Page 154 of Dark Little Game

Not dried up, not oxidized at all.

Something turns in my stomach.

No.

Luros girls are being attacked, too.

I can see the edge of a blazing fire in the backyard, contained neatly in the fire pit but with flames flying high.

Someoneishere.

“Fuck.Fuck.”

I glance over at Onyx House, then back to the front of Luros. I make a snap decision and push open the heavy iron gate at the front of Luros, sprinting along their stone front walkway, past the rose gardens and up the front steps.

I don’t bother knocking.

Because I see a streak of blood on the front door, too. Like someone was struggling.

And in an instant, the fear and indecision leave my body.

A pin focus fills me, like a spotlight has suddenly been turned on.

And people arewaitingfor me to perform.

I have to fix this.

I can fix this, whatever the fuck is going on.

Just as I shove open one wooden front door of Luros House, I see a flash of movement past the side yard, from over at Onyx House.

I glance up and see a man there.

A man I don’t recognize at all, out on one of the second-floor balconies,looking around.

I freeze for a moment, watching him.

He doesn’t see me yet.

He’s wearing all black, and I can see that he’s holding a gun in his gloved hand. His hair is jet black and shiny, falling in a short swoop.

Hair that kind of looks like Briar’s.

What the fuck is going on?

As he looks around the balcony, he’s about to go back inside Onyx House, but then he sees me.

And the moment his eyes land on me, he positions his gun, pointing at me.

“No,” I say under my breath, ducking inside the front of Luros House right as the shot goes off, exploding through the calm of the street.

And then another shot.

Then a third.

I’m in the Luros entryway and I shove the wooden front door shut, locking it.

There’s more blood on the floor, leading up their curved staircase.