To Be Obscure

| CH. 35

All eyes fell on me and I welcomed the stares with a raised chin. The people on the grass raised their heads up from their prayers; they smiled because they knew who I was. Funny how they didn't get the memo that I wasn't on her side.

"John," Abigail spoke through gritted teeth, "weren't you sleeping?"

"Was." I nodded. "I had a lovely nap, thank you. Spent some time with Charlotte, you know. The normal behavior of a truly caring person. Strange that this has started, considering I'd received a special invitation."

The circle gripped their candles tight; some, so tight, the candles snapped from their hands and fell into the dirt. Bits of fire clung to the grass that could burn, brightening the shadows at their feet.

Abigail stood straight, her glass in hand, and narrowed her eyes at me. I pretended not to care—despite my raging heart—and looked back inside the manor, as though I looked for someone.

"Ah, right." I looked back at her with a cocked brow. My top lip twisted up as I held in my growl. "I saw Nate on the way here. Care to explain?"

The male members of the circle stepped forward, passing their candles off to the female Evergreens at their side. Without spoken orders, they stood in front of her, blocking my path. At least three pulled daggers from their belts. Ron joined them, knife in hand, just like them.

I admired their determination, but for once, I was clear minded and sane—and aching to kill.

"Your friend lived in sin," Abigail barked behind her human shield, "and bringing him to the blessing would have been pointless. Our Lord would have set flame to him the second our blood touched his lips!"

"Our Lord," I mocked, and stepped in front of Ron, locking eyes with him but spoke to her still. "Your Lord is the Devil," I nearly shouted, grabbing the attention of the group waiting to be cleansed, "you're worshiping a false god, to be stricken with a strain of the Bubonic plague."

"What?"

The word echoed within the crowd, even amongst the Evergreens. Some of the men that stood with the human shield looked back at Abigail for answers, but her angry eyes were stuck on me. Too bad I didn't look at her; I was too busy staring down her top dog.

"Hear me, Ronnie," I sucked my teeth, "you're just a walking plague."

"Lies," he hissed. "You're just mad because I took your fucking place."

"Oh?" I stepped forward, making him step back. "You can have it. You're more than welcome to it, because all of you are going to die."

'What?' Again, the word echoed.

"What he means is, death can come to us all. We're not free of it, and it will find us one day. Immortality is a lie." Victor's voice came through the trees before he did. He still wore the same shirt, stained with Nathan's blood. He walked past his sister and through the shield, to stand at my side. He looked at me and nodded; I did the same.

"Your friend is—"

He started to ask, but I shook my head quickly. "I don't know," I said as Ron switched is knife to his other hand, "but I gave him a chance."

"Ah," Victor nodded, understanding, "good."

"Good?" Ron cracked his neck, his eyes flowing bright. Three men beside him did the same, and each squeezed their weapon. "What's good? What'd you give him?"

Those who prayed stood and ran into the manors. The women within the circle broke their stance and ran to Abigail's aid. They covered her, shielding her from my view, and I knew why—they knew, like she knew, that I wanted her dead. Her, Ron, and anyone who tried to stop me.