Page 108 of Into the Dark, We Go

"Whoa, easy there," Mitch said, catching me before I could fall. Agony bit me, but I welcomed his aid. "Let’s get you out of here. June, give me a hand."

"Jesusfuckingchrist," June whispered, sucking in a sharp breath as she approached me, inspecting the area below my right shoulder blade.

Mitchell took off his rain jacket and handed it to me, his eyes avoiding mine as I pulled it around my shoulders to cover myself. My shirt was in pieces, and I wasn’t wearing a bra.

They each took an arm and walked me out of the barn. The first few steps were the hardest.

"Why did you come to the clearing? How did you even get in?" I asked when we got back to the trail.

"We tried yesterday," she said, "but kept circling. Even Mr. ‘I-can-read-a-paper-map’ here couldn’t figure it out. It got dark, so we came back in the morning. I just… did what Nick did." She pushed up her sleeve, revealing a bandaged forearm.

"Against my best advice," her brother muttered.

June shot him a look. "But it worked, didn’t it?"

"So you didn’t know I was there?"

"No. We thought you left."

"I came back. Mathilda tricked me. She answered your phone. And then Robert got me. I was so stupid."

"You’re not stupid," Mitchell said firmly. "They’re just too cunning."

The woods were deathly stilluntil we crossed the bridge. All at once, birdsong filled my ears like a rush of water. The hum of insects warmed my cold heart as I stumbled through the mulch and mud. The world felt alive again. But my relief evaporated quickly.

"I’m going to die in three days. It’s coming for me next," I blurted.

Mitchell threw a cautious glance over his shoulder. "You don’t know that for sure. It’s just a story."

"It’s not," I replied. "At least they don’t think it is. And besides, it happened to Lucas. It happened to Amanda. And they’re looking for you. They think either you or Nick has the grimoire."

"The grimoire?" Mitchell echoed. "What the hell is this shit, and why’s everyone after it?"

I shrugged, then winced, forgetting how every movement hurt. In movies, the villain often reveals their evil plans to the victim before killing them. Robert didn’t waste time on that. He just made me talk.

"So, they’re after this grimoire, and that’s why they did this to you?" June asked quietly.

I shook my head. "No. At least, I don’t think so. They’re branding people. And then these people disappear. On the Harvest Moon. It’s like a ritual."

"What does the grimoire have to do with it?" Mitch asked, still skeptical.

"I don’t know."

I was spent; the words lead weights in my mouth. We still had a long way to go, and my body was on the verge of breaking.

"Maybe they need it for spells or hexes," June mused. "Do you think there’s something to reverse whatever they did to you?"

How had I not thought of that?

"Junie, this is not…" Mitch started, faltering, then his eyes met mine, and he said softly, "They’re a bunch of crazies. A cult."

"Don’t." I waved my hand in front of my face, swatting at a mosquito. "Just... please, call Nick."

"Where is he? We thought you guys left together."

"We didn’tleavetogether," I snapped, feeling irrationally angry. "I just gave him a lift to the airport. We need to contact him."

"Why?" His question wasn’t meant to provoke, but it sent me over the edge.