint.

I nod, finally pushing myself to my feet. My upper lip curls as I notice the fresh layer of grime coating my clothes. Honestly, I’m not sure if it came from the floor or the woman.

Probably both.

I attempt to brush it away, hissing as the movement pulls at the jagged cut on my arm. Thorne’s eyes narrow on the wound before shifting to the knife lying a few feet away. The room darkens as he turns to face the old woman again.

“Who are you?” he demands.

A laugh bubbles out of her as she rolls onto her back. “It doesn’t matter who I am. It only matters whoheis.”

My brows pinch. “Are you talking about Darby? Was he here?”

The woman’s mouth opens wide as a horrible cackle comes out of her.

“Answer the question,” Thorne growls.

Her attention flicks to him before settling on me, on my collar. Something flares behind her eyes, and her hands twitch.

“He’s coming for you, little rat.”

A shiver crawls over my skin. “Who?”

“The rats can run, and the rats can hide,” she sings, ignoring my question.

“Tell me!” I shout.

Her only response is to start humming again.

Thorne sighs. “Come on. We’re not getting anything from her. We need to leave.”

He moves toward the door, waiting for me to follow.

I can’t shake the feeling that this woman knows something. If I could just get her to answer my questions, maybe it would give us a new lead. Some kind of clue as to where Darby is hiding.

But Thorne’s right.

Whatever she knows, she lost the ability to share it with us a long time ago. The hard life she’s lived has left her trapped in madness. Digging my hand into my pocket, I pull out a few coins and place them on the floor in front of me.

“Get some food,” I tell her.

Her gaze meets mine once more, and the cruelty that flashes there makes me wonder if I’m going to regret not killing her when I had the chance.

Ignoring the morbid thought, I turn and follow Thorne from the room. The woman’s voice echoes through the hall, louder now than it was before.

“He’s coming now, and he tells no lies.”

Neither of us speaks as we make our way down the stairs.

“He said all the rats will bleed and die, when all the stars fall from the sky.”

Thorne shuts the front door behind us as we finally escape. I hurry over the rotted porch and into the street, desperate to put some distance between myself and this place. Closing my eyes, I lift my face to the rain and let it wash away the stench of the house. I take deep breaths, trying to dispel the strange sensation lingering in the pit of my stomach.

Heavy steps trudge through the puddles before coming to a stop a few feet away. I open my eyes to find Thorne watching me with that sharp gaze of his.

“Did you find anything?” I ask, praying my voice sounds steady.

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