Page 65 of Dig Your Grave

“Prove them wrong,” he continued.“Or they’ll finish you as they did your friend Toccara.”

My breath caught.“So, you admit Toccara was murdered?”

He offered a noncommittal shrug, though his eyes flickered.“Murder, suicide, it’s all a matter of perspective.She failed to comply.The society has ways of removing obstacles.”

Anubis’ fists clenched.“Why warn us, then?”

A faint sneer touched the man’s mouth.“Because not everyone in the Skulls wants to see the Edenvane heir destroyed.Some still respect the lineage.But if you keep meddling, you’ll meet the same fate as that influencer girl.Consider yourselves warned.”

Then he melted back into the shadows, leaving us trembling with anger and fear.Toccara’s death was absolutely a Skulls operation.The watchers were fractured, some loyal to us in name, others ready to kill us.

I spun to Anubis, tears burning in my eyes.“They admitted it.She was murdered, and they’ll do the same to us.”

He gathered me into a fierce embrace.“We have to move fast.We can’t wait for another sabotage task.We gather everything we have, tonight, and pass it to the Undercurrent.”

Nodding, I wiped my tears.“Let’s do it.Enough is enough.”

Chapter 24

We sped across campus in the Porsche, adrenaline fueling each breath.The caretaker’s cottage awaited us with its trove of stolen logs, genealogical records, and infiltration notes.The brand on my shoulder ached, a physical manifestation of how deeply I’d been dragged into this darkness.

Once inside, we locked the door, turned on a dim lamp, and began piling everything on the rickety table: Toccara’s partial camera logs, files from Carlisle’s infiltration, my phone screenshots from the server records, genealogical references about my Edenvane ancestry.The pile felt both damning and incomplete.

Anubis opened his laptop, face set in grim determination.“Let’s compile it all into one encrypted file.Then we can figure out how to get it to Kate and the Howler.They can blow the whistle across campus.”

I nodded, rummaging for a flash drive.“Yes.The more public we make it, the less chance the Skulls have of burying it.”

“Though they might bury us,” he muttered darkly, tapping at the keyboard.

We worked feverishly, copying images and documents, summarizing Toccara’s final hours, the black hooded watchers, the brand ceremony.My chest twisted every time I saw Toccara’s name.She died alone in that river, and now these same people threatened me—and the man I loved.

Yes, loved.The realization was as terrifying as everything else happening.But I pushed that swirl of emotion aside, focusing on finishing the file.

Close to dawn, we had a nearly complete dossier.Anubis clicked “Encrypt,” then typed a pass phrase.My phone screen glowed with texts from Kate, verifying a secure method to transfer data.

Just then, a harsh pounding rattled the cottage’s door.We froze, hearts pounding.

Another pounding, more insistent.A voice:“Open up, novices!”

I whispered frantically, “It’s them.The watchers.”

Anubis shut the laptop.“Stall,” he mouthed, slipping the flash drive into his pocket.

Trembling, I approached the door.“Who’s there?”I called, injecting forced calm into my voice.

“Society business,” came the clipped reply.“Open.”

I glanced at Anubis.He gave a tight nod.No way out except the window in the back room, but that might be guarded too.Reluctantly, I unlatched the door.Three watchers in black coats barged in, their expressions severe, eyes scanning the cottage’s clutter.

One shoved a letter into my hand.A heavy wax seal with the skull crest glinted under the lamp.“Captain Edenvane.Nubia.The council demands your presence at dawn for an urgent gathering.No excuses.”

My throat constricted.“Dawn is practically now.Where?”

“Eden Hall courtyard.Ten minutes,” another watcher growled.“You’re late.”

“Late for what?”Anubis demanded, voice edged with anger.

The first watcher sneered, ignoring his question.“Disobey, and face punishment.Let’s go.”

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