Conform or Suffer: The Darkness of Beauty

Chapter 42 Moths and Beetles

A Month Later, Inside Chase's Camper

*

Chase glared at her. "We haven't spoken in a year? I need to drive home."

Zill handed him a check. "Our lawyer recovered half our funds. I lied that you were living in the Ivy Kingdom for the past couple of years. I'm here to give you your cut, and I need your help."

"Whatever you're selling, count me out," Chase said. "Yoleta knows where I am, and I turned myself in six months ago."

Their answering machine flickered on. "Hey, it's Colonel Ghoul Flint."

Zill kicked the machine and waved documents in the air. "These medical files are more important."

Chase glared at her. "I refuse to read them."

She thumbed through the documents and showed the papers to her ex-husband. "Grew-Ella's obstetrician is old-fashioned, and everything has a paper trail."

"You're not touching her or her kids!"

"Look, the real issue is my sister's imperfections. Grew-Ella has accidentally become the face of the revolution, and she has to die for me to save the kingdom. Vex is losing power, and the Kill Home is going to execute Sean-Mack and then shut down. With my sister dead, the revolution dies with her."

"But what about her babies? You aren't going to hurt them, are you?" Chase asked.

Zill didn't answer at first, but she smiled and winked. "You can keep them if you want. Vex's supporters are starting a war. My sister's babies don't matter. One of her demons might inherit her condition."

Colonel Ghoul Flint broke through the side door of the camper with dozens of guards.

"Who told you where we were?" Zill asked.

"Actually, I called him," Chase said.

"You what?" Zill hit him.

Flint pulled her arm away. "We're going through the main event, and not only is my mind clearer, I recognize and remember more. Chase didn't call me in the first timeline, but he still needs to come with us."

"But I want to go home to my little girl. She needs me."

"You're becoming like them. Soft-hearted for an evil workhouse brat." She lunged toward Chase.

Two of Ghoul Flint's guards pulled her back.

Flint glanced at his watch. "Time is so close to the main event that I'm even remembering enough that I can show you what will happen, and the watch feels you're ready to see everything. Temporal watches house non-corporal life-forms."

"She ran away, and your lies can't stop me," Zill said.

Ida flickered for a moment in the reflection of his camper window. She crawled out and formed into humanoid flesh. Moths emerged from her mouth, flying toward Zill. "Flint is trying to save your worthless life."

Flint's phone rang. "Yoleta, yes, we caught her. What is wrong?"

"I'll escape," Zill said.

"But will you escape your doom?" Moths and beetles flew out of Ida's eyes.

"Ida, stop doing that. I'm on the phone." Flint pressed his phone to his mouth and spoke to Yoleta again. "Please hurry."

"I'm only teasing them with my magic," Ida said.

"Half the workhouse board is claiming Vex and Zill are their new leaders."

"Yes, but that is in a month, and before Zill kills for..." Flint paused.