Page 77 of Grave Devil
Sonny towers over his brother. “What deal, hermano?”
“A soul for a soul,” Draven mumbles.
I gasp. No. “Bones…”
He clenches his fists as he stares up at his brother. “I’m going to trade my salvation for yours.”
Oh, fuck. He’s going to make the same deal I made. He won’t be able to pass on to the After when he dies. He won’t get to reunite with any of his ancestors. Which means… No. Fuck. The Thorns can’t stay here forever. I don’t know why it didn’t dawn on me before. Draven can die by poison and trap his soul here with us. But Aries can’t. No. We can’t lose him. I burst into tears. “Oh, god. Aries!”
He shakes his head and storms out, slamming the infirmary door behind him.
And the rest of us fall silent.
MIA
Yes, secrets are like fucking poison. But the truth can do a thousand times more damage than the slow death of toxins ever could. If it doesn’t kill us first.
It’s only been two days since the night they found me in the cabin. The night that the Skelker became mine, and Bones somewhat got his little brother back. But they are all still at each other’s throats.Sonny is the most into mine in particular.
Harker Mansion is now a house full of monsters.My monsters. As I glance around the room at the five of them, I feel a slight twinge of guilt. Some aren’t lucky enough to have even one great love… I am as blessed as I am cursed.
I leap from the couch when I hear the tires crunching over the gravel. “Lettie’s here!” I practically sprint to the door.
I hear Bones let out a groan.
“We’ve kept her in the dark long enough,” Draven tells him as I squeal in excitement the second she steps through the door.
“Mia!” Her eyes widen when she spots the bone on my face. “Fuck. Are you okay?”
I nod and embrace her. I sigh into her arms, basking in her scent—a mix of burnt sugar and freshly baked cookies. “I’mbetter now that I’m out of that ridiculous outfit they dressed me in.”
Back in my ripped jeans, motorcycle boots, vintage band tee—Pearl Jam, of course—and my favorite black leather jacket, I feel more like myself. I was told that the seventeenth-century ball gown didn’t make it, and I’m so fucking relieved. I refuse to wear one of those traps ever again. The only thing cool about it was the pockets.
She giggles and hugs me back. “I’m so happy my brother didn’t kill you.” But her face falls as she looks past me, throwing murderous glares into the foyer.
“You and me both, girl.” I lock my arm through hers and lead her into the room.
All the guys stand up except for Sonny. Bones smacks him in the ribs. “Show some fucking respect for your sister.”
Lettie stiffens, her grip tight on me when she sees him. I forgot that we’ve all had some time to get used to Sonny’s deer skull face and antlers.
He hisses as he stands. “Do you remember me,princessa?” he asks, using Bones and Felix’s pet name for her. It sounds odd in his mouth.
She breathes heavily, and I can feel how hot her hands are through the leather of my jacket. “I was just a baby. Of course, not. But your picture is everywhere at Abuelita Carmen’s villa. Even though you don’t look like that anymore… She prays for you every day.”
“Sounds like a shrine for someone who doesn’t deserve it,” Aries lashes out.
Before anyone else can respond, I interject, “Sonny, why don’t you and Lettie catch up in private later. She’s staying for dinner, aren’t you, bestie?” The guys all slowly return to their seats.
“I’m good with that if you are,” he tells her.
She shrugs. “That’s fine.”
I almost laugh at the fact that they don’t even realize how much alike they all are. These Cranes are the most stubborn people I know. I can only imagine that Felix is the same.
“Fine,” Sonny echoes.
Draven hands her a glass of whiskey as I coax her down into the seat next to me.
