“That is literally impossible.”
“Get away from the door.”
I move away from the door and lean against the opposite wall. When she comes out, she looks incredible, and my brain short-circuits. I almost tell her to get back in the room and change into my orange jumpsuit instead.
“Well?” she says.
“I’m a fucking genius,” I reply with a grin.
“Let’s go before I change my mind. I haven’t worn a skirt since I was a teenager.”
Having a partner for this is going to be the best. Normally I’m always in the Asylum, but tonight I’m out on the grounds. I know every hiding spot on the island, and we start near the alleyway between the circus tent and the Asylum, the one people use as a shortcut. I send Kayla to wait, and she tucks herself in so she can’t be seen.
A cluster of visitors walks down the passageway together; they must have come as a group. Their green wristbands light up the night, meaning they are here to be scared, not screwed.
She waits until the last person almost walks past her before jumping out. The man’s scream is impressive. Then, as I run out, they all disappear within seconds. Kayla laughs as they run away.
“You’re supposed to stay in character,” I tell her, but can’t help smiling at her.
“It’s your fault. You looked freaky running down there and you laughed as they ran away.”
“There’s a hierarchy.”
She scoffs. “There is not.”
“There is so—I will tell you about it later. But right now we are going to the cemetery.”
I grab her hand and drag her along. The cemetery is the best place at night for jump scares, and we make it there just before the same group walks inside the gates. I position her between the headstones, then climb a tree and watch her waiting. She stands motionless and silent as a statue. As the group walks by, they almost bump into her, but she still stands there completely still, her head tilted. Three of the five back up, and I drop right behind them and cackle.
Their screams as they run are music to my ears.
“You are good at this,” I say.
“Yeah, well, I grew up knowing how to make myself invisible and quiet.”
“That makes me sad, but it is useful here.”
She shakes her head and looks up at the sky for a moment, and when she looks back at me, she smiles. I love it when she looks at me like that.
“What’s next?” she asks.
“Follow me.”
I take her to the Asylum. At first, I was worried about taking her to my spot, as it has solely been minesince I came here and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share it. Tonight I spend most of the time watching her scare the life out of people. As the night goes on, she keeps appearing in places I didn’t send her; she has worked out on her own where the best hiding spots are for the best scares.
I catch her eye across a dark hallway, and she smiles. I wonder what it would take to get her to stay here? She belongs with us. I want her to stay so badly that I can feel pressure in my chest every time she laughs or does something unexpected.
She will stay if they all want her to—I know it.
It has to be all or nothing. That’s how it started, and she wouldn’t choose now.
Clay has claimed her. It’s no secret that I want her, and Brawley wants her if I do. All I need is Ares to admit that he feels something for her. But that will be hard; that man is impossible sometimes.
Looking back, I realize Kayla has vanished, but it’s not a problem—she has been doing it all night. She pops back up when people walk through. But when the signal comes that the last group is coming through and she doesn’t appear, I head out and check the cemetery. When I don’t find her there, I circle to the circus tent. Karo has a woman tied to his spinner of death. Honestly, anyone who lets him tie them to it while it’s on fire and he throws daggers at them has a death wish. What if he misses? No thanks.
My hands shake as I check the park section bysection. I try not to overthink it, as by now she knows the island well enough. I tell my hands to knock it off—I will not spiral. She is fine.
I pull out my phone and send her a message: