Page 183 of River of Deceit

I’m the first to recover, and I go to the door, River and Blaze behind me.

I’m not delusional enough to think she’s here to beg for our forgiveness, and I open the door carefully, my eyes instantly going to her hands to see if she’s actively armed. She’s fast, and if she’s gotten a new knife, she could do some serious damage.

She’s holding a black plastic container with a lid on it, which doesn’t do anything to ease my tension.

Neither does the fact that her face still hasCRAZYwritten across it in faded black marker.

Blaze wrote that. I’d watched him, apprehensive, when he’d placed that first C.

I’m not sure if “crazy” is better than what I thought he was going to write across her face.

The rest of her looks fine, at least. She’s wearing tight black jeans, a new pair of combat boots, and a hot pink hoodie that’s zipped up all the way.

“Hey Asch. Blaze, River,” Pandora says, smiling widely. “I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d stop by to deliver this.” She holds the container out to me.

Her nails, usually well-manicured, are dull with obvious dirt under the chipped polish.

“Is it a bomb?” I ask warily.

Pandora laughs. “No. I don’t know anything about bombs. You can open it with me right here, if it’ll put you at ease.”

Blaze pushes the door open wider and takes the box.

“Let me guess, a dead rat,” Blaze mutters.

“Ooh, that’s really close,” Pandora answers with another giggle. “Go on, open it.”

River is the one to lift the lid to the box, and when he looks inside, he pales. “Fuck!”

His reaction sends a chill through me, but I can’t see past him and Blaze to peer into the box.

“Jesus fuck,” Blaze mutters.

I give in to my curiosity and get closer to Blaze. A strong stench of blood fills my nostrils.

Inside the container is a head.

Zayden’s head, neatly sawed off. His wide, glassy eyes stare at us, his expression frozen into pain and fear.

Bile rises in my throat.

“Okay, that’s it! That’s my message!” Pandora’s smile is unnaturallywide. “You’re all on notice! You wanted war… Well, I’m giving it to you! No more nice,sanePandora!”

“Pandora…” I begin, only to trail off.

She brought us a fuckinghead.

Pandora skips down the front steps, then stops to wave at us. “I’m so excited, boys! We’re going to haveso much fun!”

Fun.

I watch her leave, and my only thought is:

We’ve unleashed a box of evils.