Page 66 of Haunted

The corridors branch in multiple directions, but I follow my instincts, choosing paths that feel familiar. I need to find Cora. Whatever Xavier showed me on those screens, whatever I heard in that audio recording—I have to know if she’s okay.

The shirt hangs loosely around my thighs as I move,offering more coverage than that ridiculous dress, though somehow it makes me hyper aware of how exposed I still am. Every shadow could hide a hunter, and every turn could lead to another trap.

However, the maze feels emptier now, as if most of the action has moved elsewhere or concluded entirely.

I’m rounding a corner when I collide with someone moving as quietly as I am.

“Shit!”

“Sorry, I—Sadie?”

The woman I recognize from our brief introduction earlier stumbles back, and I get my first good look at her. Where she’d been composed and analytical before, now her dark hair hangs in messy strands around her face. Her outfit—a deep purple number similar to mine—is torn at one shoulder, and there are red marks on her arms that look suspiciously like rope burns.

“Mira.” Her voice carries a mix of relief and exhaustion. “I thought... I wasn’t sure if anyone else was still...”

“Still, what? Still free?” I keep my voice low. “What happened to you?”

Sadie’s laugh is hollow. “Let’s say I learned some things about myself tonight that I’m not entirely comfortable with.”

She won’t meet my eyes when she says it, and I notice the way she keeps rubbing her wrists. Whatever happened to her, it wasn’t gentle.

“Have you seen Cora?” I ask, cutting straight to the point that matters most. “Pike’s daughter? Blonde, about our age?”

Sadie’s expression shifts, becoming guarded. She glances away, then back at me, clearly wrestling with what she’s seen.

“Sadie, please. She’s my best friend. I need to know if she’s okay.”

“I...” Sadie starts, then stops. Her fingers worry at the torn fabric of her dress. “I saw something, but I don’t know if telling you will help or make things worse for everyone involved.”

“What did you see?”

Sadie’s face crumples, and she looks away completely.

“I saw her,” she whispers. “About an hour ago, maybe less. She was... There were three men.”

My blood turns to ice. “I saw them on the screens… Is she okay?”

“They had her in one of the larger chambers. The kind with the fancy furniture and...” Sadie’s voice breaks slightly. “They were all over her. Taking turns.”

The corridor tilts around me. “Was she fighting them? Was she hurt?”

“That’s just it.” Sadie finally meets my eyes, and the confusion there makes everything worse. “I couldn’t tell. She was making noise, but... some of it sounded like she was enjoying it, and other times she seemed scared or maybe overwhelmed.”

I grab Sadie’s arm, probably harder than I should. “Where? Where did you see this?”

“Two levels down, east wing. But Mira, wait—” Shecatches my wrist as I start to move. “It gets worse. I heard them talking beforehand.”

“Talking about what?”

Sadie’s face is pale in the dim lighting. “They mentioned her father, Mayor Pike, and mentioned holding him accountable for the damage he caused to their businesses and reputations. They weren’t random hunters, Mira. They specifically targeted her.”

The bottom drops out of my world. Everything clicks into place with horrible clarity—the ease with which she got an invitation, the fact that the daughter of Ravenwood’s anti-crime mayor happened to end up in a hunt full of dangerous men.

“They’re using her for revenge,” I breathe.

“That’s what it sounded like. And the worst part?” Sadie’s voice drops even lower. “I think she’s starting to figure it out, but she’s so deep in whatever headspace they’ve put her in that she can’t seem to process it properly.”

I lean against the wall, feeling sick. This is my fault. I brought Cora here. I practically delivered Mayor Pike’s daughter into the hands of men who want to destroy her father through her.

---