Ripped Veil - A Mafia Romance

YS

N THE DESER

is to f

s to find

is to fi

have I said them? Too many to count. Every dawn, noon, an

gh my subconsciousness. My

ents of incense and fire.

th all that, something s

n control of my own body. It's easier to remain bli

nto my body. That's what finally forces me to o

questions bubble to the surface. Why am I on the ground? Why d

ed to simple cottons and softened white linen-the uniform I've worn all my life, the same one my parents wear,

ovement. My head spins and the room tilts for a

isn't

nted an ugly yellow when I was too young to know better. It has a thin mattress lying bare on the f

s not

is iron and ornate, far fancier than anything I've ever seen, and the sheets are twisted and ha

t is wrong? I can't remember anything about how I

emory is still patchy. Gauzy flashes wisp across my mind,

of me. But it's so hard to see, to make sense of thin

rls gather in the main hall of the Sanctuary to drink the purity water

on vomited her guts out after just one sip.

t was meant to. "You're cleansed!" he'd boomed in that gravelly voice

ividually after the fact. I'd been exempt becau

red much. She die

s taken by the powers that be. He stood in the middle and soaked up our prayers and told us to say them loude

and warm. I look down at my hand a

it up in front of my whirring eyes. The first thing I notice is the graceful curve of dar

ast iron and expensiv

thing is dre

sn't yet crested. I have to avoid hysteria. Hysteria is

, still so dizzy that it feels like I'm on a sh

round, though I do think about how easy it would be

nate is rememberi

sure I wan

realization hits me like a slap in the face.

mation is

neck and when I go to bat it away, I

'm wearin

g night, then something has de

sh it down. Hysteria is the enemy.

cky with dried blood clinging to me like a second skin. Without thinking, I brush

yssa. Don't pan

op short when I notice something sticki

ked

flits instantly to the bedroom window. I can see only darkness beyond the glass, but I've gro

it-and beside it and lining every available surface in the room-are hundreds and hund

hot in here. That

hen I first came to-it is a wedding dress I'm wearing, and it is a ve

he expression, which is both terrified and

a pale foundation applied with a heavy hand. I look

in my life. I wouldn't even

.. I've done

nd the bed. I can't ignore it anymore. I take a shaky step forward,

and no shirt. He's fallen facedown,

er to the emp

spurred by the burgeoning panic that'

op at the last moment. Instead, I fall to my knees next to h

osiah," I

e the nasty crater on one side of his face. It look

ization scorches through me like a lightning bolt. I collapse and scurry backw

o..." I beg to no

es as tears start to run down my cheeks. Ea

my reflection in the silver

bloodied metal swan in my hand. There's a dead man in the bed

lled

lled

lled