Page 137 of Cursed

Or did anyone actually care?

As we cut the engines, strains of classical music echoed from the funeral home and I noticed floral wreaths propped outside. Bastian and I exchanged a confused glance, and then he chuckled. “They really go all out.”

“Seems like it,” I agreed.

“Shut up,” Titus growled. “They’ve already started. We have to hurry.”

Bastian made a face, but we followed Titus through the wrought iron cemetery gates and down the path to where the lines of crypts stood, dark and foreboding in the light of the setting sun.

The doors of the Romano family crypt were open, and Titus walked up the stairs and disappeared inside without looking back at us.

“I hate this place,” Bastian grunted.

That was a surprise.

“Really?”

Bastian shrugged. “Nothing good ever happens here.”

“Why would it—”

Bastian turned to sneer at me, his pale eyes burning with irritation, and then climbed the marble stairs after Titus.

The door to the underground catacombs where the Black Council met were open, and Titus stood by the hidden lever to make sure that it was closed behind us.

“Get on with it,” he snapped. “Lucian is waiting.”

Bastian shoved at our elder brother and then took the stairs at a quick pace. His blond head vanished below the marble floor, leaving me alone with Titus.

He tilted his chin toward the opening. “Go—”

“Why did Lucian want us to be here?” I asked.

Titus’ eyes narrowed. “Did you have something better to do?”

“No— I just—”

“What?”

I took a breath. Titus was never in the mood to argue, but there was something else wrong— He was more on edge than usual.

“You don’t know why we’re here—do you?”

His jaw tightened.

I was right.

“Do you think he knows—”

Titus grabbed my jacket and pulled me close. “Keep your mouth shut,” he hissed. “Not here.”

Shit.

“Okay— Ease up.”

Titus released his grip and pushed me away. “Get down there.”

I did as he commanded, and I didn’t look back as I descended the stairs. Bastian stood at the bottom and glared at me as I stepped onto the uneven stone floor.

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