Page 55 of Fallen Legacy

Phil scoffs. “I wonder if your mother would feel the same way. Careful, Archer, we know how persuasive these Alderman’s can be.” He pivots on his heel and leaves as quickly as he arrived, sadly leaving his oppressive presence behind.

“Wow, he really hates my family, doesn’t he?” I say, shaking my head, and lying back flat on the bed.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s just a bitter old man,” Archer assures, leaning over me. “Shower with me?” he asks me, smiling.

I wish I could freeze this moment and other moments when he’s like this. When he doesn’t feel a need to put on this persona that’s expected from him by his family and the Elders. I wish he and I weren’t at their beck and call and that we could just be free.

“Lead the way,” I reply, grinning. I scream in surprise when he throws me over his shoulder and strides into the en-suite.

* * *

I should have knownthat the pleasant mood we were in couldn’t last for long. This place, with its history and darkness, would be here to remind me I don’t belong. When we pull up at the Alderman mansion, the place is a hive of activity. The security company workers are everywhere. As we climb out of the car, one guy with a sniffer dog passes us, talking gravely into his walky-talky.

“What on earth’s going on?” I ask Archer in bewilderment. “Do you think there’s been a break in?”

Archer frowns, shaking his head. “No idea. Let’s head inside and find out.”

Archer escorts me into the house with his hand at my back. We walk through to the kitchen to find detective Boyd standing there speaking with Edith and Rory.

“Oh, here she is,” Edith says, touching at her heart and getting to her feet. “There’s been an incident during the night.”

My blood runs cold as I take in their sombre faces.

“Is it Kit? Oh my god is he okay?”

Rory holds his hand up to stop me. “Kit’s fine. He’s in the shower getting ready for school.”

My heart relaxes in my chest. Thank God. “What is it then?”

Detective Boyd clears his throat and gestures to the vacant seats opposite him at the kitchen island. “Why don’t you both take a seat?”

This can’t be good. Silently, we walk over and sit down opposite Boyd.

“What’s going on, Boyd? Just get to it, no nonsense,” Archer orders him with a frown.

“There was in intruder on the grounds last night. They left a sinister message for Eliza.”

“What kind of message?” Archer asks, his tone darkening. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his jaw tighten.

“Well. Someone dug an open grave on the grounds and left a shop mannequin in a coffin. The figure was dressed as you Miss Alderman.”

“It’s Holton,” I remind him as my brain processes his words. “I want to see it.”

Detective Boyd holds up his hand in protest. “I’m not sure that is a good idea.”

“I want to see it,” I insist, jumping to my feet and heading for the back door. I hear Archer chasing after me and Boyd’s suggestions that I don’t go out there. I soon find what he’s talking about when I catch sight of Calvin and a cluster of our security men gathered around an area to the west of the garden.

I stride over and push past them, then gasp when I see the freshly dug grave. But it’s what is inside the grave that is beyond creepy. The coffin is open and inside is a mannequin with burgundy coloured hair. What’s even more disturbing is the dummy is wearing one of my actual t-shirts. I hadn’t even noticed it was missing. Around her neck is a line of blood, as if her throat’s been slashed. Her hands are secured together with cable ties. Whoever has done this has really gone to town though, because there’s even a gravestone. A real-life gravestone. They carved my name into it with a date two weeks from now as my date of death. Underneath the date it says, ‘Leave or die.’

“Fuck!” I exclaim, taking a step back into Archer’s chest. He grips both my arms to steady me against him. I hear his intake of breath as he takes in the grisly scene before us. “Someone around here really doesn’t like me, do they?” I say in a shaky voice.

“This isn’t funny, Scar,” Archer says. “Will someone please tell me how this maniac got on the grounds undetected and had time to do this with all this security in place?” he barks. I can feel the anger coming from him.

Calvin shakes his head, looking perplexed. “We don’t know. We have hourly patrols in place and motion detecting cameras, everything.”

“We think it must have been more than one person,” Detective Boyd says, still wheezing for breath, from running outside after me.

“It’s a fucking shambles is what it is,” Archer growls. “And clearly, hourly patrols are not enough.” He turns to Boyd and points a finger his way. “You better put all your resources on this. This is a threat to kill.” Archer turns his attention back to me. “Scar, come here. You’re shaking.”

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