Evanescent - By Addison Moore Page 0,90

pair of buckling limbs and focus all my Celestra energy into prying them apart. No sooner do the branches snap then Casper appears beside me.

“Coop.” She wraps her thin arms around my body and holds on tight. “Your gorgeous face is a sight for sore eyes.”

I pull back and take her in. She looks the same, albeit it thinner. She’s wearing odd clothes, a shirt and pants that look as if they’re made of white linen. Her neck is cut along one side, and a navy welt protrudes thick as my thumb.

“Shit,” I hiss. “They’re hurting you.”

“I pissed them off.” She glances down. “They sent a ravager—some animal-like creature—a Count with no manners. Anyway. I’m over it. I’m done feeling pain and giving them the pleasure.”

“Where are the other prisoners?” I can’t help but notice the forest is sparse with victims, although for all I know this place could go on for acres.

“Most of them are in the tower. If you’re in the woods, it’s time for a blood draw.”

“My mom is here. Her name is Michaella Flanders.”

She shakes her head. “I’ve hardly seen anyone. They keep us pretty isolated.”

“Laken’s mom and sister are both here, too. If you come across her little sister, Lacey, please tell her Laken isn’t giving up.”

“I will.” She gives a sorrowful nod. “You said Laken is here?”

“She’s pretending to be one of them. She’s with Wes—who by the way is not pretending.” I might strangle him the next time I see him just for the hell of it.

“Wesley?” Her brows touch at the center.

“Look, I need to find them,” I pant. “I just want to make sure she’s okay from a distance. Do you know your way around these woods?”

“A little but this place is huge. We’re talking it owns a dimensional plane, huge. Come on.” She takes me by the hand, and we cover what feels like miles before finding ourselves back at the broken down cell she sprung out of.

“Shit. This place is like a damn hamster wheel.” A thought occurs to me. If Edinger says he’s ready and willing to serve, here’s his chance to prove it. I look up at the angry sky, fully expecting to see him but don’t. “Take me to Laken,” I command.

My body traverses tree after tree as I glide through the forest. I stop abruptly, flattening my face against the jagged bark of an oak before catching my bearings.

“Shit.” My head throbs. I dab my fingers over my cheek and confirm it’s bleeding. Looks like Edinger forgot to outline one of the more interesting perks of our arrangement, physical disfigurement.

I glance back and Casper is nowhere to be found. Figures. He’s probably got her back in the cage with a ravager on the way. Freaking monster.

A murmur of voices garners my attention, and I glance around the trunk to find an entire party of people.

Laken.

My insides loosen at the sight of her. She’s still wearing her cheer uniform. Nothing about her seems off, so I assume she’s unharmed. She shakes the hand of some blond guy as if profusely thanking him for something. Wes says something to a girl tied to a post before making his way over to Laken. A shriveled man moves among them and whispers something inaudible. He looks mostly human except for his radioactive glow.

Laken and Wes head in this direction.

My breath leaves a trail in the chilled night air, and I try to steady my breathing until it hardly emits a vapor.

“Are you feeling okay?” Wes grabs her by the waist and rocks her in his arms. It nauseates me just to witness.

“Better than okay. But it was weird.” She glances away. “You know, sucking off someone’s neck like that.”

Crap. I hate seeing Laken trying to play it off like she’s never done this before when Edinger filled me in on the fact Wes was in on our secret all along.

“You’ll get used to it over time. If you’re comfortable with him, we can request him for you.”

“I don’t feel right.” She shakes her head. “He said he was doing it as a favor, but he’s not officially taken by the Counts. I want her. I want the girl.” She pulls his head down by the back of the neck. “You said she’s the best.”

“I should’ve known.” He lets out a dark laugh. “Nothing but the best for an Anderson.”

“I have you, don’t I?” She seals the sentiment with a kiss, and my stomach turns to stone. An electric blue