Page 116 of Eternal Craving

She looked about eighteen, but her dimpled cheeks, button nose, and pigtails were misleading. I wondered if it had been Evan’s corpse that had floated past me.

“I’m Daumia. Have you seen a woman around twenty with raven hair and blue eyes?” I asked.

“She’s gone missing as well?” said the redheaded man.

“Others have gone missing?” I asked.

He answered with a nod. “Her brother and my sister.”

“She has red hair, like you?” I stepped closer.

“Have you seen her?” He shuffled uncomfortably. “Her name’s Rachel. She disappeared two nights ago.”

“She’s with Benjamin.” I peeked down the corridor.

“Who’s Benjamin?” His voice was tinged with fear.

I hid my surprise and knelt beside him. “A friend of your sister’s.”

“If she’s safe,” he said, “that’s all I need to hear.”

I wondered if there could be another Rachel, but their similarities went beyond just their hair color.

He squinted at me. “Where did you see her?”

“In the cathedral.”

I tried to take my thoughts off Benjamin and why he’d lied. Perhaps he’d tried to protect her.

“Did you talk with her?” he asked.

“Not really.” I glanced at the sickly, young man in the corner.

Stress and sleep deprivation had aged them. The redheaded man looked thirty, but he could have been younger.

“What’s your story?” I pointed to the chains.

“We thought the house was empty,” he said weakly.

“You were trespassing?”

He held up the shackle’s chain. “Our punishment.”

“How long have you been down here?”

“About three days.” He gestured to himself, “I’m Marcus,” then pointed, “Lilly and Ted.” He fiddled with his shackle. “Take off that wet jacket. You’ll catch your death.”

Though the cold didn’t affect me, I removed it, nonetheless. Lilly needed it more, so I laid it by her side. When it dried, it would provide some well needed warmth, but I hoped we’d be out of here by then.

“We promise we’ll leave quietly,” Ted said, his voice wavering.

“I’m not the one you need to convince.” I gave him a comforting smile.

“Can you reason with him?” Marcus asked.

“Delacroix?”

Marcus fidgeted. “Is that his name?”