Page 50 of Requiem
“Something’s happened,” she continues. “And you deserve to know.”
My jaw tightens as I push myself up, the chain at my wrist clinking softly with the movement. I keep my eyes off her face directly, letting them hover somewhere near her shoulder instead. Anywhere but her face.
“Then tell me,” I say, my voice rougher than I expect.
There’s a pause that feels way too fucking long. Micah shifts behind her, and I catch the look on his face. He’s losing his shit, I can tell.
“What?” I snap, sharper now. “Just say it.”
Emma exhales, and I hear it shake. And that’s when it really sinks in. Whatever this is…
It’s bad.
“Alexei released a video,” she says quietly. “To the public.”
My stomach drops. “A video of what?”
Another pause. Then, softer. “Of you doing something terrible.”
My fingers curl into the sheets, grip tightening as a cold, creeping dread starts crawling up my spine. “No,” I mutter, shaking my head once. “What did I do?”
No one answers right away. And I’m suddenly assuming the fucking worst. Because flashes of unwanted memories crash into my mind. All of which I want so desperately to fucking forget. Blood on my hands, what it sounds like to slice through someone’s throat. Voices and faces I don’t want to hear or see ever again.
“Emma,” I say, forcing the word out. “What did I do?”
This time, she doesn’t hesitate. But she does approach me, cautiously, like she’s approaching a wounded animal that might still bite.
My jaw tightens at that. I don’t blame her, but I hate it anyway.
“I’m going to show you,” she says softly.
Micah is close enough that I know he’s on edge.
My pulse is already starting to climb, something instinctive in me trying to pull back before I even know what I’m about to see. Maybe I'm fucking scared. Or ashamed that they saw what I've done. “I don’t—” I start, but my voice cuts out. Because she presses play, and I look at the phone in front of my face. Grainy footage fills the screen, the lighting dim and sickly under fluorescent bulbs. It doesn't even take my brain half a second to recognize the room.
And then I see myself. In the mask.
My chest tightens, some sane part of me recoiling so fucking fast. Breathing is suddenly difficult. “Turn it off,” I mutter, knowing exactly what’s about to happen.
But she doesn’t.
“Turn it the fuck off,” I snap, but it’s too late.
“????????.”
The word cuts through me, and Isnap. My entire body jerks violently, teeth baring before I can control myself. A sharp, guttural sound hisses out of my as my hands fist in the sheets. My sudden movement spooks Emma, and she drops the phone onto the bed in front of me.
“Fuck—” Micah mutters beside me, stepping closer to tug her away by her elbow.
“Jude—” Emma’s voice is right there, but I can’t.
Ican’t.
My heart is racing too fast. My vision flickers, tunneling for a second as heat floods my system, like I’m back there, like I’min it.
Kill.
Kill.
