Page 75 of How to Trust a Hellhound
Thea sighed dramatically, but the rustling stopped.
“Corbin?” Wilder asked, and one hand left me. I figured he was feeling around for Corbin, and I heard a sigh of relief, so he must have touched him.
“Sebbie?” I called out, because he had been in that room, too, and I hadn’t heard his voice. “Are you dead, too?” I asked stupidly.
I heard a caw again, and the flapping of wings. It sounded like more than one crow now, though. It sounded like a million of them.
“What do you call a group of crows?” Thea asked, her voice slightly hysterical. “A murder!” she answered before any of us could.
“I’m not dead,” Sebbie said, but I wasn’t sure where his voice was coming from. “You aren’t dead, either. We’re all fine.”
The flapping got louder, the sound overwhelming, and everything drifted away once more.
“Mei Ume?” Wilder’s voice was frantic, and I managed to blink my eyes open. He breathed out a sigh of relief, leaning down to kiss me.
“Fuuuuck,” I heard Thea mumble, and Wilder’s lips left mine as we both looked over at her.
Because we could see. It was dark, but not pitch black. I sat up and looked around. I had been laying in Wilder’s lap, because we were all somehow on the floor in the creepy stone room. Wilder was sitting up next to me, Corbin was sprawled out on his other side, and Thea was sitting on my other side, moaning.
The psycho woman was laying across the floor, her hand extended, the dagger a few inches away from her. Her psycho helper wasn’t moving—he was curled up on the floor where we’d last seen him, and Sebbie was still sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall.
His arms weren’t chained anymore, and the old guy was next to him as opposed to on his lap. I didn’t think the old guy was breathing, but Sebbie was awake and looking around. His gaze rested on me, and he looked confused, but not scared.
“You guys took care of them?” he asked, looking at the bodies. “I don’t think they were very good people, Josh,” he added, almost like he was reassuring me. “They hurt Rick, and they were hurting that old guy, although I don’t think he was a very good person either.”
I opened my mouth, and then I shut it, because I had absolutely no idea what to say.
Corbin groaned next to Wilder, and I saw Sebbie look at him and blush.
“Of course,” Thea muttered, using the wall to support herself as she stood up.
Wilder stood up next, putting his hand down to help me up. My legs were shaky, but I managed to keep my feet once I was standing. Wilder knelt down, rumbling softly, until Corbin blinked his eyes open.
Wilder put a hand out, cupping his face. “You always see so much. I’m so proud of you, and I love you, son.”
With that, he stood, reaching down to help Corbin do the same.
I looked over at Sebbie, but he’d managed to get up on his own.
“Do you think we need to, like, call the police or something?” he asked. “I mean there are three dead bodies in here. The old guy was just, well, old, and then the crazy lady stabbed the young guy and stabbed herself, so we’re obviously in the clear.”
As if his words had manifested it, I noticed that the woman did indeed have blood pooling underneath her, exactly where she’d been stabbed in the chest. The curled up guy also had a pool of blood seeping out from beneath where his head lay.
Sebbie stepped over the bloodstains, walking to the door behind us. We all just stared at him as he hauled it open. No one was behind it.
“What about all the others?” Thea asked, and I felt as confused as she sounded.
Sebbie looked back at us from the doorway, raising his eyebrows. “Others? Just the lady and her partner kidnapped me. I think she was part of that cult Josh told me about, but I never saw anyone else here.”
He walked up the stairs, and we all followed behind him silently. We made our way outside, and I could hear sirens in the distance.
“Oh, good, you guys called the police already. I hope they’re quick, because I’m starving. Anyone wanna go for some food after this?” Sebbie asked.
I started giggling. I couldn’t help it. It was probably more than a little hysterical, and everyone turned to stare at me, concern on their faces.
“Sure, Sebbie, I’d love to go for food. Maybe ice cream,” I answered, and some imperceptible tension that I’d barely noticed seemed to ease in him. His smile was bright and blinding, and I couldn’t help smiling back.
The sound of sirens drew closer. “It’s Jude.” Wilder sighed, adding, “And the sheriff.”
