Page 56 of Wolfsbane Hall
“Are you going to kill my sister, Margot?” he asked in his signature methodical tone.
“Yes, after I kill you.” She stopped, turned, and slammed him into the wall. “And you know why.”
James grinned. “Oh, I’ve missed you and your dramatic shows.” His cold eyes devoured her face. “How are you going to do it? I like it when my Cellie kills me. It turns me on.”
“You’re sick.” She shook her head, her hands still on his shoulders. “You’ve always been sick.”
James lifted his chin. “Yes, I have.”
I am going to kill you. Slowly, I am going to watch as you scream and beg for help, Margot thought.Just like you did.
But it wasn’t time for that. Margot didn’t want to help her weak, pathetic vessel, but this body was dying. If she were going to take it over and keep it forever, then she needed to solve the Phantom’s riddle. Unfortunately, Margot also didn’t know the answer. But the vessel was on to something. The answer to who killed Lorraine would most likely lead to the true identity of the Specter.
Keep it?Celestine screamed and pushed against her invisible cage. She would not let Margot have her body. But the ghost’s control didn’t budge. Margot’s spirit was too strong. Ridiculously so. Celestine’s arms grew heavy, and her veins throbbed as she felt herself being pushed further back into the recesses of her mind.
Margot removed her hands from James’s shoulders and began walking again. “Keep up. We need to find the bow and figure out who killed your wretched aunt.”
It didn’t take them long to make it up the stairs and to the spot overlooking the dead body.
A crimson curtain was pulled to the side, and behind it rested a glimmering metal rig. A crossbow was screwed to the wall and held up with brackets. A fishing line was attached to a Rube Goldberg machine. When the marble reached the end of the machine, it would cause a chain reaction that would release the arrow from the crossbow.
Whoever set up the apparatus wasn’t here when it went off. Had they even killed the proper target?
Margot would have known who was responsible for the machine without seeing the gum holding multiple parts of the apparatus together. But it was an undeniable clue. Celestine didn’t miss it either.
“Ah, gum.” Margot’s lips slowly rose in a wicked grin. “So, you shot her with the arrow.”
James raised an eyebrow. “And should I kill you for discovering it?” He pulled a revolver out of his pocket and pointed it at Margot’s chest.
No, Celestine screeched in her cage, but of course, no one heard—except Margot, who didn’t much care. If he killed Margot, Celestine would die. Forever. This couldn’t happen.
No fear pulsed through Margot; rather, excitement churned in her blood. “Who do you think Wolfsbane likes more tonight?” Margot asked, her fingers reaching out and caressing the wall with her nails. “My love, do my bidding.”
A loud sound snapped above Celestine’s head, and she wanted to duck, but Margot didn’t move. Instead, she looked on with joy. From the ceiling fell a wall of spikes, swinging down toward James. It sliced into his flesh, and impaled him to the wall. The gun slipped through his fingertips. Blood poured from the many holes now filling James’s chest.
Celestine screamed in her mind. This was wretched. What if there were no resurrections? Would James stay dead forever? She clawed at her mind, trying to pull back control, but the vengeful spirit was too strong.
“Ah, it would seem she listens to me tonight.” Margot referred to Wolfsbane. “I am sure you find this deeply pleasurable.”
Blood dribbled from between James’s lips, coating his teeth as he flashed a lopsided grin. “I assume this is for back then.”
“Yes,” Margot seethed. “This is for everything you did.”
“And tell me,” he wheezed, “what…what is it I…I’ve done?”
Anger overtook Margot, and she reached out and slapped him through the spiked cage. “I would have liked to do this much differently. If I had the time, I would torture you. Take you out to your railroad tracks and strap you down.” Shepulled out the words slowly, playing with them. “Then I would watch as the train tore down the tracks, barreling toward you. Do you think you’d feel fear?”
James flashed a dimple, causing more blood to leak from his face.
“Can you even feel fear?” she said, kicking a foot through the bars and pushing on his chest to move the spikes oh so slightly deeper into his body. “Doubtful.”
“Perhaps”—he sucked in a pained breath—“you should tell me.”
Margot scoffed. “Hilarious.” She pushed his chest down again and watched his flesh move against the metal. “You told them, didn’t you?”
An evil laugh gurgled through his lips. “Why, of course.”
“Because all you have ever cared about is an interesting show.”
