Page 54 of Twisted

“We’re heading out on a job soon,” Antonio tells me.“Keep in touch any way you can.”

“I’m glad this worked.”

“Me, too.”Antonio’s hand lands on my shoulder.“Be careful, Wren.”

“Hey, can I ask you something?”I rush out before everyone takes off.

“Sure.”

“You were like, what, five, when your parents brought me home?”

“Yeah,” he replies.“Why?”

“You don’t remember anything…weird, do you?Like there was no chance they knew I’d have powers?”

He shrugs.“I can’t recall anyone saying anything.You were a baby and until you, we thought witches had to pledge to Satan or something.”

I just nod, as another revelation hits me: the Order is one hundred percent aware that witches are born with their powers.They know we’re not evil people who sold our souls.Because if that were the case, they wouldn’t have taken a baby.

No…they took me as a baby so they could raise me exactly how they wanted.

“And it was a shock to everyone when it was revealed I had powers?”

“Yeah,” he goes on.“But Mom was happy.She was proud.”He smiles.“What’s this all about?”

I shake my head.“Just thinking about the past, I guess, with everything that’s going on.”

“Makes sense.”

We give each other hugs goodbye and Larissa and Leo cross the street first.Antonio goes a few feet and then stops and hurries back.

“I shouldn’t share this, because it’s classified and I wasn’t even supposed to know,” he begins.

“Now you have to tell me.”

“I overheard Mom and Dad talking to some of the higher-ups about the drug problem here in Charlotte.”

“Oh, yeah.I remember seeing something about fentanyl on the rise.I’m not going to do drugs, if you’re worried.”

“Hah.No.It’s just that there’s a new supplier and they’re bringing in twice as much and it’s some strong shit.People are dropping dead.”

I look at him, still not sure how any of this is relevant.

“There’s also been a weird increase of deaths among the homeless, but not all drug-related.”He takes a breath and looks across the street at the twins, who are waiting for him to come over.“The cops are worried about a new drug war starting.”

“Oh,” I repeat.“I’m sorry, I’m not following.It’s sad, but what are we supposed to do about it?”

“Just be careful.These new suppliers…rumor on the streets is that they’re vampires.”

CHAPTER22

“How was your run?”Mabel asks when I get back into the house.She’s in the kitchen, holding a wine glass full of blood as she stares at the curtained window.Unlike the windows in the parlor, this one is just dark, the glass blacked out by the metal blinds.There are LED lights built in around it, offering a little light.

Being in a house void of natural light is weird.I can get used to switching my sleep schedule from PM to AM, but I need some sort of light to not feel like I’m stuck in a bunker underground.At least my room doesn’t have curtains.

“It was nice,” I reply, going to the sink to get some water.Mabel finishes her blood and comes over, inhaling deep.Right, she wanted to smell the sun on my hair.

“I miss the way the sun felt on my skin.”She steps back and touches her cheek, remembering the way it felt.