The Isle Of Sin And Shadows - Keri Lake Page 0,166
against the wall.
“Jealous, much?” she says on a shaky breath.
“To be jealous, one would have to assume that you might eventually stray. You’re not going anywhere. And neither am I.” Brushing away her hair, I bury my face into the back of her neck and breathe in the scent of coconut on her skin. “I don’t want anything else, but you, chère,” I say, raggedly. “No one else.”
44
Céleste
The mud sucks at my feet, as I race through the woods.
“Minou, minou, I see you …”
1224 Regnier. Russ James. Get to Mr. Guidry’s. He’ll help me find Russ.
Taking cover in the hollow trunk of an old cypress, I pull my knees into my chest and clamp my eyes shut. The clatter of bones tells me he’s close. Knees hugged tight, I squeeze my eyes, not daring so much as a breath. He’ll find me. And when he does, he’ll kill me, just like the others.
The clattering sound stops. So do the footsteps.
I open my eyes.
Peering in on me is the white horned skull.
A scream rips from my throat, bouncing off the walls of the tree. A hard yank of my ankle sends me skating across the rough brush, where sticks and exposed roots tear at my back. The monster lodges his fingers into my pants and yanks them down to my knees, exposing my underpants beneath. It doesn’t matter that I kick and scream, he keeps me pinned to the ground and turns me just enough to run his finger over the scar on my thigh. The scent of magnolias hangs on the air. White petals fall from overhead, scattering over the surrounding brush. Over and over, he rubs my scar while circling his hips against my trapped legs. A bulge in his pants presses into my thighs, and I let out a scream.
Shooting upright, I scream into the darkness.
Cypress needles scratch my skin. The bugs crawling in and out of them, burrowing in the scrapes.
I reach over my shoulder, clawing at my back. Nothing.
Nothing. Nothing.
Breathe.
Arms reach for me, and still trapped in the haze of my dream, I push them away, kicking to escape the embrace. They’re stronger than me and manage to pull me hard, so I slide back down. Like a spider, they envelope me, trapping me against a warm body.
“Shhhh, Céleste. It’s okay. Settle down, chère.”
At the sound of soothing familiarity, I blink out of the blackness to the dimly lit room. The scent of cologne and sandalwood soap. The strong arms wrapped tightly across my chest. Calming.
“It was just a dream.”
Wriggling an arm free, I rub a trembling hand over my forehead and exhale a shaky breath. “It was so real. Felt so real this time.” Turning into him, I nuzzle my face in his chest, letting the calm settle into my bones. “I think Marcelle is in trouble. That dirty fed? I think he took her somewhere. Brie says she’s been gone for almost two weeks.”
“How can you be sure it was the fed?”
“He said it was Marcelle he was with at the hotel that night. And then someone broke into Brie’s house and left a string of bones on Justin’s nightstand. Brie is staying with a friend, and I urged her to report it to the police.”
“Did she suspect it was Aric?”
“No. She didn’t know. We didn’t know at the time, but after last night, I’m certain it’s the dirty fed. He said something about being chosen for some Goatman. Maybe that’s who has Marcelle.”
“Did he say who this Goatman might be?”
“No. But I have to tell Brie. I have to let her know, so she can have the police investigate him.”
Running his hand down my hair, he plants a kiss to the top of my head, holding me against him. “Won’t do you any good. He’s as dirty as they come. Connected in more ways than you can imagine.”
“Maybe so, but Marcelle is still missing. And if he knows where she is, we need to tell someone. She could be hurt, or … worse.”
“Let me take care of it, okay? It’s best if you don’t contact anyone right now. You need to lie low.”
“You were right. About him. He said the mark on my leg was some branding. That I was chosen for sacrifice. Antitheus, he called it. I feel like I’ve heard that word before somewhere.”
“They’re a cult, as I understand. All the more reason for you to stay put and avoid contact with anyone.”