Lost Heart √

Twenty Six

Skylar's POV

"What--" I nearly jumped, placing a hand over my racing heart as I stared at him. "--are you doing here?"

He walked slowly past the mud and a bunch of wild grass, eyes curiously darting from one gravestone to another. "I saw you. So I followed you."

"Blake," I snapped and stepped near him. "What the hell? You--You escaped. What are you..." I trailed off as I looked at him--really looked at him. He seemed as put together as one could look right after escaping from a freaking dungeon. "How did you escape?"

He gave me that grin so typical of him, halfway a smile and halfway a threat--as I had learned. Raising his hands, he pulled up his trench coat sleeves and I stared at the red, bleeding lines around his wrists.

"Jesus," I whispered.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure you would've rather torn your wrists too than stay roped on that measly little chair."

A rustle came from somewhere around us and I flinched.

"So," Blake said, apparently not hearing what I was hearing. "What do we have here?"

Inhaling deeply and slowly, I took out my phone and switched it on, trying to thumb through my contacts, but failing.

"Ah, I see." He answered himself, and I hadn't noticed him stepping beside me. I flinched again and stumbled away, eyes wide. "Sad, isn't it?"

My gaze darted back to the gravestone that had frozen me in my tracks not even a handful of minutes ago. The one with that name on it. Caden's mother's name. Aletta.

"How did you know you'd find me here?" I asked him, my voice coming out much firmer than how I felt from the inside.

"I've been hearing things." He murmured almost thoughtfully this time. His blue eyes snapped up to mine and I tried not to grow stiff in alarm once again. This place and these graves and Blake being here wasn't helping at all. "You'd be surprised how much one can hear when trapped in an underground cellar."

I looked away from him and placed my phone away, letting myself look around. Still no signs of anyone else.

"I heard someone's been stalking you. I thought that was just Lexi, but then you received a gift at your doorstep." He continued, and I could still feel his stare on me. "Didn't you?"

I didn't say anything, just slid my hands into my back pockets and tried not to let the thoughts in my head overwhelm me. Caden's mother is dead, I thought. She's been dead and Caden doesn't know.

"Leaving such heartfelt gifts at the enemy's doorstep isn't really her thing." He shrugged and finally trained his gaze back on the grave in front of us. "I would know."

"Lexi?" I asked anxiously.

I saw him raise a brow and that was that. With a slight tilt of his head, Blake examined the grave. "Think you can bury someone alive out here without anyone noticing?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Don't."

"What?" He looked up at the sky. "How else do you think she died? Must be a tad bit gruesome if even my dear old brother isn't aware of it."

I blinked and blinked and the tears in my eyes stung. "He thinks she's alive." My voice was just a whisper. A tiny, stunned whisper.

Blake was silent as he continued staring up at the sky, occasionally squinting as if looking for something up there.