When Devils Sing(104)

I’m signing away my soul, Neera thought grimly. My freedom. The irony wasn’t lost on her after what she’d already promised to Crow. But what Grant envisioned was a career as a puppet. Performing not for the passion, or for an audience, but for rooms of hungry-eyed suits who thought only in profit margins, not musical notes. “Yes.”

“Then I’d say we have a deal, Neera Singh.” Grant held out his hand, a wicked smile creeping across his face.

“Deal,” she said, shaking his outstretched hand.

Neera knew the devil well, but looking at Grant Langley now, she felt she was looking at something much worse.





CHAPTER 44REID




12 HOURS


It was the morning of the Fourth of July, and it was Reid Langley’s eighteenth birthday.

Reid thought he would pack more things when it came time to leave Lake Clearwater, but all he had was an overnight bag filled with the barest of essentials, and his favorite photos of his mother. In the end, he’d spent the predawn hours doing more for others than himself.

Hidden in Lake Clearwater was a parked van and a docked pontoon boat, among other things needed for that night and for their escape. It was incredible how quickly a rescue plan could come together when ample cash was involved. No language spoke louder than the almighty American dollar.

Now, Reid’s only remaining task was to wait for his father’s invitation that morning. There was the smallest part of him that still hoped—no, prayed—that his father, his only living parent, wasn’t at the head of everything he’d learned the past few days. But willful ignorance was no longer a luxury Reid could afford. He had to face the truth of his family’s bloody legacy head-on.

A knock sounded at his bedroom door.

He found his siblings lingering in the hallway, dressed as if they were attending Sunday church.

“Happy birthday, asshole,” Jonah greeted. “Where were you last night?”

Reid tensed at his brother’s question. He genuinely didn’t think his siblings noticed his absence. “I was busy.”

Jonah snorted. “Busy doing what?”

“I was with Isaiah Johnson.” He added quickly, “We’re … friends now, I guess.”

“Ha!” To Jonah, Farris said, “I told you. Pay up.”

Reid blinked. “Did I miss something?”

Farris smirked. “We bet on how long it’d take you to move on from Dawson.”

“Yeah, and I lost,” Jonah groaned, reaching for his wallet. He then passed their sister a fifty. “Nice going, Reid. I thought you’d last a little longer.”

Reid didn’t have it in him to fight that morning. “Can y’all just leave me alone today? As a birthday present?”

“Not yet.” Farris reached out and adjusted the collar of Reid’s shirt. “Dad wants to see us in his office.”

It begins, Reid thought with a tremor of fear in his gut. This is it.

As the siblings made their way downstairs, Reid thought he’d walked onto the New York Stock Exchange. The first floor of his home was awash in over a dozen pencil-pushing suits who scrambled over themselves as they worked on laptops, spoke hurriedly on phones, and belabored over dense contracts and tax documents. The siblings all exchanged a curious look.

Once inside their father’s office, Reid found his father seated at his desk, with his personal lawyers, Leblanc and Rutledge, in the armchairs across from him. Reid was nearly overcome with the urge to punch Leblanc in the mouth, but he fixed his face to remain cool. He promised himself justice would come in another form—not only for his best friend, but for many others. The three men quickly ended their discussion as the lawyers excused themselves, shutting the office door behind them.

Jonah asked first, “What’s with all the suits?”

“It’s an auspicious day,” their father said. “A day for celebration.” He gestured to the windows overlooking the ever-present lake. Dozens of boats already lingered on the shimmering water, securing their spots for the Fourth. Past the boats, in the distance, Reid could see the cluster of small islands in Lake Clearwater’s center, which included the crossroads of Carrion. He tried not to look for too long.

“Yeah, God bless America,” Farris quipped lazily. “We’re not doing a family breakfast for Reid, right?” She glanced at him, pursing his lips. “I have plans.”

Their father shook his head. “Since you three are no longer children, you are now invited to participate in Lake Clearwater’s most coveted celebration this evening. It’s called a Rendering.” He leveled his heavy gaze at each of them. “It’s an honor like no other, I assure you.”

Reid looked down at his shoes, unwilling to meet his father’s eyes. He couldn’t be the first one to accept. It would look too suspicious.

“I thought the Rendering was, like, an old wives’ tale,” Farris said, suddenly sounding a little breathless. “Are you being serious?”

Their father nodded. “It’s Lake Clearwater’s founding come to life, and it’s what keeps this community—this family—prosperous. Per Langley tradition, only one of you needs to attend the Rendering, but I would be remiss if I didn’t ask that all three of you were there at my side.”

The film negatives from last night flashed through Reid’s mind, sending spots around his vision. He knew what was to come, but did his siblings?