Page 159 of Scars Beneath a Serpent’s Scales

Reluctantly, Roremar agreed. Keeping careful hold on her, he walked deeper into the cavern, moving as efficiently as possible. They pulled back the moss curtains marking the tunnels, nothing but narrow paths behind the first two. He brushed aside the third, mystlight spilling into a dim alcove, and⁠—

“No.”

Nausea rolled through him as the smell flooded out, too overpowered by the florals before. Now, the rot and decay slammed into them. His eyes watered.

Emmeline gasped, fingers tangling in his tunic.

“The missing women,” Roremar whispered, nearly choking.

Four of them total—two more than they were even aware were missing, either travelers or from jungle settlements that never reported to Lyra Isle Guard.

They were piled as if they were rag dolls, but their eyes stared unseeing at the ceilings. Roremar’s stomach lurched as he took in every detail. Their tattoos with one point longer than the others. A number of other designs inked on their arms—all in the same shoddy hand. The wing insignia burned repeatedly into the wall—not the exact same rendition as before, but there nonetheless.

A discarded leather-bound book was tossed on the floor beside the bodies. Roremar stooped to pick it up, stomach lurching as he recognized the handwriting.

“These are Desmond’s designs,” he whispered to Emmeline.

“Desmond’s…” she echoed, clearly struggling to keep up.

“The one that was stolen from Fated Ink during the break in.” Roremar snapped the book closed and tucked it under his arm, wrapping the other around her again. “And some of these bodies have multiple fresh tattoos. Whoever it is is getting more impatient, maybe trying to find a different design that works.”

Roremar looked closer at the victims, and terror sent his stomach plummeting. The cut to the throat of the top woman was practically ripped open. As if whoever did this was getting frantic. And the blood…it looked fresh.

“We need to get out of here,” he said, dropping the curtain on the gruesome scene.

“What?” Emmeline blurted, feet stumbling as he pulled her away. “We need to help, to gather⁠—”

“I got every drop of evidence, trust me.” Roremar steadied her, tilting her chin up. “Listen, Emmeline, that top body is fresh. The killer has been here—within the last day, I’m guessing. I won’t have you in harm’s way.”

She was fighting through the incense trying to drown her, spinning that ring around her finger so damn slowly as her hooded eyes struggled to focus on him. His chest tightened in panic.

You will be her ruin.

Fucking Fates, he had to get Emmeline out of this cavern. Away from the beach. Screw all the bodies, the evidence. Someone else could take care of that tonight.

“Come on,” he urged.

Right now, above all else, Roremar’s priority was Emmeline.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Emmeline

Emmeline drifted in and out of sleep on the sofa in Roremar’s family’s sitting room as he spoke with his uncle and Lyra Isle Guard. Gruff voices surrounded her, but she hadn’t entirely been able to tell which were real and which were in her drug-induced dreams.

His family prepared to temporarily move to the Academy—a fact she knew they were both grateful for. Siena had been fascinated by the excitement, of course, and hadn’t understood why Emmeline couldn’t help her pack. Thankfully, Nico had taken over, allowing her to rest.

“Get them to the Academy,” Roremar said to his brother. “I’m going to take care of her. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good luck,” Nico said to them both.

Every so often, a cold cloth would swipe across her forehead. Warm lips would press against her hairline.

It was always those gentle touches that lured her back to sleep. That reminded her she was safe.

“Whoever is doing this is going to come back,” she heard Darcy saying to Roremar and Falliare after the guard returned from the cave tunnel himself. “We’ve got him.”

“Arrange to have men on every entrance, even ones that may not lead directly there,” Falliare said. “Have them hidden, but alert. We don’t know where this culprit will hide if he notices Isle Guard on his tail.”