Bloodbath (Order of the Unseen #4)

Chapter Two

Quinn

“ G ive me all the details,” Sarah exclaims, plopping down onto my bed and making herself comfortable while I begin to unpack. “Don’t leave anything out.”

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”

“Come on,” she whines. “The last time I saw you was at the New Year’s Eve party. You disappeared that night and have been avoiding all of us ever since.”

Setting my cozy, winter sweaters neatly into my drawer, I roll my eyes. “I haven’t been avoiding anyone.”

“Oh, pul-lease .”

“I swear. I’ve just been busy. They took me away for Christmas to the White Mountains.”

“How was it?”

“It was so beautiful. We had a really nice time together. But when we got back to Salem and went to the New Year’s Eve party…” I quiet, searching for the right words. I can never tell her how my boyfriends got revenge for me, so I go with something else. “It brought back a lot of memories.”

“Good memories?”

Not so much.

Swallowing hard, I turn to face her with a reassuring grin. The royal blue masquerade mask comes to mind. “Let’s just say I got my closure. I’ve moved on.”

“I guess Eric packed up his shit and went to Italy.”

My stomach sinks. “Oh?”

“Yeah. Nobody has heard from him since the party. All he left was a note.”

“Crazy.”

“So, your guys…” She raises an eyebrow, smiling. “Are you still seeing them? Has it been amazing?”

Every time I think about my masked men, I end up with butterflies, feeling flustered and giddy beyond belief. It sounds so corny, but it’s true. I can’t help the blush that settles on my cheeks. My heart skips a beat.

Being with Damien, Jensen, and Micah over the last few months has changed me for the better. They treat me like a queen.

As a result, I’ve found my confidence and self-worth.

“Yeah,” I answer proudly, smiling from ear to ear. “We’re still together. It’s been great.”

“So, is that polyamory?” I nod happily. “Damn. I can’t imagine having three guys. I can hardly tolerate one.”

With a laugh, I join her on the bed. “They’re all so different from each other,” I explain, hugging a pillow to my chest. “You know I’ve always been so glued to my work. Focused only on school. But ever since I met them on Halloween night, my life has changed. Everything feels different. I feel different.”

She eyes me closely. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“In the back of my mind, something just feels… off.”

Sarah grimaces, trying to understand the meaning behind my words. “Everything’s going good in your life. You’re on cloud nine. What’s so off about that?”

“Maybe this is the calm before the storm.”

She rolls onto her back and giggles. “You worry too much.”

“I know.”

“Want some advice?”

“Please.”

“Knock it the fuck off. Just soak in all the happiness your life has to offer… before everything turns to shit.”

“Jeez, Sarah. Thanks for the reassurance.”

“Anytime,” she mutters as her phone goes off. “Jenna’s FaceTiming.”

“Oh boy.”

“Sarah! Quinn!” Jenna exclaims, slurring her words.

“Hi, Jenna,” I call out, leaning into view.

She smiles and stumbles over something. “Whoops! Party tonight?”

“I’d say the party has already started,” Sarah playfully replies. “You’re a mess.”

“A hot mess,” Jenna corrects. “But you still love me.”

“Of course we do.” I laugh. “You give us no choice.”

Something slams against my window, making it rattle from the impact. The phone goes flying as Sarah lets out a panicked screech and I dive off the bed. Both the music and Jenna’s voice fades away as we try to collect ourselves, and I eventually notice a small crack in the glass. What the fuck?

When I finally find the strength to move, I crawl forward, peering out the large bay window with a racing heart. At first, nothing appears out of the ordinary.

I have a vantage point not only having my room on the second floor, but this old Victorian house sits on a hill overlooking the college town. I spot two of my sorority sisters making their way toward the path in the woods that leads to campus, the sound of their laughter drifting up to the window.

The other students I see are too far from the house to be the culprit, and I doubt it was the group of fraternity guys jogging by. It’s clear their main focus is drawing out playful calls from my friends.

“Hello?” Jenna calls out to us. “Are you guys okay? What’s going on?”

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Sarah confirms, still shaken as she reaches for her phone. “Something hit the window.”

Finally, I notice the small black bird on the grass. It flaps its wings frantically, only to become completely still a moment later.

“Oh, no… It’s a crow.”

“Well, fuck.” Sarah sighs. “That little shit scared the life out of me.”

“Dumb bird,” Jenna snorts.

“We can’t just leave it there,” I say.

Sarah appears beside me, stroking my shoulder as she peers outside. “Aw, babe,” she coos, fighting laughter. “You’re so sensitive. It’s nature. Death is just a part of life.”

With that, she leaves my room.

I wonder why I’ve been seeing so many crows over the last few weeks. Some say crows are a warning that death is near, while others say they are spiritual. Maybe I’m just paranoid and overthinking it. I’m anxious about this last semester of school.

But I keep having this feeling that something bad is coming.

A murder of crows in a nearby tree begin to call out for each other, ruffling their feathers and hopping from branch to branch.

Confusion floods through me. For some strange reason, it almost feels as if they’re trying to communicate. Like some sort of warning. An omen .

My phone begins to ring. “Micah,” I answer.

“Hi, baby,” he murmurs. “You still unpacking?”

“I’m pretty much done. Just have a little bit left. Are you home?”

“Yeah, Damien and Jensen are out. Are you okay? You sound sad.”

“A crow just flew into my window. I’m pretty sure it broke its neck or something. Should I bury it? Would that be weird?”

“I don’t think so,” he replies. “I used to have a crow visit me when I was younger.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It was when I was bouncing around foster homes. Kept finding me somehow. You know that if they make friends with you, they sometimes bring gifts?”

“No way.” I laugh quietly. “Did you get one?”

“I did.”

“What was it?”

“A used Q-Tip.”

“Ew!” I gasp, on the verge of gagging. “That’s so gross. Please tell me you didn’t take it.”

“Are you kidding, babe? I was the chosen one. I cherished that shit for years.”

“You’re disgusting.”

He chuckles before letting out a small sigh. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.”

“Come sleep here tonight. I’ll pick you up.”

“Tempting, but I have class really early.”

“I want you in my arms so bad. I need all the cuddles.”

Suddenly, he FaceTimes me.

Soft natural light filters in through his window, casting a warm glow on his skin and bringing out the rich amber hues of his eyes. He’s in bed, wrapped in a navy blue comforter, his head propped up by fluffy pillows. The scene on my phone looks so inviting. I wish I could step right through the screen to nuzzle my face in his sage green crew neck sweater.

“Fuck,” he groans, sporting a crooked grin. “You’re so damn beautiful. How’d I get so lucky?”

“Now I really wish I was there with you.”

“Come cuddle.”

“I mean, I could go for some food.”

“Can I take you out to dinner?”

I smile from ear to ear. “That sounds really nice.”

It’s such a bitter January night. Fortunately, Micah has the heat blasting. He shuts the car door behind me and jogs around the front of the Jeep, hopping into the driver’s seat with a childlike grin.

“Come here, baby,” he says, taking my face between his hands.

He leans in, his lips brushing softly against mine. This is the way every girl yearns to be kissed. It feels like an out of body experience, like I’ve traveled to an entirely different universe, where it’s just the two of us, floating. I’m completely lost in this moment, in him , and I wouldn’t have it any other way.