Page 41 of This Ravenous Fate
“How cruel. You should just put me out of my misery now,” Layla sneered. She sucked on her finger again, drawing more blood into her mouth. A cool sensation settled over her body, and she sighed, tipping her head back against the wall. “By the way, it takesyearsfor reapers to reach their final form of damnation. But the first stage is forgetting human memories.”
Elise paused for a moment, watching Layla with careful eyes. “Have you started to forget yet?”
Layla remained quiet. She hated thinking about this. What she was destined to become. Even if it took years, or centuries, she did not want it. To forget all the things that made her happy, forget her family, her friends, her history, everything that made her human—there would be no joy, no purpose in such a life. Her hands tightened into fists, and she grumbled.
Elise took the hint and continued to move around the room. “It’s been a while since we came back here, no? You don’t think this is some sort of ambush, do you?”
Layla closed her eyes. “I’m not currently thinking at all, actually.”
The room fell silent for a few minutes. For once, impatient thoughts didn’t immediately rush to crowd Layla’s mind. She sat in the quiet, breath steady against the ebb and flow of hunger still coursing through her body. Then, the notes of a faintly familiar song found their way into her head. Layla opened her eyes.
Elise sat at the piano, fingers poised gracefully over the keys infront of her. She paid Layla no mind while she played a song from memory, each note hit flawlessly and without hesitation.
Realization struck Layla. She waited until Elise finished playing before asking, “Is that ‘Josi’s Melody’?”
Elise looked down at the piano keys, stretching her fingers. “Yes.”
“Is that what you played for your school audition?” Layla asked.
Elise finally looked at Layla. “No. It just happens to be my favorite original piece.” There was no rancor in her tone, but her words were guarded. “I know this piece by heart becauseJosiis my heart. It’s easy to do anything when you love someone. Even if it’s the hardest choice you’ve ever made.”
An entire minute had passed and the thought of feeding didn’t cross Layla’s mind once. The side of Elise she was seeing now captured her attention as easily as freshly drawn blood. She sat up. “Is that why you stepped up as the heir? You’re doing this for Josi?”
Elise would have answered but for the sudden commotion that rumbled through the empty club. They were both on their feet in a moment, Elise with her gun in hand, and sprinted down the hall to the door.
Out in the lounge, two club bouncers gripped Shirley’s wrists and were trying to drag her out. She dug her heels in, tears streaming down her face while she cried out. “I’ll do it! I’m sorry, I’ll do it!” Shirley cried.
Giana stood between two other men, her face drawn. She mouthed a single word to Layla:help.
As Layla moved toward Shirley, two more men, who Layla cameto realize were not Cotton Club employees but gangsters, pointed their guns at her.
“What is going on?”
“None of you should be in here unless you’ve got a contract. This one here owes us lab tests to prove her humanity,” one of the men holding Shirley snarled.
“Since when has that been required?” Layla demanded.
“Since we’ve had dancers dropping like flies because of reaperhood,” the man snapped.
Shirley whimpered, looking impossibly small between the two gangsters holding her with tight grasps.
Layla glared at the gangsters. “Let her go. She’s not yours,” Layla snapped. She didn’t stop the hunger that surged through her this time. Feral desire glowed in her eyes and she knew the gangsters saw it when they hesitated. It was enough for Shirley to break free, sprinting right to Layla’s side.
“We’re going,” Layla said strongly. She tried to turn away and leave with Elise and Shirley, but more gangsters swarmed the room. Jamie was among them, eyes wild. Layla turned her him. “Jamie. Please—”
“You need to listen to them,” he warned.
“Layla.” Shirley let out a hurried whisper.
Layla didn’t have time to reassure the younger girl now. Elise was already posted beside her with her gun raised and Giana was still trapped by the two gangsters. “Whatever Giana taught you about control, forget it now. I want you to kill these men.”
“What?” Shirley hissed, eyes wide.
“You heard me.” Layla turned to Elise. “Shoot.Now.”
Elise hesitated. Layla should have known a human would falter under such circumstances. She grabbed the gun and fired it at the closest man. The bullet ripped through his thigh and Shirley launched herself onto the bleeding man. Her fangs tore at his throat, sending a spray of blood across the room.
Layla had been hoping to get out in the midst of the chaos. But the gangsters raised their guns again and trained them on her and Elise. When several more dancers emerged from a backstage door, Layla braced for their screams. But their faces showed no panic.
