THE UNDYING | TWILIGHT

35. Buried

Wednesday, 1:35 PM: "Hey, Nic, it's Liv. I'm just calling to see how you're doing. We're all really worried about you. Well, I'm really worried about you. So, um, call me back, okay? Maybe we can have dinner or something. 'Kay, bye."

Wednesday, 6:28 PM: "Hey, it's Liv again. Look, I know you're probably not in the mood to talk to anyone right now, but I really think it'd help you. We're all upset about what happened to Adrianna. Dad says you're just grieving, but I don't know ... Nic, why did you do that? How did you ...? Never mind, I don't even wanna know. Look, I know I should probably tell somebody about what I saw, but I can't. You're my brother, and I love you. I don't want anything to happen to you. But if you don't get help, I'll have no choice. So call me back when you get this, okay? I just wanna help you. Bye."

Wednesday, 8:46 PM: "Okay, Nic, you're really starting to freak me out. Why won't you call me back? If you don't call me back soon, I'm just gonna head over there. Call me as soon as you get this."

Wednesday, 10:17 PM: "Nic, where are you? I just went to your apartment and you weren't there! Look, if you don't call me back and tell me where you are, I'm gonna call Dad and tell him everything. He's gonna send you away again, Nic. So please call me back. I love you. Bye."

At eleven o'clock, Nicolas Distefano's phone went off for the fifth time that day. It was in his coat pocket, buzzing and buzzing away as he slowly ascended the exterior steps of the city hall. The mayor and his staff had already gone home for the evening, leaving the upper levels completely empty.

Silently, he moved through the darkness and climbed the staircase to the second level.

She begged me to get her out of there, he remembered. 'They're gonna kill me!' she cried. She came to me for help, and I did nothing. I didn't protect her. I should have protected her. I let her die—I killed her!

He walked into the waiting room, where he'd first met Adrianna almost two years ago. Olivia had introduced them upon his return from London, said she was an old friend from her university days. Truth be told, Adrianna was a lousy secretary. She'd completely lied on her application and was hired only because Olivia had put in a good word for her. Adrianna had a terrible memory, and she would spend hours typing just one email, which often went to the wrong person anyway. But she was a classic beauty, and she could charm even the most hardhearted businessman with her sweet smile and infectious laughter.

How quickly that all went away after she accepted the position downstairs.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nicolas heard Adrianna whisper into his ear. If he closed his eyes, he could almost feel her icy cold breath tickling his earlobe. "Why didn't you tell me the truth about them? Nicolas, they're monsters! I saw it with my own eyes—I saw them kill people! And now they're gonna kill me because of what I saw ... Nicolas, they're gonna kill me!"

Nicolas squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry," he said, and then he took the plastic gas can and doused the desk until he could hear her voice no more. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

When the can was empty and she was quiet, he tossed the can aside and grabbed the lighter from his pocket. With one flick of the spark wheel, the flame came alive in his hand.

"Don't worry, Adrianna," he murmured as the heat licked his face. "They can't hurt you anymore," and then he dropped the lighter onto the desk.

✧ ✧ ✧ 

A pile of ash and dust, that was all that remained of poor Santiago. Caius had performed the execution himself, with the lighter he used for only the most worthy of offenders. In that regard, Santiago should have considered himself special, as only three before him had been given such an honor. Traitors, all three of them.