Page 57 of Judas
“Shouldn’t have poured blood all over me and made me kill a man. I would smell better.”
“Hate to break it to you, sweet girl, but you stopped smelling good back at the hotel.”
“Wh… that’s rude as shit, Lucien.” I grumble at him.
“You rather I sugar coat everything, Sadie? As not to offend your delicate sensibilities?”
“Fuck off. My point is, that was well over a week ago. You could have said something before then.”
“Two, actually, and why would I? It helped me find you when you went running. Now that you’re not going anywhere, you need to bathe. The lake is cold, but it’s much cleaner than you are right now.”
He lingers for a moment then reaches for me and I leap out of his grasp. Which makes him grin. He enjoys the chase—the struggle I give him. It must be new to him. That or his prey in the past never ran, nor fought, as I have.
Sick fuck.
“I’m going. I… I need clothes first, and a towel.”
“Nah, you need to march your ass down to that lake and get in the damn water. I don’t give a hoot about your body. It’s the rest of you that confuses me.”
I confuse him?
“What’s…“
“Stop talking and walk. Now, Sadie.” His words are spoken through gritted teeth.
I can tell that I’m working every one of his nerves and to be honest, that appeases me more than anything. Fuck him and his orders. He’s the one that wanted me here; went out of his way to make sure I didn’t get far enough to find anyone to scream for—not that I ever would, strangers are a no-go—and now he wants to be an asshole all the time. Where’s the guy that was promisingme safety and protection? The one who said he was like me, broken in ways we can’t be pieced back together?
All sorts of thoughts regarding ‘what if’ and ‘why’ swirl through my oddly clear mind while I traverse the land between the cabin and the lake. It’s harder to find when it’s dark outside, but luckily the moon is out enough to give me some sort of illumination once I finally make it to the tree line. Which feels like it took forever, maybe I should have ran.
If you did, you would have gotten hurt, child.
“Oh, hello. Nice of you to join me today, ancient one. I don’t know if you noticed but I killed and dismembered a body earlier while you three camped out with sour gummy worms and popcorn. Care to enlighten me on where you were, why no one was around?”
“Sadie,” Lucien calls out.
Didn’t know he was following me.
“What?” I answer.
“Which voice are you talking to?”
The fuck does he care?
“Why? How do you know there are multiple?”
“I’ve met the other two. Liz and Kate. Let’s just say, you behave differently when they’re in control. So, who are you talking to now?”
Great.
Just. Fucking. Great.
I keep walking, not answering him. The water is in sight now and my bare feet are beginning to sink into the sand at the bank, which I know will give way to rocks once we get close enough to the shore. When I finally make it, still not giving anything away, my hands reach for my blood soaked shirt but I stop. Looking over my shoulder, Lucien is right behind me and it makes me yelp.
“It’s rude to sneak up on a lady.”
“Good thing I don’t see any ladies around here. Strip, and answer the question.”
“I am not taking my clothes off in front of you, creep!”
