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Nadine gritted her teeth. “The coven is already mourning the death of seventeen people, and you plan to host another hanging?”
Lilian smirked. “Who said anything about a hanging?”
She turned toward Monica, looking proud of herself. “I suggest you put some thought into your dinner request tonight. It will be the last meal you’ll ever eat.”
With that, the priestesses swept out of the room. Monica’s sobs grew louder. “I didn’t do it!” she cried, the chains of her handcuffs rattling.
I wanted to go to her, but Sheriff Baker planted himself in front of Monica’s bed. He crossed his arms in a hostile manner. “This woman is the property of the Miriamic Police Department. It’s time you leave.”
Sheriff Baker whistled, and two Executors entered the room. I didn’t recognize them. They had to be a few years older than us. They were both taller than me, with bulging muscles.
“Escort them out of the infirmary,” Baker ordered.
Hands landed on Nadine and me.
“We won’t let them do this to you, Monica!” I shouted as they dragged us out of the room.
“We know you’re innocent!” Nadine yelled.
Monica’s sobs echoed down the hall. My stomach felt like it had fallen out of my abdomen and was dragging along the floor behind me. I couldn’t imagine what terrors Monica felt, knowing she had only hours to live.
The Executors escorted us down the hall and past the reception desk. Fury ignited in my bones when I spotted Professor Leto seated in the waiting room. He had one ankle propped up on his knee and was reading a magazine, like this was nothing more than an average day at the dentist. He seemed wholly unbothered by what was happening here. I’m sure he was pleased, sitting around waiting for death—waiting to feed. Wasn’t this fucker satisfied by now?
Rage overcame me. I barely felt in control of my body as I yanked my arm out of the Executor’s grasp. I marched straight up to Professor Leto and ripped the magazine out of his hands. Pages went flying as I flung it across the room. I grabbed Leto by the collar with one hand and punched him so hard with the other fist that his head hit the wall. It might’ve knocked the average person out, but Leto just smirked at me.
“You did this!” I raged.
Leto kept his cool, like I hadn’t just sucker punched him in the jaw. “How could I have anything to do with this when I was nowhere near the site of the crash? I was in a meeting with the priestesses when this tragic accident occurred.”
Of fucking course he had a rock-solid alibi. The priestesses would vouch for him even if he didn’t.
“You did this, and now another innocent person is going to die,” I growled. “How dare you come here and claim you have a place in this coven—”
Executors yanked my arms back. I didn’t know where they’d all come from, but there were suddenly half a dozen soldiers pulling me backward.
“Lucas!” Nadine cried.
Someone slapped handcuffs onto my wrists, and I suddenly felt all my energy drain. They had to be made of noxite, a magical metal that could inhibit supernatural power.
“I’m terribly sorry, sir,” one of the Executors told Professor Leto. “We’ll escort him away immediately.”
“No,” Leto said, holding a hand up to stop them. He stood and wiped at a cut on his lip, though I didn’t see any blood. His gaze moved over me, and a shiver traveled down my spine. He leaned forward, so close I could feel his hot breath against my cheek.
He spoke so only I could hear, sounding amused. “You’re bold, Lucas, attacking me when you know what I am.”
He leaned away, just far enough for me to catch his eyes flash red. “No point in ruining the fun I’m having just yet. I haven’t been entertained like this in centuries.”
He winked. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell the priestesses that you know what I am. It’ll be our little secret.”
His features hardened as he whispered coolly, “But make no mistake, once I get tired of you, you’ll meet the same fate as the others.”
My blood ran ice-cold as he drew away, laughing.
“Let him go,” Leto told the Executors nonchalantly. “I won’t be pressing charges.”
The Executors released my cuffs, and Nadine and I hurried out of the infirmary as fast as we could. A group of Executors stood at the end of the hall, laughing like The Hearse Tragedy had never happened. I spotted Mira among them.
Nadine leaned over to me to whisper, “I bet Mira’s the witness. She offered to help the priestesses. She’s lying for them so they have someone to blame.”
