Page 78 of Midnight Auto Parts

A slow churn started in my gut as pieces began clicking together in my head, creating troubling connections between the missing god tree, the missing bones, and the missing women.

“We could return them,” the first twin pleaded. “We could pray and beg forgiveness.”

“He doesn’t forgive,” the second said, “and neither will They.”

God? Or gods? I definitely heard a capitalHandTin there.

“I’m going to bed.” The first twin shook her head. “There’s no reasoning with you when you’re like this.”

“Make sure you eat before you go to sleep.”

Hand over her stomach, the first twin rose and muttered, “I’m tired of eating apples.”

“Eat,” she said again, and her insistence prickled my nape.

“Fine. I’m going.” The first twin trudged away. “May their deaths be on your conscience.”

Long after they were gone, the second remained, gazing into the fire. “I have no conscience.”

Determination had taken its place, sunk its roots so deep in her soul that nothing but the iron will to live at any price remained. I recognized it. Easily. I had seen it in the faces of street kids when I had been one of them. But I had been lucky. I had Josie and Matty to grind down the calluses left by the world before the soft skin beneath them became titanium.

Their conversation convinced me of one thing. It was Patty I was staring at and Rosalie who had left.

“We should see what else we can learn.” Vi drew her shawl tighter, as if the conversation had chilled her. “We only have the next ten minutes before Rollo gets more insistent and Kierce begins to fret.”

“You’re right.” I walked away, brain whirring. “I need to find Keshawn and Tameka.”

With that goal in mind, I searched the faces of the gathered women, but recognition failed to spark.

About to give up, I experienced a twinge in my chest, a pull angling me to my right.

“Frankie.” Tameka’s eyes rounded as she noticed me and then Vi. “How did you…? Never mind.” She waved for me to follow her. “What matters is you’re here. Let’s get away from all these eyes and ears.”

She led me into the shelter of the trees, but I had to stop her there. “I don’t have much time.”

“I wanted you to know I didn’t plan this. I meant to honor my contract.” She worried a ragged fingernail. “Keshawn panicked that day. I’m all the family she has, and she couldn’t deal with losing me. Her actions were impulsive and wrong, but they came from a good place.” She placed her palms together in prayer. “I’ll do anything to make this right. Please don’t punish her. She’s a good girl. She’s just hurting.”

“I can’t get into that right now.” I needed facts, and fast. “What is this place?”

“Two minutes,” Vi said softly, and I ground my teeth, eager for answers.

“The Morgans wanted to go bigger than their club support network and halfway houses. They wanted to establish a sanctuary where women could escape their abusers. They found a bone with magical powers and used it to anchor a ward around this place, but then women started dying.Insidethe barrier. There’s no cell reception. We can’t call for help. If you don’t get us out of here, we’re all dead.”

Bones of divine beasts go missing, and the women in possession of those bones are killed.

That was not good. Very not good. Extremely not good.

“What about the Morgans?” I cut my eyes toward the bonfire. “They can’t get you out?”

“There’s a second ward in the center of the commune. The Morgans pitched their tents inside it.”

The sisters had built in another layer of protection for themselves, which made them look guiltier.

Pressure on my hand alerted me my time was spent. “Can you think of anything else?”

“Not really. Except for one thing. There’s some kind of tree?—”

“An apple tree,” I hazarded a guess.

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