Dead End: Midnight Hollow by Penn Cassidy (best e reader for epub txt) 📕

hooded figures stepped back and slowly blended in with the shadows. I didn’t care how dumb we looked right now, I was ready to tie my hair back and duke it out if she provoked me.

“You want me to say it to your face?” She was spitting mad, her white powdered cheeks turning red, and it probably didn’t help matters when I stepped close enough to touch my shoes with hers.

“Why do you hate me so much? What the hell did I ever do to you?” I stared into the purple of her eyes and felt the hate pour off her in thick waves.

“You fucking exist in the first place, bitch,” she sneered. “You think you’re hot shit just because your daddy was a necromancer? You’re nothing and will always be nothing, just like your mommy. She took everything away from my mother. And like mother like daughter, you're trying to take the title I’ve actually earned!”

Cal stepped between us. “Stop being a bitch, Payton. You’re just butt hurt because your crazy ass mother didn’t get my dad to fall in love with her when he loved someone else. He won’t ever love her, so stop trying to please your mommy. Grow up,” he added through his teeth.

Cal glared at her, confusing me for a second before it clicked. The picture in the library, the love struck look her mom was throwing at the mayor as he stared at my mom. Icahbod had a thing for my mom! And now Payton seemed to be up my ass about wanting to take shit from her? I wanted nothing to do with it or her creepy Elite. In fact, I didn’t even know what I was still doing here. We were standing around arguing like little children. And there I’d been, shaking in my boots over a bit of chanting and hooded robes…

“Well, it’s been a pleasure and I’m sure it would have been fun, but I’m going to bounce and call it a day. I deny entry into the Society.” I saluted them all and stepped back into the arched entrance, but froze when Cal and Payton both glanced my way.

“You don’t want to know anything about the Society? Your parents were in it after all.” Cal pointed out, his expression confused as I continued backing up. “They practically ran the Elites.”

“From what I was told, it sounds like a group of friends who were like family until they weren’t. I don’t need to join this little club to connect to my parents. I have a feeling this isn’t a family but a cult.” I waved my hand around, gesturing to the silent members, watching our little standoff. They were still sort of humming under their breaths.

“You stupid mortal,” Payton hissed. “You’ll join and follow my leadership. I’ll take my rightful place, and you’ll be the one submitting to me. It’s my destiny, not yours.” She then whipped out a small knife from her cloak pocket and grabbed my forearm in a tight grip. “‘I pledge my loyalty, my life, and my so called legacy to the Society. I will concede under your rule.’ Repeat it!”

Payton tried to slice and dice my arm like a psychopath, but I punched her in the boob with my other fist. She released me with an astonished glare. I suddenly knew her tatas had to be fake, because that should have hurt like a son of a bitch. Cal was standing next to her, watching warily as he rubbed the back of his neck, not looking me in the eye. He didn’t even try to stop her.

“Fine, bitch! You're just a pathetic mortal anyways. You don’t deserve to be an Elite. I don’t care if your parents were the leaders back in the day or that Cal thinks it’s your rightful place. He’s wrong. I don’t even know why I allowed you to come. I’ve earned this, not you!” Payton was spitting nonsense as she screamed in my face, snapping her fingers to one of the other members. “But you don’t get to walk away like you’re better than us.”

Her smile was suddenly sinister. I needed to get out of crazy town because this chick was off her rocker. I didn’t even want to be here, and I didn’t give a shit about any legacy anymore. It wasn’t going to give me any of the answers I was looking for, apparently.

“Listen, I don’t want to join. It’s yours, Payton. My parents were happily married, and my mom loved my dad, not Ichabod. Your mother can totally go after him if she wants, I’m sure they would make a lovely couple.” I was rambling, backing away and ignoring Cal’s grimace at the thought of them becoming siblings.

I felt that, I really did. A hooded member stepped forward, her yellow skin peaking out through her cloak as she handed something small to Payton. The crazy bitch turned back to me with a creepy smile edging around her lips. She opened her palms for me to see what was inside.

My breath caught in my throat, and my heart dropped to my stomach. Tucked in a small ball in the center of Payton’s palm was my familiar, her eight little beady eyes half lidded as she stared up at me, trying in vain to get up, but her legs collapsed under her.

“Did you drug Jessica?!” I cried out, stepping forward to grab her, but Payton held her out of reach.

“Why, yes I did. It’s been a trip watching her for the past few days, listening to her cry out for you. Necromancer’s love dead things, right?” She grinned as she held the small knife over my Jessica’s body. Her little legs were trembling as she reached for me helplessly.

“October…” Jessica whispered softly, her voice weak from the drugs or whatever potion she’d been given. I couldn’t help but whimper because I felt her fear as if it were my own. I was about to lose my familiar. She was