Chapter 43: Ritual

The man dropped Rosie’s body to the floor where she curled onto her side, hands scrabbling to put pressure on her neck. Marco lowered his and Arabella’s clasped hands into the basin. She stared at him, eyes wide as Rosie’s blood started seeping into the long sleeves of her dress. The fabric clung to her wrists as Marco drew his hands back. He reached forward, using the sticky gore to draw a line across her mouth with his thumb. Shakily, Arabella raised her own hand to Marco’s face, mirroring his actions.