Page 79 of Salem's Fall
I stare at the words, at the simplicity and finality of them. Then, with a last, resolute breath, I slip the phone into my pocket.
“Okay, Maddie,” I whisper. “I’m coming for you.”
My breath hitches as I approach the locked gates. They look impossibly high, but I have no other choice to get inside the Hollow, so I grab hold of the cold iron and drag myself up. The metal scrapes against my palms as I go higher, and my legs tremble with the effort. By the time I get all the way to the top, every muscle in my body aches. I swing one leg over, my pants catching on the edge, tearing as I scramble down to the other side, and then land with a rough thud on the damp earth.
Ahead of me now lies the main building, looming against the black night sky. There’s no moonlight, just a strange, oppressive darkness that feels like it’s sinking into me. Though I’ve been here before, the place feels completely foreign at night. Any charm the Hollow had in the daytime is gone, replaced by an ominous and chilling emptiness.
I have no idea where to look for Maddie. She could be anywhere, in one of the buildings on the property or somewhere outdoors on the massive grounds within the gates. I use the flashlight of my phone and try to find my bearings, thinking back to the layout from when I visited weeks ago. But now every corner seems warped, like it’s been rearranged just to throw me off.
With each step, my heartbeat quickens, thudding in my chest. My hands tremble as I push through overgrown bushes, looking for signs of Maddie or the Veil and Damien. It hits me then how utterly alone I am; I have no idea what I’m doingand no one to turn to or guide me. Not even Lucky is with me now. It’s all on me.
Somehow, I find my way back to the stone slab from the tour weeks ago.The sacrifice slab.It looks just like I remembered. There’s no Maddie tied to it about to be sacrificed or anything like that. There’s no one around at all.
But then, a faint sound reaches my ears. It’s a low, rhythmic chanting that drifts toward me as if through the trees themselves. Dread curls in my gut as I follow the noise, moving away from the stone slab toward the dense underbrush a few yards away. The chanting grows louder with each step I take, a deep murmur rising up from somewhere beneath the earth.
It doesn’t sound like any language I know. Latin maybe? Or something even older, something twisted and primordial. It has an almost hypnotic, magical feeling to it. It pulls me toward an old, gnarled tree, bigger than all the rest. There, half-hidden by tangled roots and dirt, I spot a small, rusted door set into the ground.
I kneel down, my fingers brushing against the corroded metal to clear away debris until I notice the symbols etched into its surface, faint but unmistakable. Symbols like the ones in Mark’s notes and the books in Hargrove’s shop. Like the ones at Damien’s fiancée’s murder scene and the ones at my mother’s. Symbols that speak of blood and sacrifice.
The Mark of the Veil.
Taking a deep breath, I grab hold of the handle and tug upward. The door swings open, releasing a gust of cold, stale air from below. My stomach tightens as I peer down into the darkness, a set of stone steps descending into shadows.
I hesitate, the weight of the moment crashing over me. I’m about to step into something ancient and terrible, something no amount of preparation could ever make me ready for. Once I cross this threshold, there’s no turning back. But ifMaddie is down there—if she needs me—hesitation isn’t an option.
I take my first step, the chill of the stone seeping into my bones. The chanting swells as I descend, wrapping around me, vibrating in my chest. Each step pulls me further from safety, deeper into the earth’s dark heart.
Eventually, the stairs give way to a narrow corridor lined with rough stone walls. Torches are mounted along the sides, their flames flickering, casting shadows that dance and twist along the passage. The air here is thick and damp, tinged with the faint metallic scent of blood. I fight against every instinct in my body that begs me to turn back, to run.
At the end of the corridor, I finally glimpse it—a large chamber, the glow of more torchlight spilling out from within. I press myself against the wall, inching forward until I can peer inside.
Hooded figures are everywhere, wearing that creepy, expressionless mask I’ve come to know—the Veil Ritual Mask. There must be dozens of them in their floor-length black robes, all chanting in that same haunting language. They stand arranged in a wide circle around an altar at the center of the room, surrounded by blood-red candles. Carved into the floor beneath the altar are more symbols. Some I recognize, like the Mark of the Veil, but many others I don’t. The markings glow with a strange phosphorescence, writhing in the flickering light, almost as if they’re alive. And then, at the very foot of the altar, bound and gagged, is my sister.
Anger flares hot and fierce as I take in the sight of her. Maddie stands barefoot in a long white shift dress I’ve never seen before, her hair tangled, mascara streaking down her cheeks. Her wide, terrified eyes dart between the masked figures moving around the room, her body trembling. Beside her, at the head of the altar, is Lucien. Hood down, mask off, his presence as commanding and chilling as ever. His handsettles on Maddie’s shoulder, a gesture that’s almost casual—almost possessive. And then, from the shadows, Damien emerges.
He looks different somehow, taller and more imposing, his face illuminated by the torchlight. His features are sharper, eyes dark and intense, filled with a strange energy that makes him seem almost otherworldly. In his hand is a ritual knife—the same kind used in the Veil’s sacrifices—its silver blade gleaming, sharp and deadly. Despite everything I’ve learned about him, I’ve never truly been afraid of Damien before—until now.
He begins to speak in that strange, guttural language, his voice low and resonant, curling through the chamber like a dark melody. The words are foreign, incomprehensible, but the urgency in his tone is unmistakable. All around him, the hooded figures lift their voices to join him, their chanting rising in a fevered pitch.
Every muscle in my body tenses as he approaches the altar, his gaze fixed on Maddie as he raises the knife. A wave of terror crashes over me, suffocating, paralyzing. I can’t believe this is happening. He’s really going to do it. He’s really going to kill my sister!
Without any thought for my own safety, I step out from my hiding place.
“Let her go, Damien!” I scream, my voice ripping through the chanting like a gunshot.
The room plunges into shocked silence as every head turns toward me, every pair of eyes locking onto me. Damien freezes, his gaze snapping to mine, his expression flickering with something I can’t read. Shock, maybe? Anger, definitely. But there’s something else there, something raw and vulnerable that I hadn’t expected to see—panic.
“What the hell are you doing here?” His voice shakes with fury, but there’s a tremor beneath it.
“What amIdoing?” I can feel the weight of the hooded figures’ eyes on me, dozens of dark shapes watching my every move, but I refuse to look at them. All my focus is on Damien. “What areyoudoing? You have my sister tied to a fucking altar! You’re going to kill her, Damien!”
“You fool!” His jaw tightens, gaze flickering with something I can’t quite place. “You don’t understand?—”
“Silence, Blackhollow!” One of the Veil members leaves the circle, approaching Damien. Tall and broad-shouldered, definitely male, but with his hood and mask covering his face, I can’t make any details out. “Remember your oath.”
“I’ll do whatever I damn well please!” Damien raises his knife and the man quickly shrinks away. Then he turns back to me. “I would never hurt your sister. This was never about her.”
“But you need a sacrifice!” I can barely keep my voice steady, the fury and betrayal boiling over. “Stop lying to me. I know all about the Ascension.”
