Page 45 (2/2)

She had practically shattered his skull, thinking that he was the one who had called That he was the one who had soed to kidnap Beth

But it wasn’t Cliff; she had just left hi at her as if she were the worst traitor known to man, which, of course, she was…

I’ to ainst the , powerful in the chest and shoulders

She heard a creaking sound They were back in the ce white architecture of her ancestral city of the dead The toainst the dusky sky

She’d always been al tomb eventually

It seemed that time was now

She could barely see; barely think, barely function But she are! Was this how it had been for Charles Osgood, Marty Dean and Toby Keaton?

Had they known they were about to die but been unable to respond, to react in any way? Maybe not Maybe the dosage of the drugs they had received had been stronger Maybe…

Hope swelled, just the tiniest bit She needed to do soht that she ith Cliff

And Angela was trapped in the dark Angela wouldn’t know until…

Suddenly, she saw Marshall Donegal at her side He drew his phantom sword and swiped at her carrier’s neck The sword slashed right through it Ashley tried to smile She felt her lips move She did have some…some…no… She tried to lift her head, but she could not

But a real-life rock in front of the ht, she reht he ood

She heard the faint sound of a creaking once again, and she realized that she was being brought into her family tomb; the temple tomb

She felt it! She felt pain when her body was slammed down on the central altar in the to h the grate in the far wall

She heard her attacker working quickly, lifting the heavyfroal’s to

She knew him before she saw his face HJH His wife had been Ginnie Ginnie Hilton And Ramsay Clayton had written a letter to her for her husband, Henry James Hilton, because Hilton’s hand had been broken It hadn’t been broken in the skiral and Harold Boudreaux had set upon hi him off the woman he had so brutally attacked

"Ashley, you see me! I should have known that you would see me You were always so special So precious And now…"

He paused, listening There was co She couldn’t understand theela had knohere she was going, and by now they had surely found Cliff, and they would be looking for her

She twitched her lips and ed to smile at him in return She couldn’t speak She willed hihts

They’ll know that it was you Angela will be reading those old letters, and they’ll figure it out faster than I did They’ll know They already know that it’s a sick grudge you have against my family So, your ancestor died in the war--because his hand was broken No one blamed Harold Boudreaux for what he did to your ancestor, because his fellow rebels knehat had happened when they saw Henry’s broken hand; they were appalled that he’d attacked E up Harold Boudreaux, but they didn’t speak about any of it, either All for honor! Well, the honor here died with Marshall Donegal, didn’t it? And you can’t stand that Well, I may die, but you will, too They’ll catch you, and you’ll rot in prison until they stick a needle in your ar, won’t it?

He stared at her, his face growing hts Of course, he couldn’t--he just saw that she had figured out the truth

He slapped her, and she felt the sting again Had he attacked sococktail?

Perhaps she shouldn’t be so happy to feel She didn’t kno he intended for her to die And they were in the vault noith the gate locked Even if they searched the ceates hadn’t been opened since her father had died; the tomb was sealed after every interment

Yes, they had Sometime while he’d been on the property, Griffin Grant had unlocked the iron gates and unsealed the to tiates were closed, as if they’d never been open The concrete sliding door behind the ornaates was barely ajar

"I’ll come back and see you, my dear Ashley," he promised "And you won’t try to enter my mind, then You’ll be dead Everyone pays, Ashley It’s your turn to pay for the sins of your fathers You have it all wrong I know, because Henry talks to ed He died at Manassas, but he died because he couldn’t shoot He died--because of Emma, and she was a filthy whore who teased and toro, and then I could hear hie what had happened"

She tried to

"He came to see her, to take care of her She led him on, Ashley I’ve seen you do it, too So many of your kind do it You’re like her Everyone just thinks that you’re honest and caring But, you see, she didn’t pay You will I thought it ht be hard to kill Ramsay would have done just as well as Charles That didn’tAnd that ridiculous Toby huffing on over…he wasn’t quite so easy But you knohat, Ashley?"

His face came close to hers, and he smiled She loathed him; she wanted to back away fro is fun I found out I like it But this may be the finale Ashley, beautiful blonde Ashley, the last of the true Donegals--dead with her ancestors Oh, watching you, Ashley My ancestor never told ood!"