Page 85 of Hell House
I take her face in my hands and kiss her one last time. I wonder if she can sense this is a goodbye because when I pull away a frown graces her beautiful face.
Walker and Pierce are still passed out, their bodies tangled in the bed next to us.
“Good morning.” Salem croaks out, her hair devilishly disheveled.
“Do you want some breakfast?” She nods her head eagerly. Pierce stirs smacking Walker straight in the face with his hand as he stretches.
“Gah! What the fuck. Why is your dick on my leg?” Walker pushes Pierce off the side of the bed and he crashes with a loud boom. Salem laughs into her hands, her green eyes sparkling with mischief.
I retreat to the kitchen leaving them to their last moments of merriment before I pull the rug out from under them. Remembering the box of pie I’d stashed the other day for Salem, I fetch it from on top of the cabinets setting the box down on the counter.
“Oh, bet.” Sloan says, snatching a piece while my back is turned, busy with getting plates.
“Hey! Come on man that’s not… what the fuck? Sloan?”
His face is locked in a silent scream as black veins sprout from his mouth tracing down his throat. He clutches at his chest.
“Emmet, what the fuck? Sloan? SLOAN? Call 911.” Walker catches Sloan before he collapses on the floor.
Skye walks in a scream flying out of her lips. The room erupts into chaos as my hands shake with the plates I was getting for Salem.
Salem.
This box was sent specifically for her.
“It’s not going through!” Skye screams shaking her phone as it beeps uselessly in her hands.
“I’ll drive him. Garrison, give me your keys.” Walker demands, hoisting Sloan’s slumped body over his shoulders.
“I’ll go with.” Garrison agrees, helping Walker out the door as they race him to the car. We hear it peel out of the drive a moment later.
“What happened?” Skye demands, tears streaking down her face.
Salem and Pierce emerge from the room hand in hand. “What’s going on? We heard screaming.” Salem says. “Oh, pie.” I fly across the room, placing my body between her and the pie.
“Don’t!”
“Emmet? What’s going on?” She demands, placing her hands on her hips.
“Sloan ate a bite of that pie before he… he couldn’t breathe. He… his veins. Oh my god. Salem. This pie was addressed to you.”
The room goes silent. Pierce looks murderous, clasping her hand so hard it’s blanching white. Skye is shaking her head back in forth in disbelief.
“What?” Salem’s shaky voice finally asks.
“The box. It was addressed to you.” She shoves me out of the way letting go of Pierce’s hand and grabs the box top.
“This, this can’t be right. It was sent from my Grandmother.”
Dread fills my stomach. The other player on the board. Someone able to conjure claws out of thin air. Someone in attendance at the ball. Someone who wouldn’t want Salem to open the veil.
The dots all click into place in my head right as Headmaster Hayden walks into the kitchen pointing a gun straight at Salem.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
Pierce
Last night was arguably one of the best nights I’d ever had, even if that meant sharing Salem between Walker and Emmet. That all came crashing down the moment I saw the headmaster point a gun straight at the girl who I’ve fallen for. I thought I‘d have more time to whisk her away off the island. Consequences be damned. I planned to take the family helicopter to Seattle, and even had cleared a time with the pilot.
