Page 17 of All the Devils are Here

“Oh.” She looked around, and I saw the gash on her head that had been treated, though there was blood on the bandage. One glance told me this group was heading to the hospital soon.

Reaching out, I gripped her shoulder. “Where is Meg? Have you seen her?”

Janelle shook her head and winced. “I fell asleep on her, and then everything was dark. Maybe she went with that guy. I told her to.”

Rage I had no right to feel built in my gut. “Who?”

She shrugged, swaying. She was in bad shape, but I needed to know.

“Who, Janelle?”

“I don’t know who he was. All I know is that he was super hot and he told Meg not to get on the boat. But she didn’t listen. Maybe she was with him…” she trailed off.

I froze so entirely I didn’t breathe. “He told her not to get on the boat?”

One nod.

“What did he look like?”

“Really dark hair and dark clothes. He kept staring at Meg. I thought she needed to loosen up.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I hope they’re both okay.”

Standing, I flagged down a nearby EMT. “She needs to get to a hospital now. She’s having trouble with balance and her speech is erratic.”

“Got it.”

He sprinted off in the direction of the stretchers and ambulances, and I looked around to see if the man she described was in sight.

“Oh,” Janelle said, her eyes finding mine though her gaze was hazy. “She said his name was Ariel.”

If lightning struck, it wouldn’t have rendered me as still as my body went, hearing the name.No.

I no longer looked to see if he was here. He wouldn’t be. He was far away from here, in a place I never, ever wanted to go back to. The very reason I’d forced myself to stay away from Meg in the first place.

And if he was there warning Meg away, he was really there to make sure shewasthere, no matter what.

The unexpected storm…fuck, it all made sense.

I turned away from the water and pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes. Horror rang through me like a bell, and I could barely think.

This was my fault. It had to be. The only reason, theonlyreason Ariel would be here for Meg was because of me. Athisorders. There was no other connection.

How foolish was I? Already devastated that Meg had gotten swept up in an accident, when it was no accident at all. My legs could barely support themselves, and I fell into a crouch. All these people were here because of me. How many had died?

He’d been silent for so long. A small, foolish part of me hoped that maybe he’d given up trying to use me. But of course he hadn’t. It wasn’t who he was.

Instead, he waited and took the one thing he could see I wanted. Meg.

I stood again and forced myself to walk all the way outside of the barricade to where it was more quiet before I pulled out my phone.

The kings needed to know about this. Not only because they were the rulers of my world, but because they were Christine’s mates. She deserved to know her best friend was missing, and they deserved to know it was my fault.

Alex answered on the first ring. “Hey, Laurent.”

“Your Majesty.”

He snorted. “How many times do I have to tell you to lay off the formalities?”

“You might feel differently in a moment.”

---