Page 83 of Virgin Sacrifice

“They won’t deliver my packages to the dorm, Luz!” she wailed as she entered my room. I looked up with bleary eyes from the paper I was working to watch as she flopped dramatically onto my bed like a Victorian ingenue passing out on a fainting couch.

“I’m sorry, what? Who?” I mumbled, rubbing my face. I had bigger issues than what to wear to the last party of the semester, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be sympathetic.

“I ordered, like, maybe a couple different outfits for the party, you know, along with some shoes and accessories,” she said. “And stupid campus mail says they have too many packages this time of year, and I have to go into town to pick mine up at the post office.”

I suspected that Autumn’s definition of a couple was probably closer to half a dozen, but who was I to quibble with her?

“Okay, well, we can just go into Shady Harbor to pick them up, right?”

“Ugh, I know, but it’s so far and it’s getting so cold out. They say it’s supposed to snow soon.” She pouted.

“So, we’ll take your car and pick up treats while we’re in town. We can make a whole official study break of it.” I needed to grab a couple last minute items myself.

“Really?” She perked up. “You’ll come with me?!”

“Yes, of course. When do you want to go? I’m free tomorrow after my Intro to Japanese lecture.”

She jumped up from my bed and enveloped me up in yet another warm hug, and I didn’t even try to shrug her off. I really was getting better at this.

Despite the lack of snow on the ground, Shady Harbor had fully transformed into a winter wonderland. Twinkling lights covered every tree, evergreen or not, and it looked like Christmas had exploded all over the main street. Wreaths and colorful ribbons hung from every lamppost, and it seemed like every shop was trying to outdo the last, with frosted glass, elaborate window displays, and holiday music seeping out into the street every time a door opened. I half expected Santa himself to pop out at any moment to wish us season’s greetings.

“Isn’t it so cute?” Autumn asked as we walked down the street, arms linked at the elbows.

“It’s definitely Christmas.” I wanted to embrace her unbridled enthusiasm for the holidays, but for me, they were just another reminder of Mami’s absence.

“Okay, the post office closes at five, and we can’t be late, but we probably have time to pop into a couple of stores first.”

I nodded and let her drag me into a small boutique full of the sort of cute kitschy stuff that wealthy women snorted up like crack. Scented candles, artisanal soaps, and handmade ceramics filled the shelves, while Egyptian cotton hand towels and vintage reprints lined the walls. Autumn swanned about the store, quickly filling the arms of the enthused sales associate following in her wake, all while I avoided thinking about how much of this would end up in a landfill in the next couple years.

“Oh Luz, look how cute these ornaments are! We really should have decorated our floor, or at least our rooms,” I heard her call out from behind the fully decorated Christmas tree standing in the middle of the store.

“I think we’ve had enough on our plates,” I responded dryly, earning a dour look from another sales associate.

After Autumn bought out half the store, they graciously agreed to package it up for her and allow us to pick it up on our way out of town, so we could keep shopping without being slowed down.

Before I knew it, we were on to the next shop, where Autumn continued her shopping spree in a truly stupendous fashion. I didn’t even know what she was going to do with all this stuff. The only people she really hung out with besides me were Aaron and Melody, and I was having a hard time imagining the former needing small-batch handcrafted pine soap wrapped in hand-dyed linen.

We finally made it to the post office with fifteen minutes to spare and the temperature had dropped significantly. I found myself regretting my choice of coat, and I made another promise to buy something warmer after the holidays when everything went on sale.

“Do you mind if I pop over to the drug store to pick up some basics while you wait in line?” I asked Autumn.

“Go, go,” she said with a wave of her hand, already lost in her phone.

I slipped out of the aging post office and headed to the drug store.

As I crossed the street, a particularly strong gust of frigid wind sent my long hair flying all over the place, and for a moment, I was blinded. I could hear the sound of a car approaching as I stumbled forward, trying to clear my hair from my eyes.

The sound of tires got nearer, and I was starting to panic. Just then, someone roughly grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the street and onto the curb, nearly sending me to the ground.

Furiously batting my wayward locks out of my face, I spun around to face my rescuer.

Standing there, glaring, was Alister. He jerked his head toward the road where the car was now speeding by, somehow scolding me without having to say a word.

“Yes, well, luckily my favorite stalker was here to save the day,” I mumbled, pulling my hair back out of my face. The initial shock was wearing off, and a sense of nervous embarrassment was now rapidly setting in.

The corner of his mouth curled up the slightest bit. On anyone else the expression would have been unnoticeable, but on Alister, it was the closest thing I had ever seen to a satisfied smirk.

As always, he was dressed simply but impeccably. He wore a sharp black peacoat and a Thom Browne scarf, along with his signature jeans and black boots. Perfectly tailored black leather gloves hid the delicious ink I knew covered his hands. It was a look that was both practical and stylish for the professional killer.

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