Page 69 of Dead End

“Gary is the motorcycle?”

“The truck. Betsy is the motorcycle.”

Goran closed his eyes as he tried to commit the names to memory. I appreciated the effort.

Kami and Libitina appeared in the kitchen doorway. “You look well, Libby,” I said.

“I feel almost back to normal.” She hesitated. “Are you sure you don’t mind if we stay?”

“You’ll have to figure out sleeping arrangements. I only have two beds and a sofa, but as far as I’m concerned, this is your home. There’s an inflatable black swan for the moat. The weather’s warm enough…” I trailed off, unable to finish the statement. I wanted to be the one floating around the moat, feeling the sunlight warm my skin.

“Good luck, Melinoe,” Libby said. “I hope everything works out for you.”

“It will,” Kami said.

I smiled. “I appreciate you saying that.”

I cast a glance at the library on my way out and another wave of grief crashed over me. Maybe the underworld had a decent library; I couldn’t recall.

Outside the crows stood sentry on the finials of the iron fence.

“I have to go away,” I told them. “I wish I could stay here and feed you popcorn kernels every day, but I’m needed elsewhere.”

Although the crows stared at me in silence, their keen eyes shone with understanding.

“You’re welcome to loiter around the Castle. There will be others here to feed you.”

The crows clicked. One of them tossed a small object at my feet. I picked up the silver dollar. “Thank you, friends. I’ll keep it as a memento of our time together.” I heard the strain in my voice as I slipped the coin into my pocket. I’d held myself together this long; I refused to fall apart now.

I felt Kane’s presence beside me. Silently he clasped my hand, and together, we passed through the open gate. I wanted to imagine life as it was before I unleashed hell on it. Just as Pops feared, my mere existence managed to make everything worse.

He drove as far as he could and parked on a dirt path. We walked the remainder of the way through the forest. Beams of light burst through the branches. It seemed strange that the day would carry on here without me.

My heart lurched when I saw the line of silhouettes standing outside the crossroads. Phaedra stepped into a patch of light. “You didn’t think we’d let you leave without saying goodbye, did you?”

“As if,” Gun chimed in. “I’d sooner wear polyester than let you go without an obnoxious sendoff.”

“I was hoping to sneak out of here without a fuss,” I admitted.

Camryn threw her arms around me. “After everything we’ve been through, that is unacceptable.” She sniffed. “Keep in touch. I want to hear all about the underworld.”

“No, you don’t,” Gun admonished her.

“No, I don’t, but I just want to hear from you,” Cam said. “I don’t care what the topic is.”

“We’ve got a rota for the crossroads,” West said. “You’re leaving this place in good, organized hands, Clay.”

Chief Garcia shook my hand. “We’ve got everything under control. Don’t you worry.”

“I know.” I was the only reason the residents were in peril now. The monsters that had wandered through the crossroads over the years were nothing compared to the monsters I would’ve unleashed on the town if I’d stayed. It was difficult to acknowledge, even harder to accept.

Even Otto made an appearance to bid me farewell. “Gun was kind enough to escort me,” the vampire said.

“I appreciate that you didn’t get behind the wheel on my account,” I said. Blindness didn’t seem to stop the vampire from owning a fleet of luxury vehicles.

“I’ll think of you every time I listen to Rachmaninoff.”

“And I’ll think of you every time I eat a finger sandwich.” Gods, I’d miss meals at Otto’s house.

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