Page 10 of Our Vicious Descent
She turned the radio on, hoping the music would help keep her intrusive thoughts at bay while she ran a hot bath. The jazz reminded her of homes in Harlem and in France. Her heart ached at the soft piano notes that took a background role beneath the trumpet and saxophone melody. It had been ages since she had put her fingers to the smooth keys of any piano. All coping she had found in music had turned to crushing internal torment only relieved by repetitive physical motions. Muscle tension and cramps used to be her only worries. Now, as she dipped a hand into thebath to test the temperature, she jerked back with a hiss of pain. The wounds on her fingers from picking and biting until she bled had not yet healed. Even the scars on her palms seemed to glimmer beneath the water droplets, as if mocking her for her poor attempts at self-soothing. Perhaps tonight would be the night she slept without nightmares. Perhaps, Elise wondered, tonight would be the night she slept at all.
The jazz music faded out, but instead of another song continuing, a broadcast began. Elise had half a mind to ignore the presenter’s words until a familiar voice stilled her body with cold apprehension.
“It has been two months since I lost both of my daughters. All I want is for them to return home. My youngest, Josephine, is only ten years old. She needs her mother, and this city is not safe for someone as young and defenseless as her to be alone. Elise, my lovely Elise. I know you are out there as well. Please, please come home.”
The pain in her mother’s voice nearly brought tears to Elise’s eyes. She abandoned the bathtub and crumpled by the radio, her knees sinking into the rug as her hands cradled the wooden box. It barely registered to her then, that Jamie had spoken not one word of truth the other day. All that mattered was the warmth of something familiar.
“Thank you, my love.” Tobias Saint’s voice hit Elise like molten steel. She dropped the radio, her hands shaking as it crashed to the floor. Still, he continued. Static nearly covered his voice, but Elise could make out the most important words, carried by histone of unwavering confidence. “The city has grown more dangerous with each passing day. It is imperative that we stay vigilant and prepared. I assure you that the Saint empire is ready to take on more responsibilities to ensure the safety of Harlem. It is with great devastation that I announce the end of our search for my youngest, Josephine. She is presumed to be dead, and we cannot risk facing the increasing violence any longer. We invite you all to join my wife and me tonight at Charlotte’s Sanctuary—our private park near our home—to honor my daughters and put forth blessings for a new, better future. We welcome anyone who might have information on the whereabouts of my daughters and anyone who is willing to serve the Saint organization to protect this city. Peace be with you all…”
The roaring in Elise’s ears covered the final few words of his address. She was not sure how long she remained crouched and catatonic on the floor before Jamie’s voice cut through her frozen state.
“Elise? What happened?”
She stood and faced him. All her rage reflected back at her in just the panic in his eyes. They flitted between her and the broken radio, each time growing more and more aware. “You lied.”
Jamie swallowed, his hand coming up to rub his face. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he contemplated, choosing his words carefully before he spoke again, “You were going crazy. You cannot live between these two worlds, waiting for Layla and hoping your sister is okay. You need to move on. Your obsessive thinking is tainting everything. You cannot trust yourself right now—”
“I cannot trustyou!” Elise screamed. “I cannot trust anyone!” She did not wait to see his reaction. Elise stepped into her shoes and pulled on her coat while he groaned.
“Do not leave, Elise. There are reapers just waiting for a chance to tear you apart the moment they catch your scent—”
But Elise had already snatched one of his guns from his belt. She gave him one final look that simmered with a promise of violence before storming out of the apartment.
***
“Do you think they are still alive, the Saint sisters?” Celie asked.
Layla’s jaw remained tight from hearing the radio broadcast. She had tried to keep a neutral face while her clan mates watched her, but eventually her eye had started twitching, and even Celie had begun to look at her with a perplexed expression. Layla turned the radio off and faced the rest of her clan. They had all gathered in the foyer the moment the broadcast started, all thanks to Julius, who had claimed the news would be important.
“Why would I know?” Layla almost snapped.
Celie swallowed. “You were close with them in the past, right?”
Layla studied each clan mate’s face, searching for any change in expression. Whether it be animosity, fear, or anger—she could not lose track of their feelings toward her. Day after day, she wondered how Valeriya had managed to keep up with everyone and everything so well.
“She sure was. We know you have a complicated history with the Saints, Layla, but it is unclear where your loyalties lie now. Especially after everything that happened with Elise Saint just a couple of months ago,” Julius interrupted.
Layla met his gaze with ire. “You want to discuss loyalty now?”
“I have been nothing but loyal to this clan. As a member for only two months, I have done more for them than you have in the five years you have been a reaper. How does it feel knowing just how useless you are in the face of tragedy?” Julius glanced out over the audience, as if expecting pushback, but no one intervened. All the reapers watched with bated breath. “We want change. Tonight is a good time to make some. The Saints are trying to rise again, but we can stop them before it’s too late. Rogues are already planning on attacking—”
“No,” Layla said strongly. “You strike them now, there will be hell to pay. We are not strong enough yet after all that we lost the last time we faced the Saints and Stephen. They will crush us.”
Julius let out a rough laugh. “Is there a reason you continue to defend the Saints?” Murmurs from the clan rumbled through the foyer. “Beyond the mask of righteousness you wear, I mean. We are not a righteous group. We demand blood and vengeance. If you try too hard to be faithful to Valeriya’s old rule, you will end up just like her.”
Layla shot to her feet. She started toward Julius, stopping only when her fangs slipped out and pierced her own lips. Blood welled in her mouth, and she hesitated, her rage settling with her impulsecontrol. The battle Layla had tried so hard to avoid for the past two months was nearing too suddenly. Just as she had lost her grip on the one thing she had promised herself not to, she would lose this too. Her clan’s loyalty to her had already begun to slip, much to her own surprise. Layla had always known reapers to be faithless when it came to humans, but she’d proved to them that she was not worth believing in either.
Laure cleared her throat. She presented a neat white envelope with the Saint family crest on the seal to Layla. “This just came in.”
In all her rage, Layla had failed to notice any Saint presence in the area. She took the letter from Laure and ripped it open.“The Saint empire wants retribution. We are giving you a choice—turn in the reapers who are causing chaos in Harlem, or we will move forward with our plan to eliminate your entire clan. You have until the end of the day to turn someone in.”
A buzz of anticipation passed through her clan mates. Layla pursed her lips as she lowered the letter and her stomach twisted hard enough to make her throat go dry with pain. “The Saints want names to put to the recent murders. If we don’t give them some reapers, they will kill us.”
Rage erupted throughout the hotel lobby. Her clan mates bickered back and forth for a few moments as Layla gathered her thoughts. She met Julius’s eye across the room briefly as she held her hand up and waited for everyone to settle down. “You all have nothing to worry about.”
“How can you guarantee that?” Julius demanded.
Layla swallowed hard. She gazed out at the hopeful yet scared faces looking back at her. “So long as you do not strike the Saints tonight and stay far away from the estate, I can make sure you are all safe. I’m going to turn myself in to the Saints.”
