I felt like the air had been sucked out of my chest. I hadn抰 thought of it like that. In some twisted way me and Karter were like distant cousins a thousand times removed. It made his betrayal sting even more.
揕ou knows that we抮e here to protect something important and I used to trust him because that抯 the way it has always been,?Circe said. 揃ut things have changed. We抮e not doing things the same old way anymore, not when it抯 putting what抯 left of our family in danger.?
揕et抯 go in and talk to him,?Marie said. She rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and cuffed them at her elbow.
I gently touched her arm, and she only grinned wider.
揑 can抰 ask him anything if he抯 dead, so keep yourself in check,?Circe said. 揚lease.?
Marie didn抰 respond, which I took to mean she wasn抰 making any promises about what she would or wouldn抰 do.
I followed Circe up to the front door, and we let ourselves in. The front room was again prepared for a wake, but there was no coffin perched on the platform this time. A strong vinegar smell hit the back of my throat as I breathed in. I quickly cupped my hand over my nose and mouth.
揑t smells like pickle juice and hot dog water in here.?I bit the side of my tongue to keep from gagging.
Marie抯 face twisted up. 揑t抯 formaldehyde.?
Circe waved the air in front of her like that was gonna help. 揌ello??she called. 揕ou??
A door opened and closed somewhere. Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Lou appeared, in all his Lurch-like glory. A heavy plastic apron covered the front of his body, and he had a pair of blue rubber gloves pulled up to his elbows. Streaks of dark liquid were smeared across them, and as he approached us the pickle-like odor grew stronger, making my eyes water. He smiled at me as warmly as a man who looked like he抎 just committed a serious crime could.
揗iss Briseis,?he said stiffly. His gaze flitted to Circe and he stopped dead in his tracks. He clasped his long, sticklike fingers together in front of him. He grinned maniacally, and I had to look away because there was no reason he should抳e been that terrifying when he was smiling.
揃ack from the dead,?he said. 揧ou know, I much prefer to deal with people who stay in their graves.?
揧ou make it sound like I抦 some sort of zombie,?Circe said. 揑 was never actually in the ground, Lou.?
揘o, I suppose you weren抰。？He sounded deeply disappointed. He glanced at the front door. 揥ill you be letting the wide world of Rhinebeck know you抮e back, or will you remain a ghost??
I held my breath as I waited for him to register Marie. As his gaze fixed on her, the sallow pallor of his skin actually flushed pink. The horrible expression of happiness faded away, revealing an even more disturbing mask of terror and anger mixed together.
He clenched his jaw. 揧ou.?
Marie crossed her arms over her chest and tipped her chin up. 揥hat抯 good, Lucifer? Still love that your parents named you after Satan. They must抳e seen something special in you from the beginning, huh? What was it? That little glazed look in your eye? Your penchant for dead things? Do tell.?
Lou balled his gloved fists and stepped toward her. Anger rolled off him in waves. 揋et out.?
Marie touched her chin with one finger, her fire-engine-red nail poking into her bottom lip like she was thinking very hard. Then she shook her head and shrugged. 揑 think I抣l stay.?
The vein in Lou抯 forehead looked like the vine of some deadly plant had worked its way under his skin.
揌ang on,?Circe said. 揝he抯 with me.?
揑 don抰 give a damn who she抯 with,?Lou said angrily. Frothy white spittle gathered at the corners of his mouth.
The thought of him rushing Marie was ridiculous. She抎 hem him up, no problem, which is probably why he hadn抰 attacked her already. He might抳e been mad, but he wasn抰 stupid.
I stepped back and stood next to Marie.
She leaned into me, her mouth against my ear. 揟his dude is somethin?else. It抯 all that embalming fluid he抯 huffing in his basement. It抯 rotting his brain.?
揕ou, whatever Marie did, I抦 sure it was petty and awful,?Circe said, shooting Marie a sideways glance. 揃ut we can all agree it was probably a very long time ago and maybe we should try to put it behind us.?
揑抣l never let it go,?Lou said matter-of-factly. 揈ver.?
Marie rolled her eyes. 揙h come on. Your granddaddy抯 been dead for棓
揧ou don抰 speak about him!?Lou screamed, his voice cracking under the strain.
揋ods, Lou,?Circe said. 揟ake a breath before you give yourself a heart attack.?
He did as she said. But just barely.
揑抦 back and I was hoping we could catch up,?Circe said. Something lingered in her tone梐 faint edge of anger but she was keeping it under control. 揑抦 very interested in what you抳e been up to lately. You remember the covenant between our families??