The Great Believers By Rebecca Makkai Novels & Stories

And now he was gone, buried beneath the weight of a story she had rewritten to cast herself as the savior. But I would not let her end this way. I would make her pay—not quickly, not mercifully, but in a way that left her feeling every ounce of what she had taken from me. I wanted her to wake in the night gasping, unsure whether it was the darkness in the room or the darkness closing around her. And when I was finished, Mack Allister would understand too. He would know what it was to lose the thing that kept him breathing. A knock sounded at the door. My butler, dressed in black, stepped in with a slight bow. “Ma’am, the contact from Belgrade is here.”

Skinny Monkey added, shrill as ever, “It’s the last day! If you try to touch us, I’ll slice her head clean off!” The ghosts' anger all came to an abrupt halt! From up here, I could see every single ghost downstairs staring at the axe and at me. None of them dared to move. Seconds ticked by. Then, the system’s chime rang in everyone’s ears: [Survival countdown: Ten, Nine, Eight…] “It’s done!” Big Eyes’ face contorted into wild ecstasy. “Hahaha! Old hag! You’re done being useful! “I won’t even let you leave with us!”

She welcomed us all to the patio and had iced tea ready for everyone including Erin. I quickly filled her in on what we knew and I saw as she listened carefully. The first thing I felt and noticed was that she was not surprised about the Red Crescent Pack. After I finished she turned to me, “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to tell you myself about the Red Crescent Pack. It is just the high council made a vow to the Alpha which appears he has broken himself so at least now I can speak about it.” “So is it true?” I asked feeling sadness surrounding me, “Did my parents die because they were after me?”