Page 46 of This Blood That Breaks Us

“Sir, yes sir.” Henderson winked at me.

“Sorry, I’m late. Got a little caught up.” Thane appeared next to me and bowed.

“You’re right on time. Let’s go, boys.”

The town wasn’t far. The rolling hills contrasted the gray sky, and the frost lingered on the car windows. We’d taken a few cars into town. They were too flashy, and we all stuck out like black sheep.

“This is Cauldbury. It’s one of the oldest towns in all of Ireland.” Connell’s eyes lit up as he pointed to all the colored buildings that were mostly stone and stumpy. But there was something otherworldly about it. With the cobblestone bridges overlooking a pond, my world didn’t seem real. Nothing about it was familiar, and the landscape was covered in a wash of gray, yet it was warm. It was like a dream, and I enjoyed thinking of it like that.

I’d instructed the others to split up and complete their tasks while Connell, Thane, and I patrolled the city.

“This is where I used to live. My house was a ways out, but this is the spot. Ask me anything you want to know.” He pointed to a stone fountain in the middle of the town overlooking the pond. “This is a wishing fountain.”

A stone cherub tipped a vase into the basin, and the water trickled out of it. At the bottom of its murky depth lay silver chains, jewelry, and a few coins.

“It’s bad luck to put anything but silver in, but they say those who sacrifice more to it, get greater rewards.”

“Don’t people steal from here? That stuff looks expensive.”

“Oh, never. It’s a bad omen. The deadly kind. They say the gods will strike you down. The last time someone stole from this fountain, he ended up face down in that pond. Freakin’ lunatic.”

“You ever put anything in there?” Thane asked. Connell was the only one who would talk to Thane and Will.

“Yeah, I threw in some of my mum’s old jewelry. There. See it over in the corner.”

He pointed to a few silver rings in the corner that were growing moss.

“You must have wanted something pretty big to give up that,” I said.

“I did, and I got exactly what I wanted. A real family.”

Sadness reverberated in my ribs. All I could think of was Connell’s mother. What she’d think of her son turning out this way. Brought into a cult that would only continuously take things from him.

It only made me miss my mother and think of all the things I’d done to make her cry. How she’d never understood. How could she if I could never be honest with her?

“Just tell me,”my mom said, gripping Zach’s arm, tears welling in her eyes.

We’d been beaten to hell and dumped on the footsteps of the hospital after initiation. I always wondered why they’d taken us to Mom’s hospital. I remember feeling pain like I’d never known, and I thought it was the worst I’d ever feel. Wishful thinking.

Zach said nothing, turning his head to the side to shield himself from her.

“Baby, you can tell me anything. Tell me who did this. We’ll do whatever we need to, we’ll move—”

“No.”Zach cut her off.“We’re not moving.”

Her red eyes settled on me, and I braced myself for the guilt of making my mom cry, but she didn’t know what we knew. We were keeping everyone safe and together.

“Why won’t you tell me? You can tell me anything. You know that.”

She grabbed onto me, and my resolve slipped.

“I know, Mom. I know. Please don’t cry.”I let her hug me, and Zach gave me a warning glare.

We say nothing. That had been our rule. He was worried I’d cave. He knew me well.

“I don’t understand why you won’t tell me. I can help you, baby. Let me help.”

I’d buried my head into her shoulder and tried to smother the heat building in my face.