Page 49

49

ELLA

Kip sat in the back of the van with Xavier while I sat in the passenger’s seat and Sebastian drove. Silence filled the small space as we all wondered what the Pied Piper’s plan was. There was no real reason to meet me, but I also realized men like him didn’t make a move without a motive.

A light rain pattered against the windshield as Sebastian maneuvered the back road in the dark. He reached over and took my hand and glanced over at me.

“It’s going to be okay, baby.”

I gave him a tight smile. “We’re giving the Pied Piper what he wants, so I don’t think he’ll try to take me again.” I wish I could believe my words, but there was nothing I trusted about the man who allowed Xavier to keep me in a cage. I peeked over my shoulder and into the back of the van. Sebastian had given Xavier a higher dose of a pain pill to ensure that he was compliant during his move. It seemed to be working so far, and I was a little less jumpy about the situation, but not by much.

“A Piece of Your Shadow” by Roby Fayer and Melosun played through the speakers, and I tapped my foot to the song, appreciating the distraction.

Sebastian pulled the van onto a deserted dirt road, and with each twist and turn, my chest clenched tighter in anticipation. After another half mile, he abruptly stopped and left the headlights on as the engine continued to rumble. My nerves were on edge as I watched a sleek black SUV speed towards us, its tires kicking up clouds of dust in its wake. My heart pounded against my rib cage, threatening to burst through my skin. I took a deep breath and balled my fists, preparing for the inevitable confrontation that was about to occur.

The night pressed against us, broken only by the harsh glare of headlights—Sebastian’s white van against the Pied Piper’s black SUV. We climbed out and Sebastian stood beside me as Kip unloaded Xavier and carried him to the man in black slacks and a white shirt. His short dark hair was peppered with grey and swept back. He appeared to be in his late sixties and exuded strength and power. Goosebumps dotted my arms, and I tried to fight the shiver tiptoeing down my spine.

The Pied Piper stepped forward, each movement calculated. His eyes never left Xavier. He tilted his head, and a man who had remained hidden behind the SUV stepped out into the light and took Xavier from Kip.

“You understand the exchange,” the Pied Piper said. Not a question. A statement.

Sebastian’s voice was raw. “Take him. We’ve done what you asked. We expect the same in return.”

He shifted his gaze to me. That look. I knew that look. He saw something in me. Something he recognized. Something that made my skin crawl. Sebastian placed his palm on the small of my back in an attempt to comfort me.

The Pied Piper’s approach was deliberate, each step measured like a predator calculating its strike. Up close, I could see the intricate details I’d missed before—the slight scar running along his jawline, the way his eyes seemed to dissect every inch of me.

“Ella,” he said, my name a whisper that felt like ice against my skin. “You’re more interesting than you know.”

Sebastian’s palm pressed against my back, a silent warning. Protection.

“What do you want?” I managed to say, my voice steadier than I felt.

“Walk with me, Ella.” The Pied Piper held his palm out to me, and I nervously glanced at my husband.

The night seemed to hold its breath. Sebastian’s fingers on my back grew rigid, a coiled spring of barely contained tension. I breathed a sigh of relief that Sebastian was with me instead of Death because he would have cut off the Pied Piper’s hands before he finished blinking. Death would have never let me go alone. I needed my levelheaded husband this time.

“I’ll be right here. It’s okay,” he said quietly, his voice trembling slightly.

The Pied Piper held his arm out to me, and I slipped mine through his, inwardly cringing as he led us away from the cars and group.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the woman strong enough to marry a man like Death and Sebastian.”

“I’m not sure I can say the same about the man that killed his parents, but on the other hand, you did free him from Martin.”

A soft laugh escaped him. “I see he tells you everything.”

“Usually, unless it puts me in danger.” The twigs and leaves crunched beneath our shoes as we continued to walk, the headlights from the van lighting our way.

Sweat beaded on my forehead, waiting for him to drop the bomb of why he wanted to meet me.

“I’ll get to the point. My time is valuable as is yours.” He slowed and turned to me.

“Death doesn’t know who I am,” he continued. “I honestly thought he did, but when I asked him who joined me while Martin was bleeding out on the floor, he didn’t remember. It makes sense. Sebastian was in quite a bit of shock. The first time you plunge a knife into a body and deplete the life from someone’s eyes, it’s terrifying and exhilarating at the same moment.” He paused, offering me a kind smile. “But you know all about that, don’t you?”

My heart caught in my throat. The Pied Piper’s words hung between us like a razor-thin wire, ready to slice through any pretense.

“How do I know?” He chuckled, a sound devoid of any real humor. “I know everything, Ella. Every move. Every breath.”

The headlights cast our shadows long and distorted against the forest floor. I could feel the weight of his gaze dissecting me.

“Sebastian believes he’s protected you,” the Pied Piper continued, “but protection is an illusion. Especially when someone like me decides to pay attention.”

I kept my voice steady. “What do you want?”

He stopped walking, turning to face me fully. “Verity,” he said simply. “Your daughter carries something … remarkable. A potential I’ve seen only a few times in my life. When she’s older, I want to teach her, groom her for her future just like I did Xavier, and a few select others.”

“Stay away from my child,” I warned, each word a knife’s edge.

“Stay away?” Another soft laugh. “I’ve been watching her since birth. The way she looks. The way she watches. Some children have a … darkness. Just like her father.”

My blood ran cold. Not because of his words, but because the dark part of me understood exactly what he meant.

“What are you saying?” My voice was low, dangerous. I refused to let this man, this killer, see my fear.

The Pied Piper’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. Cold. Calculating. “Genetics are fascinating things. Bloodlines. Predispositions.” He took a step closer. “Your daughter carries something … special.”

“I’ll say it again. Stay away from Verity.”

“Or what?” He challenged, his voice a razor-thin whisper.

As if on cue, the man who had taken Xavier from Kip moved slightly, revealing a glimpse of a holstered weapon. A silent reminder of the threat hanging in the air.

“I’ve been watching,” the Pied Piper continued. “Watching Verity. Watching you both. Some children are born with certain … inclinations. Potential if you will.”

My heart thundered in my ears, and I strained to keep my fear and anxiety under control. “You’re not touching my child,” I said, each word carved from my fury.

His laugh was soft, chilling. “Touch? No. Watch? Always.”

He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “Some bloodlines are meant to continue, Ella. And Verity? She’s going to be extraordinary.”

I attempted to step away from him, but with lightning quick speed, he grabbed my arm.

“I can see that you intend to keep Verity safe, but who says she won’t seek out Death’s instruction on her own?”

“What do you want? I’ll give you anything but leave my daughter alone. You gave Death your word that we would be protected.”

“And you will be, but I never promised that your children would be safe from my influence. Think about it, Ella. I can give you even what Death can’t. Freedom to follow your darkest desires, freedom from ever spending a day in prison, a relationship with your family and friends. I have the reach and the power.”

My legs trembled with his promise. “What do you want in order to leave my baby alone?”

A wicked grin spread across his face. “I have a proposition for you. I’ll reveal my true identity, and once you know, you’ll understand so much more. But if you utter a word to anyone, even Sebastian and Death, your daughter’s safety will be compromised and your years with her will be much shorter than if you kept that pretty mouth of yours shut.” His eyes gleamed with malice as he spoke, leaving no doubt in my mind that he was capable of carrying out his threat.

I swallowed, refusing to puke all my guts out on this man’s feet and let the Pied Piper know that he was terrifying me.

“Sebastian said you have cancer. You won’t live long enough to come for Verity.”

He threw his head back and laughed, his belly shaking. “I’ve just learned that I have cancer. I’ll do my best to fight it, and I suspect I’ll win … I’m too evil to die. Not even the devil wants me.”

There was no debating the situation. I had to keep Verity safe at all costs. “Fine. Tell me.”

He held up a finger. “Not so fast. I have your word that you won’t reveal my identity to anyone. Ever.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

His hot breath burned against the shell of my ear as he spoke, his voice dripping with cruelty. “Because keeping this kind of secret can break someone, toy with their mind, and I want to see what you’re made of, Ella Fletcher. This will be a delicious game for me as I watch you struggle to hide the truth from your husband and friends. I. Will. Break. You. When I do, I will still have Verity, and you will be left with nothing.”

A gasp escaped me, but I clamped my mouth shut. I had no choice but to listen to him, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t figure out a loophole down the road. Verity wasn’t even a year old yet.

“Promise me that you won’t kidnap Verity. When the time comes, you’ll tell us she is with you.” Maybe my agreement would be enough to end this horrible nightmare for now.

His eyes gleamed with something so dark and twisted that every hair on my body stood on end.

“I will agree to that.” He paused, looking me in the eye. “As for my identity.” He leaned in once again and as he whispered his answer, each word was like shards of ice piercing through my heart. My vision clouded over in shock, the weight of his revelation threatening to crush me.