Circus of the Dead Book Fourteen

Now that Juliette and Samuel know who’s controlling the island all they have to do is stop her.

But that proves harder than they planned and before it’s over, they may lose people they love.

One thing is for certain, after this, nothing will ever be the same….

For a few seconds, nothing happens. I stare at the empty syringe in my hand and wonder why I don’t feel… anything.

Shouldn’t a serum meant to erase my monster tendencies make me feel something?

Brent, Mason, and Samuel are chattering away in the kitchen, completely oblivious to what I have done. I’m about to make a comment about how all of our worries about side effects were for nothing since literally nothing is happening.

Did Brent even put anything in these syringes?

A tingle starts in my arm where I injected the serum, and the sensation rides up and into my shoulder, then down through my torso all the way to my toes. It’s so light, like tiny tap dancers under my skin, that I feel the need to giggle.

Which I must do because, in the next breath, Brent and Samuel are directly in front of me, horror written all over their faces.

“You didn’t take this, did you?” Samuel rips the syringe out of my hand. My eyes flick to Brent, who bows his head and nods.

“How could you do this?” Samuel roars.

“Someone had to, and it should be me. I’m a leader of this group.” I want my response to come out with anger behind it, but I still have the tickles everywhere. 

“What does it feel like?” Brent asks, always the scientist.

Samuel exhales in exasperation and runs a hand through his hair, taking a few steps back.

“It feels like these tingles are all over my body.” So far, taking this serum seems like an okay idea.

Brent nods again, his lips pursed. “Anything else?”

It’s as if his next question brings on a second wave with the drug, but instead of the changes starting in my arm, they start in my stomach, precisely the place where the central pull comes from. A warmth spreads through my belly like I’ve had a big gulp of Samuel’s amazing hot cocoa. It brings a light smile to my face, and I share it with the group. But the warmth doesn’t stop increasing. Sweat breaks out over my body, and my hands shake.

Flames engulf me. At least, that’s how I feel inside. Like Normandy is killing me all over again, and the monster is tearing through my being to claim its spot in my soul. I fall to my knees, every inch of my skin on fire, and open my mouth to let out some of the heat.

“Mason, get out of here!” Brent yells.

Through the haze of pain, I watch Samuel lunge at me, tackling me to the ground and pinning me down. He grabs my mouth and wrenches it shut just as I try and force it open to free myself of some of the agony. It only briefly registers in the back of my mind that if Samuel loses his grip, someone in this room might die from my scream.

“She can’t kill me!” Mason yells, panic ripping at his throat. “I can’t die!”

“We don’t know that. Listen to your father, and get out of this house.” Samuel clutches my jaw and leans over me so I can look into his eyes. They’re pools of anger and worry.

“Stay with me, Juliette,” he pleads. “Try to hold on. Don’t scream, okay?”

It burns! I try and convey it with my eyes, and I know Samuel understands. He pulls me from the floor and into his arms, wrapping me in his strength. I swallow my pain, and most importantly, my scream, and try to stay conscious, but it’s slipping away.

The fire in my gut pulses, sending out waves of heat from my body. Each pulse is stronger than the last, and I’m going to combust. There’s no way my body can withstand this.

I clutch tightly to Samuel’s shirt, my fingers ripping through the fabric. Everything is slipping away. The sounds around me fade, and pain pushes everything aside.

“You can do this. Hold on. Fight, Juliette. Fight.”

Samuel’s breath feels cool against my neck, and I focus on the one spot as my remaining senses cease to work. There’s nothing left in the world but pain and darkness.

The last thing I feel before I lose consciousness is the rise and fall of Samuel’s chest. On his exhale, nothing remains.