Page 42 of Undo Me

“What?” He felt the blood leave his face, somehow knowing that what she’d said was important. “Speak clearly, Elise Adair. What do you see?”

She shook her head in confusion, placing her other hand on his chest. “I don’t know. I see betrayal and pain. I see a memory, your memory, and it holds all the answers. It’s hidden with the rest of them, but you’ll need them sooner than you think.”

The scar along his side throbbed painfully, as though the wound were fresh. He looked down, but saw no blood. “I have no memories.”

“Mama Elise.” Michelle came rushing up to them, panting and pale. “Something’s wrong with Emmanuel. He won’t stop crying.”

“The boy?”

She looked down at the empty space beside her, eyes widening as she listened. “He says you need to help her, BD. He says you and I are the only ones who can.”

“Help who?” But he instantly started scanning the yard, looking for a red dress and a long dark braid. “Where is Bethany?”

Michelle practically snarled in frustration. “I can’t find her either, but Emmanuel says it’s his sister that’s missing, which doesn’t make any sense since Isabel’s been dead for ages.”

BD stumbled backward, Elise still clinging to his arm. “It’s her, isn’t it?” Elise asked, her face pale. “That’s it. Bethany. Oh no.”

“What are you saying, Elise? What’s wrong with Bethany?” Michelle’s voice was thick with panic.

Isabel. Save Isabel.

“No time.” He heard Elise as if through a wall, watched her close her eyes and push the palm of her hand hard into his chest again.

Without warning the world seemed to slow to a crawl. Everything around him; the musicians and dancers, his friends, each flickering candle’s flame, all paused as if frozen, before fading altogether into darkness.

Silence.

Then the voices came. Rushing out at him from the darkness, chanting in an ancient language few truly knew, aided by the beating of the drums. Louder and louder until he wanted to scream. Until he was drowning, those voices pulling him under.

“This can’t be it. It’s not time. I need more time,” he shouted. Panic and fury rampaged through him at the thought of losing Isabel again. No, Bethany.

Suddenly all of the voices but one fell silent. A strong female voice continued the chant. Annemarie? The Mambo was so loud, so insistent, demanding something from him. He tried to shout for her, to beg her to find Bethany, but she wouldn’t listen.

There was a sharp pain in his heart, a hand tugging at something inside him, dragging it out of him and stealing his breath. The pain.

“There they are,” Elise whispered in his mind. There was a snap like an anchor chain letting go of its weight, followed by a powerful push of energy that had him staggering back into the world. The sounds and lights of the party, so enjoyable moments ago, were an assault to his senses as his perception snapped back to reality.

He felt… heavier. She’d found them. His memories. Now that they were freed, they swarmed through his mind like angry bees. Beautiful and familiar. Ugly and cruel. Terrifying and empty.

Oh God, he remembered everything.

“What the fuck was that? What did you do to him?” Michelle’s voice sharp with concern.

“Bethany!” He backed out of older woman’s hold, rejecting the knowledge and pity in her expression as he ran toward Ben, grabbing the man by his shirt, so roughly it tore. “Bethany is in danger. I need you to take me to the cemetery where you found me. Right now.”

Ben didn’t hesitate. “It’ll be busy on the street tonight. We’ll take my bike.”

Michelle, Allegra, and Rousseau were all racing up behind them. “Where?” Michelle called out.

“St. Louis,” Ben replied. “But—"

“We’ll follow in my car. We’ll be right behind you. Hurry.”

BD got to the drive and hopped on the large, black motorcycle behind Ben. Seconds later the machine roared swiftly into the night while BD tried to repress a howl of agony.

How could he have forgotten her?

Isabel.

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