Page 155 of Once Upon a Fable
“I—” My voice cracked, and new tears rolled. “I promise I won’t touch them.”
Instantly, his shoulders sagged. His bow turned into a prayer, his body rocking over his hands. “Thank you.” His whisper was barely noticeable, so lost, so quiet.
Keeping a safe distance from him, I tried to prevent myself from asking. But curiosity was fierce. Urgent. “Now that you know I won’t hurt them,” I breathed. “What did you do?”
He flinched and shook his head. “I killed them.”
It was my turn to flinch.
I hadn’t expected an answer.
And the ease at which he confessed murder ought to have horrified me. Instead, it solidified pieces I’d already suspected, already accused him of. “Who did you kill?”
He moaned under his breath. “All of them. Every member of Fables.”
My heart raced, desperate for more, hungry to know everything before he stopped answering. The more I could uncover, the better chance I had at helping his fractured mind. Also, beneath my urge to help lurked a sick inquisitiveness.
“What’s your name?”
He licked his lips. “Kas. I mean, Kassen.”
I sucked in a breath. My blood heated and sang.
Kas.
I didn’t know how much I needed to know his name until the second he gave it to me. “Kassen.”
He nodded once.
“And who are they? These people I’ve promised not to hurt?”
“My family.”
“Your parents?”
He shook his head. “No. My brothers and sisters.”
He had siblings?
And they all lived here? In this house?
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
He squirmed in the rope. “Is this some sort of trick? You know. You’ve paid your membership to play with us. To abuse us. You know all of us intimately.”
I choked on disgust.
Sothatwas what this house was?
A sexual playground for bitches and bastards? A prison for innocence?
My hands curled in rage.
Thatwas why it was hidden.
Why it had an aura of defeat and debauchery.
I couldn’t go along with this anymore. I couldn’t let him think of me as one of these heinous guests. He had to know he was safe. That he would never feel pain again.
