Nightfall (Devil's Night, #4)

by Penelope Douglas

“What was that?” But he held me down, warning me, “I wouldn’t move.” What? Something slithered over my fingers under the dirt, and I froze, unable to breathe. I pulled against his hold, but he pushed me back in as his piercing gaze pinned me, the smooth body under the soil thick and never-ending. It was long. It wasn’t a worm. I gulped, whispering. “Is that a snake?” “One of them.” One of them? I darted my eyes around the plant bed, trying to spot others. There was a clear, plastic wall around the garden, the panel in front of us removed so Aydin could work. “Who was the addict in your family?” “Huh?” “Look at me, Emory,” he said. I looked up at him, worry knitting my brow. I tried to slide my hands out, but he held firm. Shit. Where was Will? “Who conditioned you to lie so well?” he asked, staring into my eyes and keeping his voice calm and steady. “He…” I trailed off as the snake, or whatever it was, stopped over my hand, and I felt it shift or…start to coil. Another lump lodged in my throat. “Aydin…” “Who?” He tightened his hold on my wrists. “He…” I breathed hard. “He wasn’t an addict. My brother had a temper,” I explained. Fuck, where was Will? Tears sprang to my eyes. “And he got physical with you?” Aydin asked. A flicker of something hit my pinky—again and again. Its tongue? “Oh, my God,” I gasped. “Please.” Let me go. “Be still,” he said. “Look at me.” I darted my eyes to his again. “Like a rock,” he instructed. “You’re part of her terrain. She won’t notice you unl...