Page 65 of Our Vicious Descent
She cleared her throat, guiding Layla’s eyes to her. “You ripped my dress.” The once-brilliant golden fabric hung in pitiful bloody tatters around her body. Elise did not care about the state of her dress, truly, but she did want to hear Layla’s voice again.
The smile Layla let slip onto her face made Elise’s heart rate pick up again. “Can’t control myself around you, I guess.”
“You shockingly exercised an immense amount of control on the boat.”
“Did she?” Jamie asked.
They both turned to look over the edge of the dock and found Jamie sitting beside one of his men in a fast boat by the dock. Even in the darkness, he looked peeved, his cheeks red and his lips downturned.
Elise’s face lit up as she remembered how Layla had torn through the boat and every gangster who got in her way. The sight of Jamie’s annoyance could not dull her excitement. After all, their plan had worked. “You should’ve seen her, Jamie. She was amazing.”
Layla rolled her eyes, but her cheeks filled with a dark red blush.“I was not the one doing the rescuing.” Her amusement wilted as a realization dawned on her. She looked around, frowning. “Where is your sister?”
Everything in Elise went still. Her eyes darkened, and she looked away as her lungs deflated of all air.
Layla touched her hand. “Elise?”
31
The entire way back to Jamie’s apartment, Layla would not stop looking at Elise. Not in the way of adoration and awe that she had reserved for her back at the port, but this time with concern and a bit of pity. The switch between two moods had been rather startling—almost as much as Layla reminding Elise of the atrocities that had taken place at the Nest Club. Before, the events of the ship had been at the top of her mind, the only things Elise could process. Now her mind returned to the Nest Club, where her panic had exploded into something severe enough to scar. Josi, poor thing, had only wanted to help. Elise understood that desperation all too well. But Elise’s alliances had shifted so much, she had gotten her wires crossed in the process. Elise had never imagined herself getting so short with Josi. Layla might have been in pieces on the ground between them, and yet all Elise could think of in that moment was how angry she felt and how badly she wanted all her pain to disappear. In the end,she had taken everything out on Josi. And the guilt Elise dealt with now weighed on her more heavily than the tattered remains of her dress and bloodstained jewelry.
The moment they arrived at the door to Jamie’s, Sterling opened it, poking out his head to see them. He clenched his jaw as he gave them all a once-over. Finally, after their bloody clothes and rumpled appearances had been examined, he let them in. Elise might have commented on the backward nature of this greeting, considering it was Jamie’s apartment and not Sterling’s, but all she could really focus on was the rate her heart raced, to the point of pain in chest. She expected it to crack ribs beneath its force, and even taking in ample air became difficult the longer they stood at the edge of the apartment with Josi facing the other direction by the window on the far side.
Jamie stopped inside the door and rubbed his fingers into his forehead. He was the first one to break the silence after the long walk back. “I told Josi and Sterling to go to my place because I figured it was better than bringing them to your father.”
Layla shook her head. Soft amusement lit her features, and her eyes kept darting to Elise to see whether she was picking up on any of her attempts to lighten the mood. “I can’t believe this. You invited more people into your home. How sweet.”
“This is not a permanent solution,” Sterling said sternly. His lips twisted as he thought. “I have not been able to get Josi to talk. She just…stares and cries.” He paused, looking at the state of Elise’s and Layla’s dresses. “You should change before you see her. She doesn’t need to see more blood.”
Layla scoffed. “She’s not exactly human, you know. I’m pretty sure shelikesblood now.”
Elise’s body tensed at her words. Her veins turned to ice, and she felt rows of goose bumps pop up all over her flesh while they moved farther into the apartment, toward Josi. The younger girl sat by the window in her blood-soaked dance costume. She faced the night outside, her chin resting on her knees, which had been drawn up to her chest. Elise left the rest of the group and approached her sister. She waited to for Josi to stir or acknowledge her presence in some way, but the little girl did not budge. Slowly, Elise sat, facing Josi.
She spoke softly at first, not wanting to startle her. “Josi.”
Josi’s shoulders shuddered. The bow fastened to the end of her bun fluttered as she trembled. Through it all, however, she kept her gaze trained beyond the window, remaining silent.
When Elise spoke again, she took on a rougher, louder tone. “Josi. Please look at me.”
Finally, her younger sister met her gaze. Weeping despair filled her red-lined eyes, and Elise saw the depth of the guilt amid it all. Her lips had been bitten to the point of drawing blood, which dried into cracks along her mouth. Scarlet still stained her cheeks, but her face otherwise remained mostly clear. Her pallid expression especially concerned Elise. It was as if all color had been drained from her. She wondered for a brief moment if she was experiencing a reaper-like state of starvation. Elise could not even begin to grasp this new version of her sister—not quite turned, but not fully human.
“You’re angry with me,” Josi whispered.
“I’m not—”
“I can sense it. Your blood is hot. And your pulse quickened just then when you lied about it,” Josi bit out.
Elise swallowed. “I am happy to see you again. And I am really sorry I lost my temper with you at the club.”
Josi’s arms tightened around her knees, pressing them into her chest. “I was scared. The past few weeks, I’ve been so scared. I just didn’t want to be alone. I’ve been locked up and hungry and forced to bleed for everyone. I only stayed alive for you, Lisey. But then you came back to me and left again, and I thought if I could help, it would make you stay. It’s my fault—”
“No, it’s not—” Elise choked on her own distress. Tears filled her eyes, and her throat tightened to the point of pain. She touched Josi’s chin, pulling her gaze up to hers. “It’s not your fault. There are bad people in this world who want to hurt you. The gangsters and reapers…they would have done whatever they wanted, regardless of what you did.” Keeping hold of her sister’s chin, Elise held Josi’s hand with her free one. “I need you to understand that I am not angry with you. I did not mean any of the things I said. I was just hurt. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come find you. And I’m sorry for whatever these awful people and Karine and Valeriya did to you. I’m sorry for it all. And I promise you, I won’t let anything else happen to you. I won’t let anyone or anything else come between us ever again. But you have to promise me you will try your hardest to be safe. And be honest with me, okay?”
Josi nodded. She sniffed and wiped at her tears. “I promise.”
“Did you have anything to do with the attacks and people dying around Harlem?” Elise asked.
Her little sister stiffened. She was quiet for a moment, her mouth quivering while she contemplated her next words. “I only went to the gardens because I wanted to see you and Mommy, but Sena killed Mommy to help Karine punish me. Karine made us both hurt that night,” Josi whimpered. “I can feel Sena all the time. When Sena is angry, I’m angry. And I can’t control it.”
