Page 96 of All Your Bloody Lies

“Rhysie…” Sydni leans between the front seats, her face red and eyes begging for me to give her an answer I don’t have. “Did you find anything? Where do we start…”

There is no way that Sydni doesn’t love that girl, “We start by taking you both back to my place, and you will stay inside until I get her back.” I quickly pull the car onto the street and head toward the main part of the city.

“No,” she puts her hand onto my shoulder, “no, I’m helping. Don’t shrug me off!”

Tyson nods, “Before you destroyed my phone, which I’ll be expecting a replacement, I was reaching out to my underworld contacts. I wasn’t calling the authorities. I’m not a moron.”

“No offense,” this was offensive, and I knew it, “you will get in my way. I’m not going to play any of this by the books.”

I’m pretty sure Sydni wants to die because when she grabs hold of the steering wheel, she nearly takes us right into the back of a stationary car.

“Sydni!” I shout, and pull us away just in time and quickly come to a stop. “If something happens to you, do you understand what she’ll do?!”

“I don’t care!” She is scooting back and toward the door, “I’m leaving. You won’t lock me away, I am going to findher—“

I swear to Gods, I can’t handle this. I’m out of the car in a blink and standing in front of her. She’s clutching tightly to Mister, who hasn’t moved or even meowed since I caught up with them. I can hear his little heart; he will be fine, just scared.

She is shaking her head, “I can help, please, she is MY best friend.”

This is wasting so much time arguing with her. “Syd—“

“The car…” I narrow my eyes, “I could hear the start-up clatter of a BV-14. It’s the first model.” Slowly, my shoulders drop. “The rattling of the windows caused by the sliding door indicates that it’s a BV-14 van. We can help, Rhysie. Let us. We knew the risk by staying in her life, we may be Mundane, but we aren’t useless.”

I truly want to do this alone. Destroy this fucking world to find her and bring her back to me, but as I look at this little butterfly, I know that is not the right move. Going into this too half-hazard will only cause more trouble for my little demon. It may destroy whatever world she has built when she does return.

When.When.

“Okay. I’m sorry. You are right,” I sigh. “Which direction did the van begin going?”

Her lips pull into a smile that trembles, “It was heading south…”

I swear to Belial himself, I will fucking kill them all for taking you from me.

33

Xeraphine

Ican’t deny I am in a lot of pain.

My healing is slowed, and I’m not exactly sure why. The pain of being bitten at the nape of my neck and the very familiar elixir of Vampire poison sweeping through my body is not the cause.

As I’m moving, I connect with the position I’m in. My arms are strung high, my ankles shackled together as I dangle.

Fucking Belial himself, where am I?

My vision is blurry, I can’t even make out properly where I am, but it smells as though I’m in some kind of warehouse. The musty scent of aged wood and dampness in the air makes me think I’m right. A lingering hint of rust and industrial metal are other factors that play into my senses.

I’m not sure if I want to speak, but I’m curious enough to know if my hearing is back.

“Hello?” I do, thankfully, hear my voice. I shift my wrists and pull roughly. The wane of the metal beam I’m hanging on tells me I have some strength, but not enough to break through it.

Suddenly, my brain returns to the moment I was taken,Mister… oh fuck, did he make it? I’m so concerned over that damn cat, I don’t register the footsteps approaching me until they are in my line of sight.

The blurry silhouette of a man stops just a few feet in front of me. “Hello to you, too.” He sounds familiar, and recent at that. His hand reaches up toward me and I shrug backwards, even if I don’t get very far. “What is your name?”

I lick my lips, “What’s your mom’s name?”

A slithery type of laugh comes from my left, and as I shift, I can see someone sitting in a chair. I’m confused why my vision is fucked up, and even as I squint my eyes to try and get some clarity, it doesn’t help.