Chapter 13: No Coincidence (Continued)
I stood over the creep, his blood seeping into Norwegick's cracked pavement, his whimpers grating against the hum's fierce pulse in my chest. My knife gleamed, slick with his fear, and I twirled it slowly, weighing my options.
"Hmmm, what next?" I muttered, voice low and taunting.
The Female King didn't leave loose ends, and this guy knew too much—Marcus, Dad, Liriwick, the lie of a car accident. He was a thread in Mystery M's web, and I could cut it now.
His eyes darted, pleading. "I told you everything! I swear, I'm nobody—just a runner for them!"
"Them?" I crouched down, pressing the blade's tip beneath his chin, forcing him to meet my gaze. The hum surged, sharp and hungry, like it could taste his lies. "Who's 'them'? Mystery M? The masked bastard who killed my dad? Spill—or this knife gets cozy with your throat."
He choked, sweat mixing with blood. "I don't know names! Guys like me don't get names. We just get paid to watch and report. Said to keep an eye on Norwegick for a girl—blonde, tough, David's kid. That's you."
My heart skipped, but my face stayed cold. They were hunting me, just like they did eight years ago. The masked man—Mystery M—wasn't just a memory. He was here. Closing in.
"What else?" I hissed, twisting the blade just enough to draw a thin bead of blood.
"Edenville," he gasped. "They said you'd end up there eventually… that they'd be ready."
The hum roared. Piano chords and clinking chains, like the Silent Noise from my dreams. Edenville. The name that burned in Dad's notebook. The name Marcus died for. They wanted me there—but was it a trap? Or something bigger? Something tied to the "throne" they'd killed for?
I stood, wiped my blade clean on his sleeve. "You're lucky I'm in a generous mood," I lied, voice ice. "You live—for now. But you say nothing. Not about me. Not about my mom. Tell them I'm gone. Tell them to search other places. Tell them you're still looking."
I leaned down, smiling like the devil. "Let them sweat. Let them wonder. I'll come for them like a thief in the night."
He nodded, trembling, clutching his thigh. I gave him a solid kick to the side. He groaned, curling into the shadows.
"Don't follow me again," I said, turning away. "Next time, you're ash. Like Kane."
The hum steadied as I slipped into Norwegick's fog. Edenville wasn't just a destination anymore—it was a battlefield. Marcus's death, Dad's murder, the pact, the Silent Noise… it all pointed there.
Mystery M thought they could bait me.
Let them.
I wouldn't walk into their trap—I'd burn it down.
Back home, Mom was asleep on the couch, pale and tired. A half-empty mug balanced beside her. I moved quietly, slipping the notebook into my jacket. Its weight was more than paper and ink—it was truth. Blood-soaked and buried.
I couldn't stay here. Not with them watching. Not with Mia begging me to forget.
I needed money. A plan. A way into Edenville before they struck first.
The hum whispered to me, soft but clear. Like Dad's voice.
Be strong, my Female King.
I nodded, fingers tightening around my knife.
Tomorrow, I'd figure something out.
Tonight, I'd rest—even if I didn't really sleep. My dreams weren't dreams anymore. They were the past, looping like a broken record. A nightmare I couldn't change. Could only survive.
Mystery M wanted a fight?
They'd get one.