Page 50 of Merciless Prince
Someone knocked on her door again, but this time it wasn’t a short, sharp rap. It was a heavy pounding that made Francesca jump.
“Shit,” she muttered. Every inch of her body was trembling. “I have a lot more to tell you, but I… I’m really scared right now. I know this sounds totally paranoid but I’m worried that’s them at the door. So I’ll just send this now, and I’ll delete it from my outbox afterwards. Please delete it on your end too, just in case. I’ll make another video to tell you everything else when I have a chance, okay? I just need to—”
The pounding on the door started again. Francesca flinched at every heavy blow on the wood.
“Oh, fuck… itisthem,” she said, voice cracking again. Tears were brimming in her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. “They’re here for me. They know.” She scrubbed a hand over her face as the knocking continued. “Bye, Shay. Good luck. And remember what I said. Be careful.Please.”
The video ended, and I was left staring at my hazy reflection on the black screen.
For a moment I felt frozen to the spot with shock and fear. Then I grabbed my phone and dialed Francesca’s number.
I silently begged the universe with every ring.Please just be an angry neighbor banging at the door, or a delivery guy who has the wrong address. Please be okay, Francesca.
She didn’t pick up.
I called her again. And again. No answer.
“Shit.” I opened my text conversation with Cori and tapped out a quick message.Hey, weird question, but have you heard from Francesca Rivera at all today?
Cori replied ten minutes later.She’s actually meant to be at an audition with me right now, but she hasn’t shown up yet. She’s not answering her messages either. Do you know why?
With a low groan, I tossed my phone down on the bed and took stock of the situation.
A murder witnessed by me and my friends.
A possible abduction, if Francesca had really been taken a few minutes ago.
A secret society with access to untold riches and power, in exchange for… what, exactly? What purpose did they serve? And what dark, terrible secrets did they hold?
I knew Francesca was right about what she said in the video—the Hellfire Club was obviously very dangerous. But it was also my fault that something had happened to her tonight. If I hadn’t brought up all my concerns to her and made her feel like she had to spill everything she knew to me in order to keep me safe, then the overlords in the Hellfire Club would’ve left her alone.
Guilt and remorse surged through me like acid, starting in my stomach and burning as it rose up my throat. The more I thought about Francesca’s dilemma, the more culpable I felt.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the invitation I received this morning, either. It was yet another thing Francesca was right about…
For some reason, the Hellfire Club wanted me.
I darted my eyes toward the trash can, knowing I couldn’t resist the dark lure. Not when there was a chance to help Francesca out of trouble. I just had to get to her before it was too late. Before the society—
I cut myself off the negative spiral of thoughts.Don’t think about it like that,I told myself, gritting my teeth and sitting up straight.You have to stay clear and calm. Just get through the initiation, and then you can find out where they’ve taken her and figure out a way to argue for her freedom.
I got up, took a deep breath, and padded over to the trash can to fish out the letter. Then I opened the card, turned my attention to the riddle, and began to read.
17
Shay
“Is this the spot?”My Uber driver peered through the windshield at the small sign on the edge of the road. It read ‘Mirror Lake’. Tall trees loomed all around it, bare branches ghostly in the moonlight.
I nodded. “Yeah, this is it. Thanks for the ride.”
The driver’s brows dipped in a wary frown, and he scratched his chin. “Are you sure you want me to leave you out here?”
“Yes.” I forced a smile. “I’m meeting some people down at the lake. We’re having a party.”
“Okay, well… have fun,” he said, sounding unconvinced.
When he was finally gone, I wrapped my arms around myself to stay warm and trudged down the pedestrian path that led to the main parking lot and picnic area near Mirror Lake. The night was clear and cold. A crescent moon and stars lit the area, and the air smelled of earth and evergreen.
