Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Lilith**

“How did you get all of this information?” I ask Mackenzie, awed by what’s laid on the grass between us. Two binders full of laminated pouches that hold sheets upon sheets of information on the School Sigil Searer and their victims. “It’s insane.”

“Too right,” Joseph mutters, also as awed as me.

I brought Mackenzie here on my dirt bike, much to her despair. I let her use my sister’s old helmet, somebody may as well. She was shocked to say the least but there’s no way I was getting my dad’s Prius to the fucking track.

She clung tight to my body and screamed most of the way here, her heavy backpack weighing my turns down.

This all got planned yesterday at school when I hung around with her for the day after learning of her obsession with this killer. I’m so glad I did. This bitch has FBI files on it that have never been released to the public. She won’t tell me how she got them, just that, if she gets caught with them, she’ll go to jail.

My lips are sealed, and she trusts that much of me.

“It took a lot of time, but I had this thought that I might be able to figure it out myself. I mean there’s a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for any information leading to this dude’s arrest.” She is so animated and chatty in a way I’ve never been. She’s like Emma Stone whereas I’m more Billy Eilish.

She’s nice enough but I reckon I’ll tire of her soon.

Bobby whistles a long low note. He’s impressed. “You’ve even got some of their fucking dead photos. That’s just creepy.”

“Totes,” Mackenzie replied. “I had nightmares for days the first time I saw them. I felt like I was doing them a disservice and violating them in some way, so I don’t look at the pictures anymore.”

“Respectful,” I state, nodding softly.

“Where’s Nokosi?” Nash suddenly asks, appearing from the tree line with his friends.

“At work,” I reply without looking up from the paper.

“What are you doing?” he asks as he gets closer.

Mackenzie looks at me for confirmation of trust.

“That’s on you,” I tell her. “These seem like good people, but I don’t know them well enough to vouch for their loyalty.”

“Ouch, Lil, what a burn,” Joseph jokes, giving me a playful shove.

Bobby cuts in, “So, what we know so far is this psychopath has killed twenty-seven guys aged sixteen to eighteen?”

“Twenty-seven and counting,” I add, wagging my brows.

Bobby grins at me, showing slightly crooked teeth and dimples in his chin. “I thought you didn’t like talking about death.”

“I don’t, with my sister being so close to it, it’s upsetting… but I figured I better start making friends before the school year ends and who better to entice than you freaks to my weirdness?”

Mackenzie laughs and shakes her head, Joseph pushes me again, and Bobby throws a stick at me.

“In between sucking Nok’s dick, and looking after my sister, I haven’t had much time.”

“Gross,” Nash baulks, standing and moving to my dirt bike. “Can I?”

“Where’s yours?” I frown, throwing him my keys.

“In for repair.”

He pulls on my helmet, straddles my beast of a bike, and kickstarts the engine. Then he peels away, showing off on the track like he always does.

“Why don’t you ever let me on your bike?” Joseph pouts, disappointed.

“Because you’re shit.”

Bobby falls backwards laughing and I grin wryly and unapologetically as I always do.

“You’re such a bitch, Lil,” Joseph jests good-naturedly. “What the hell Nokosi sees in you is anyone’s guess.”

“His penis,” Mackenzie answers flippantly and freezes when we all look at her. She gulps the orange down that she just placed on her tongue and adds, “He sees his penis in her.”

I laugh, it starts as a slight giggle that bounces up from my chest but then becomes full-body laughter. I clutch my stomach and pat her on the back. “That was good, Mack. That was really good.”

Mackenzie beams with pride.

“Anyway,” Joseph says clearly and flicks through the blue binder. “So, we know the last victim found was a month ago.”

“Found a month ago but died over two,” Mackenzie puts in.

Hands tip my head back and lips touch my forehead. I smell him before I see him. Nokosi. Just whispering his name in my brain sends a shiver down my spine.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he whispers, sitting behind me and pulling me into his crotch. “What’s this about my penis being in you?”

Laughing softly, I turn my head and touch my lips to his. We deepen it for a moment and the others let us have it. Normally they moan at us for the display, not that we care what makes them uncomfortable or not.

I softly suck on his lower lip for a second before looking into his eyes and breathing the words, “I’m sorry.”

He knows what I’m apologizing for, I don’t have to elaborate, and he won’t make me.

His tired browns soften and his hand cups my cheek tenderly. When his thumb strokes the skin beneath my eye, I kiss him again. We share this private moment in this crowded place and then look at the binders.

“Where can I get me some of that passion?” Mack cries and scrunches her nose up at me. “You two are so hot you have no idea.”

“I’m passionate,” Bobby declares, raising his hand.

Nok groans into my neck and Joseph clips his friend upside the head.

“Well, I am,” he grumbles and Mackenzie sighs dramatically while uttering the word, “Boys.”

“So, what do the FBI know so far?” I ask to change the subject.

“Well…” She glances at us all and lowers her voice as an evil, excited smile stretches her pretty face. “They think he might be here.”

I tense and look at Nokosi who shrugs. “I’ll protect you.”

Snorting, I roll my eyes back to the binders as Joseph is stuffing things back inside. “He’s after boys, remember. Last I checked, us women are safe.” Mackenzie and I fist-bump.

“Don’t worry, boys, we’ve got your backs,” Mackenzie cries, raising her pale fist high.

I pull my knife from my boot and flip out the blade with a click. “Or are we going to stab you in it?”

“That’s not funny, don’t freak me out,” Joseph whines as I tuck my weapon away, cackling like a witch.

“Stay with me tonight?” Nokosi asks. “Just in case the killer tries to get me in my sleep.”

The sky is getting gray which means our little gathering must end soon.

“I don’t see why not,” I murmur, climbing to my feet just as Nash comes skidding to a stop before me. “But we need to give Mackenzie a ride back into town.”

“No problem, we’ll take my truck.”

“Nash,” I call, and he pulls off his helmet which is actually my helmet. “Can you take my bike back to your house when you’re done? I’m gonna hang with Nokosi for a while.”

“Sure, I’ll fill her up too.”

I flap a hand at him. “Don’t worry about that. Just leave me enough to get home.”

Nokosi wraps an arm around my neck as Joseph and Bobby rush to help Mackenzie pack away.

“So,” she asks, catching up to us after a moment. “Why the sudden interest in the serial killer?”

I sigh heavily. “Truth be told I need the distraction.”

“Well, hit me up if you want to go through it all again.”

“Definitely.” I grin at her genuinely. “It was cool hanging with you. You’re not like the other girls I’ve met at prep.”

“You mean because I don’t want to conform to society’s standards on makeup and boys and shit?”

“Pretty much.”

“I’m glad you’ve seen it and approve.”

We fist-bump again and make our way through the trees to where Nokosi parked his truck.

“I can’t believe I’m hanging out with the cool kids,” Mackenzie comments, climbing into the front seat after me.

I laugh, she’s quite funny. “We’re the cool kids?”

She nods rapidly. “You’ve been here a month and already you’ve been voted most unapproachable and the person people want to hang with.”

Nokosi laughs at that. “They got the unapproachable right.”

“Yeah,” I agree, wiping my dirty hands on my jeans. “I don’t like people.”

“You’re not going to punch me in the face if I bug you, are you?” Mack hides behind her fingers playfully peeking at me from between them.

“Only if you try to fuck my boyfriend. You’re safe otherwise.”

She leans forward to look at Nokosi suggestively. “I mean…”

I know she’s joking but when Nokosi wags his brows at her I dig my fingers into both their thighs until they both yelp. Mackenzie thinks it’s hilarious.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on them from now on.

When we get to town and drop her at her house, I turn to Nokosi and declare, “If you fuck anybody while we’re together, I will genuinely run you both over and throw your bodies off a cliff.”

“Why the hell would I?” he asks, smiling from ear to ear at my jealousy. “Have you seen you?”

I narrow my eyes on him until I’m confident he’s received the message loud and clear and then he touches me intimately, uncaring who sees, and devours my mouth until I too fully accept his message.

Which was what again?





**Willow**

I look at the white walls. They need a second coat, maybe even a third.

I’m stalling for time.

“Looks good,” Nokosi says around a loud yawn. I know how he feels, these days I constantly feel as though I’m fighting to stay awake.

“It could be better.”

“Does it matter? She’s painting over it soon anyway,” he grumbles and yawns again.

I look at him, it’s only ten but he’s clearly exhausted. “You can go.”

He raises a brow. “Are you dismissing me?”

“Could you maybe take me to the store first? I’ve got a major craving for some Hershey’s.”

Hesitating, he seems to think about it for a moment before looking around the room. It’s pure brilliant white though you can’t tell in the dim lighting. We only have an old lantern that was left behind by the prior tenants. “Sure, why not?”

“Yes!” I cheer and take the arm he offers. “Thanks, Nok.”

“No problem, I figured that the nicer I am to you the more likely you are to stay.”

Laughing I slap his chest and shake my head. “Everybody has an agenda I guess.”

“Of course, life would be shit without one. Can you imagine not having a goal in life?” He shrugs his shoulders. “I bet you have an extensive bucket list.”

He has no idea. “There’s just one thing left on my list.” Pulling open the truck’s passenger door, he grips my hips to help me inside and for the first time ever I don’t feel repulsed by his touch. I don’t fully welcome it either but it doesn’t make me feel sick.

“What’s that?” he asks after rounding the truck and climbing in.

I tap my nose and look ahead.

“Maybe I can help you achieve it? Maybe we all can?”

“I doubt it,” I mutter and check my pocket for my wallet. “How are things with my sister now? She’s hardly been home for the past couple of days.”

“Good. We got past whatever happened, she’s happy again.” He looks me up and down when we stop at a red light. “Are you happy? You can always join us.”

“One step at a time,” I say, placing my hand on his for a few seconds, until he clears his throat and pulls his away.

Well, he’s definitely loyal to my sister.

I start coughing, I can’t stop. It’s not so much that anything is on my chest it’s just what happens sometimes. My chest feels so tight. I stagger on a breath that I try to pull in and pain pops in my throat.

This sucks.

“Fuck, Willow, are you okay?” He rubs my back until I’ve calmed myself, his eyes shining with concern.

I nod and sit back. “Fuck this illness, man. I’m done. I feel like I’m fading away.”

We don’t speak for a while. What is there to say? I’m dying. There’s only so many times one can tell me how sorry they are as I suffer through the symptoms and side effects of my ailment, and the drugs I have to take for it.

“I have an idea… it’s unconventional and it defies the laws of modern medicine… but…” He suddenly pulls over, startling me and I tense, not liking being taken by surprise. But then he taps on his phone screen and puts it to his ear. “Auntie, is Elisi awake?” After a pause where he listens to a feminine voice reply, he starts speaking in another language and at the end he’s smiling.

“What’s going on?” I ask weakly, trying not to cough again.

He puts the car in drive and makes a U-turn. “How’d you like to meet my grandmother on the res?”

My breath catches in my throat. “I don’t know… I’m not good around people.”

“She’s a healer,” he insists gently. “Not the kind you know but she’s saved lives. I don’t believe in it more than a placebo but if it can help you then isn’t it worth a try?”

“I guess,” I mutter, suddenly feeling like a lost little girl again. I don’t have a weapon, or mace spray, or even my phone. “Will you… protect me?”

“Protect you? From what?”

“Everybody?”

His brows pull together with confusion and his hand goes to my thigh. “I promise, nobody will hurt you while I’m with you.”

Resting my forehead against the cool glass, I take a deep breath and mutter, “Okay. I’ll go.”

“Did somebody hurt you before? Is that why you don’t go anywhere?”

I consider telling him to fuck off. I consider berating him for prying. But something inside of me screams to let it out, to trust somebody with just a tiny part of me. It begs me to. It begs me to feel human again.

“Not just me, but my sister too.”

He tenses, his body becomes cement. “Somebody hurt Lilith?”

I nod once, trying not to let the grief I feel overwhelm me and trigger my own anxiety. Lilith isn’t the only one with issues.

“What happened?” he asks urgently. “Who hurt you?”

“It doesn’t matter… they can’t hurt us anymore.”

His urgency becomes concern and confusion. “Willow… what did you do?”

I don’t reply and that in itself is reply enough if one is smart enough to read into the silence. Nokosi is definitely smart enough to do that. He’s also smart enough to let it end there. He doesn’t push or pry and I respect that.

No more questions are asked, and we drive through the trees to the woodsy part of the reservation, away from town by far. It’s quiet in the truck for the longest time. Nothing but potent pain swirling between us, making the atmosphere thick and heavy.

“Still like me?” I ask, unable to control myself. For some reason the thought of him not liking me makes me feel things I don’t want to feel. I don’t care what he thinks. I don’t care what anybody thinks. Or at least… I didn’t.

“Somebody hurt me once too,” he confesses quietly. “So whatever you did, or whatever you wanted to do, I get it.”

Somebody hurt him too.

We share a look in the darkness when we pull to a stop, lighting up a dark house with strong headlights.

“Wait here.” Pushing open the door, he jumps out of the truck landing steadily on both feet. The door to the one-story home opens as he crosses the distance with powerful strides. I spy an older lady with a hunched back and white hair pulled back into a tight bun. It’s difficult to make out her features.

Nokosi speaks to her for a moment as another woman appears behind the older one. I’m guessing it’s his grandmother and aunt, but I can’t say for sure.

He comes running back after a long moment of me scanning the dark area with tired eyes. There are more homes in the distance, all different shapes and sizes to this one. I wonder if they were built by them.

“Come on,” Nokosi urges after opening my door. He takes my hand and helps me down, then keeps hold of me as we make the journey to his grandmother’s home. I approach cautiously. I don’t feel secure anymore. I feel on edge and guarded. Like I’m being watched and judged silently by devils in the trees, ready to take my soul to the underworld and torture me for an eternity.

It’s a silly thought but it’s a true one and I almost can’t breathe.

“What is she going to do?” I ask quietly.

“You’ll see,” he replies.