Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Even though Cody shares everything he’s translated, there’s too much for me to remember all of it, and clearly, even Cody needs to occasionally refer back to it to refresh his memory.
Cody heads over to his desk, retrieves some papers, and passes them to me. “They called this type a Slasher. They can appear in different forms, but they are similar in nature. Feed off blood and fear—those are the elements they need to grow and become stronger. When Waters and Dobbers encountered the first one, they used their powers to trap it and a shotgun to blow its head off, so we know it can be affected by the laws of our world and the spells we have.”
“There’s more,” Seth says. “We think something about Luke’s power is what it’s after. That’s what the Guides were trying to tell us.”
“Because it feeds off energy?”
“Exactly,” Cody replies. “Maybe they were warning that if it gets Luke, that will make it far stronger, which in turn…”
“Means it can kill even more people,” I conclude.
“There’s another fact about the Slasher,” Cody adds. “The way it murders its victims helps it extract more power. The first kill was quick because it needed to feed, but as it gets stronger, it can slow down, take its time to torture its victim to extract as much energy as it can from them.”
“Like setting someone on fire or impaling them.”
“All seems to fit together,” Cody says.
“More reason to get rid of Luke,” Seth adds, and I glare at him before he snaps, “I told you how I feel about this.”
“Yeah, and what happened to ‘we decide those things as a group’?” Cody retorts, making Seth huff.
“Seth only wants to do things when they work for the plan he already has in his head. Maybe we need to remind you that life’s different when you can’t just push what you want on people.”
Cody’s eyes narrow. “Did you really feel that was constructive?”
“No,” I confess.
He disregards it, saying, “Is there anything else anyone wants to bring up? Anything that maybe you feel like the other hasn’t been hearing?”
“I’ve said what I need to,” I reply.
Seth takes a moment before he adds, “I’m a little annoyed at Brad right now because I feel like, since Luke got here, he’s been keeping secrets about this…whatever we’re gonna call it. The Lust.”
The Lust. That’s apt.
Seth goes on, “You don’t talk about it or tell us what you’re going through. And when we ask, you get real defensive.”
“You keep giving me hell about it, but then expect me to share something this personal?”
“That’s a fair criticism,” Seth concedes. “I’ve been pressing you about that because you are so secretive. But we need to understand what you’re experiencing. It could help us make sense of what the hell is going on.”
I grunt. “I don’t like this.”
“Okay,” Cody says in a gentle way, like he knows Seth hit a nerve. “Brad, do you have anything you want to say about that?”
“Can you not talk to me like I’m one of your future clients?”
“I’m just trying to get to the bottom of this.”
It doesn’t make this shit any less weird. “It’s not the kind of thing I want to talk about. It’s embarrassing, and deeply personal. And then it’s not just me. I can’t speak for Luke—”
“We’re back to you putting him first,” Seth says.
“Seth, we’re listening now,” Cody presses, which makes Seth take a breath.
I go on. “What if I was probing you about things you could only share by also sharing things Cody might not want me to know?”
“Don’t play like you know this guy like I know Codes.”
“Seth, can you understand what he was trying to say?” Cody asks.
Seth considers the question. “I do, but my point stands: I don’t get why he’s being loyal to someone who hasn’t earned that.”
“I don’t feel like I’m being loyal as much as seeing Luke as another person who deserves consideration.”
Seth’s gaze meets mine, and his expression relaxes. “Okay. I hear that.”
About fucking time.
I take my first sip of Cody’s shake, cherishing the mix of ice cream and espresso—two of my favorite things. Between Seth actually fucking listening to me and the taste, my defenses are starting to come down.
“Okay,” Cody says. “Now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way, there’s more.”
“More? Fuck.”
Cody heads to his desk and takes out a spiral-bound notebook. He opens it as he approaches me, and I can see it’s notes about Luke’s vision.
“He mentioned a statue he thought might be a squirrel with a hat,” he says.
“I remember.”
“We think he got it wrong. The animal, at least. The mascot for the winter festival.”
“Bucktooth Beaver?” I’m surprised I didn’t make the connection from Luke’s description.
“We’ll have to check with Luke,” Seth says, “but you wouldn’t necessarily know the animal unless you’re familiar with Lawrenceville. The fair doesn’t open until November twenty-first, so we think another murder will take place after the twenty-first.”