Chapter 27: The Confrontation

The memory faded as Ethan reached the porch of the Riley house. The nostalgia turned into a cold, hard knot of spite. He knocked on the door, his fist striking the wood with rhythmic precision.

The door opened just a crack, revealing Veronica. Her face immediately tightened into a mask of pure annoyance. "What do you want, Ethan?"

"How rude," Ethan laughed, leaning against the doorframe. "Is that how you greet your old friends? Where’s the hospitality?"

"You are anything but a friend," Veronica hissed, opening the door wider but blocking the entrance. "And you certainly aren't a guest."

"Now you've gone and hurt my feelings, Vee. I came to see Noah. Is he in?"

"No," Veronica lied, crossing her arms. She knew Noah was currently at the library with Katherine, and the last thing she wanted was Ethan "bumping into" them. "He’s busy. What do you want with him?"

"That’s a lie," Ethan snorted, his eyes flashing. "I can smell his scent all over this house. But it’s fine. I don't need to see him to deliver a message."

"Even if he were here, I wouldn't tell you a thing."

Ethan stepped closer, his voice dropping into a mocking trill. "Do you really think you’re his sister, Veronica? No matter how many decades you play house, you’re just a stray he picked up. You’re someone he’s using to pretend he isn't a monster."

"You don't know the first thing about family," Veronica snapped, her eyes glowing a dangerous white-blue.

"Please," Ethan rolled his eyes. "Noah and I were basically brothers until he led the torch-bearers to the woman we both loved. He killed her, Veronica. And he’s going to do the same to that Katherine girl. It’s what he does. He destroys things."

"Leila used you both!" Veronica shouted, her patience snapping. "She never loved you, and she never loved him! He was just as broken by her as you were. The sooner you realize she was a predator playing with her food, the sooner you can stop this pathetic revenge tour!"

Ethan’s face went stone-cold. The mask of the charming schoolboy vanished, replaced by the hollow-eyed killer from the 19th century. "Here’s the thing, Veronica. We’re all dead. You, me, Noah. We’re monsters. And Katherine? She’s just a snack that hasn't realized she’s on the menu yet."

He backed away from the door, his smirk returning like a scar. "Just tell Noah I made a new friend today. Her name is Ashley. She’s very... talkative. I think she’s going to be very useful."

He turned and vanished into the trees before Veronica could respond, leaving her standing in the doorway with a chill that had nothing to do with the autumn air.