Page 25 of Salem’s Fall (Dark Seasons Thriller #3)

I hesitate for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal, but I remind myself that Hargrove is my best shot at figuring this all out. Damien has been lying to me from the beginning, hiding things. If anyone can give me the truth, it’s the professor.

So I tell him everything—about the Hollow, about Lucien, about what I’ve uncovered so far. I put it all on the table, everything except for my father’s connection to the Veil. I still want to keep that little bit of information to myself. For now, at least.

Hargrove listens intently, his face growing more serious with each passing moment. When I finish, there’s a moment of silence before he lets out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

“Lucien Blackhollow,” he murmurs. “Now, there’s a name I didn’t expect to hear. I’m shocked Damien allowed you anywhere near his brother, considering those two can hardly stand to be in the same room together.”

“Why do they hate each other so much?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.

Hargrove leans against the counter, his expression thoughtful.

“Lucien has always been a thorn in Damien’s side,” he explains.

“They’re half-brothers, sure, but Damien’s perfect existence has always been a reminder of something Lucien’s questioned his whole life—his place.

Ian Blackhollow never wanted Lucien and certainly never raised him to inherit the family empire.

But Damien? Damien was the golden child, the one Ian groomed for power from the very beginning. ”

“And Lucien resents that?”

Hargrove’s mouth twitches into something that isn’t quite a smile.

“Lucien resents a lot of things. His family. His position. That no matter how hard he fights for control, he’ll never be Damien.

” He tilts his head. “Lucien has been circling the Veil’s leadership for years, waiting for an opportunity to take what he believes should be his.

And with Damien set to take the reins, well…

let’s just say it’s not hard to imagine Lucien having his own plans. ”

I swallow hard. “You think Lucien could be involved in Damien’s fiancée’s death?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time a Blackhollow committed murder.

” His gaze meets mine with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.

“James, you seem like a good person, but you’re stepping into something far darker than you realize.

There are forces at play here that even the Blackhollows can’t control.

I wonder if it might be best for you to forget what you’ve learned and return to Boston. Let someone else handle this case.”

“I don’t have a choice, Nick. I can’t just walk away.” I clench my fists, a steely resolve settling over me. “It’s not only about my career anymore—this is personal.”

“Personal? How so?” His eyes narrow. “Please tell me you aren’t… emotionally attached to Damien. Or, even worse, that sociopath Lucien?”

“Oh no, nothing like that,” I say quickly and look down at the gorgeous ring on my finger, twisting it back and forth. Damien’s ring.

Part of me wonders if I’m being honest. I haven’t known Damien long, but there have been moments where I’ve felt something between us.

Something more than simply professional feelings.

I have to admit I wouldn’t be so hurt and angry by this betrayal if I hadn’t started to care about him, just a little.

Still, Damien alone is not what’s keeping me here in Salem’s Fall, desperate for the truth. It goes much deeper than that.

I glance over at Hargrove again. Something about the way he’s looking at me makes me feel safe, like maybe I can trust him, and I so desperately want someone to trust in this damn town.

“It’s my family.” I sigh. “My father... he has ties to the Veil that I didn’t know about until recently.

” Hargrove’s eyes widen slightly, but he says nothing, waiting for me to continue.

“My mother was killed in connection with some sort of sacrifice for the Veil—the Blood Rite. I don’t understand it all, yet.

I’m still trying to figure everything out, but I need to know what these rituals are about.

I have to know what really happened to my family. ”

Hargrove is silent for a moment, his face a mask of contemplation.

“All right, James.” He sighs reluctantly and gives me a slow nod. “I’ll tell you what I know, but you’re not going to like it.”

He straightens, his voice lowering. “I told you about the Veil’s rituals during the witch trials and how they kept their members safe from persecution.

And how I believe the rituals continue to this day and have gotten far worse.

” He swallows hard. “But what I haven’t told you is that these present-day power rituals don’t require just any sacrifice anymore, but the murder of a beloved innocent. ”

I swallow, the knot in my stomach tightening. “So both my mother and Damien’s fiancée were killed in these rituals?”

“Yes and no,” he says. “Most likely your mother was sacrificed during a Blood Rite, but Damien’s fiancée was something different.

I believe she was part of the Ascension Ritual.

” Hargrove’s lips curl into a humorless smile.

“Some rituals, like the Blood Rite, require only one victim to complete the offering. But Damien is the Blackhollow heir. If he is to take over the Veil as its new leader, he must complete the far more complex Ascension Ritual—a series of four sacrifices, one per year, each on Veil Night. The killings escalate in violence, each more gruesome than the last. I suspect his fiancée was the third. The final sacrifice—the most important—will happen this year.”

My blood runs cold. “Veil Night? What’s that?”

“It’s the most sacred night of the year for the Veil. It’s when the barrier between the worlds is at its thinnest, allowing dark forces to cross over.” He gives me a thin smile. “Us regular folk call it Halloween.”

“And this fourth sacrifice—this murder—you’re certain it’s going to happen on Halloween? ”

“If it doesn’t, Damien’s ascension is at risk, and someone else could take his place. The Veil must have a new leader.” Hargrove’s eyes darken. “Either way, blood will be spilled.”

“Do you know who the final sacrifice is?”

Hargrove’s eyes lock onto mine, his voice dropping. “I don’t know for sure, but there are whispers,” he says. “It must be someone in Damien’s orbit. An innocent. Someone he’s close with, someone he cares about.”

My heart pounds in my chest, the pieces slowly falling into place.

The final sacrifice.

Halloween. Veil Night.

Just a few short weeks away.

I don’t know who the next victim will be, but I know one thing. I’m running out of time, and I’m in too deep to walk away now.