Page 43 of The Merciless

Large white curtains draped over them, masking the sunlight as it cast a golden sort of glow on the crème sofas.

She looked to her right, saw the stairs that headed up to the rooms they hadn’t used inyearsnow and decided to work here itself. The wall on the sofa’s left was empty and large. The perfect place to start planning. All she needed was a–

Beep. Beep.

“I’ve got it!” came Myra’s loud voice, followed by Irene’s deadpan,

“I haven’t been here in a while.”

“Bloodylovethis place.” Neera continued in a content voice. Ray turned to find the three girls step through, one of them holding a large map in her hand. Myra grinned over the large piece and Ray moved, smiling back ruefully as she grabbed the map out of her hands and turned to the empty wall,

“What are you– oh okay,” Irene said and paused as Ray dropped the map to the ground and grabbed the pins from Irene’s hand. The three of them stood quietly behind her as Ray took a chair and silently worked to get the map up on the wall. Was about to step down to get the hammer when a cool metal pressed against her back, making her jump in surprise.

Ray turned to find Neera staring at her with a mischievous smile and glared back as she grabbed the hammer out of her hands and nailed the map to the wall.

“Now,” Irene started as Ray jumped off the chair and grabbed her phone, “What’s up?”

Ray didn’t reply. Just grabbed the pins and began pinning them on the addresses Angel had sent her. She placed one on the top left, one on the top right and another on either of the bottom ends.

The last one came right in the middle of the four.

“That’s five.” Neera breathed out as Ray threw her phone on the sofa and heaved a breath, the odd feeling still twisting her stomach. It seemed weird, having these five sites in hand just like that. And she wasn’t the only one who was feeling it, Irene also took a step forward and placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder.

“It’s odd.” She mumbled and Ray turned to her, her expressions betraying some sort of fear. Irene had her gaze planted ahead, her other hand playing with the hem of her t-shirt as she eyed the map, “These places are all spread out in the countryside. But aren’t spread across the world.”

“Where are we right now?” Myra asked from behind them, and Ray pointed it out. They were currently a few miles below the five points. They’d all have to head up north, but it only led to the outskirts of the city.

“Do any of these places seem familiar?” Neera asked and Ray shook her head. Not even close.

Ray’s brows scrunched, a sudden thought hitting her.

“Do any of you have thread?” she asked and extended her hand as Neera nodded. All three of them stood back as she wound the thread around the first pin and waited. Wondered if it was a rectangle with a cross inside or something else completely.

And decided,to hell with it.

Ray twisted the thread around the bottom left pin and took it diagonally across to the middle one and to the top right. And she knew she shouldn’t break the thread, but an odd sense of déjà vu was hitting her.

“Scissors?” she asked softly and murmured a thank you as Irene placed it in her hands.

Ray repeated the process with the other diagonal end and took a step back, eyeing the–

“A multiplication sign?” Myra asked incredulously and Ray shrugged,

“Doesn’t it look a bit familiar?”

They didn’t really have time to respond because the door behind them beeped again and all four of them whirled to see Sorin and Noah walk in. Ray blinked and crossed her arms as Kyle trudged in behind him, his face withdrawn as a completely opposite Vera strode in confidently.

Her eyes widened when she saw Ray, a cheeky smile spreading across her lips as she pointed in her direction, “You.”

Ray scoffed and eyed the other girl. Vera was dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, ones that hugged every inch of her body as her extended hand moved so it was pointing at the map behind her.

“What’s that?” she asked but Ray waved a hand in air, dismissing her as she saw Sorin grab Kyle’s hand and haul him up the stairs. Noah winced as Sorin walked past him, with Kyle looking awfully dead behind him.

Ray turned to face the map and took a photo of the wall, breathing out as she looked at the sign again. It was there somewhere, lurking in the back of her mind as it remained out of her grasp. Ray swallowed a groan and watched as Vera neared her and peered up at the map,

“Why do you have that symbol up there?”

Ray froze, her eyes widening as she turned to Vera, “You know what that is?” she asked and Vera hummed, crossing her arms,

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