Chapter 4: The Pact of Blood and Ash

I dragged Mariah, covered in blood, to the old guesthouse and found a secluded room. The guesthouse was cold and musty, dust motes swirling in the shafts of light. I locked the door behind us, my heart pounding in my chest. Mariah slumped to the floor, sobbing quietly. She was barely alive, but still clutched her belly, crying and begging me. “Miss… please, save my child… I’ll owe you for the rest of my life—name it!” Her voice was ragged, her eyes pleading. She looked so young, so desperate—like a bird with a broken wing.

I knelt beside her, trying to keep my own hands from shaking. What a fool. I bit back a sigh, anger and pity warring inside me. In this house, innocence was a liability. Her child was already gone, bled out with that bowl of bitter tea her own husband forced on her. I pressed my hand to her wrist, feeling the weak flutter of her pulse. There was nothing left to save—at least, not in the way she hoped.

I shoved a clotting pill between her teeth. “Jackson made you drink a bitter brew mixed with a heavy dose of abortifacients. Your child is gone. If you want to live, do as I say.” My words were harsh, but I needed her to understand. There was no time for soft lies—not anymore.

Mariah stared up at me in disbelief. Her eyes widened, brimming with fresh tears. She shook her head, refusing to believe it. But deep down, she knew the truth.

I handed her a blood-stained locket. The locket was warm from my palm, the chain tangled and sticky with blood. I pressed it into her hand, watching her face for any sign of recognition. The moment she saw it, she trembled all over. “Ellie’s locket—that’s my sister’s!” Her voice broke, her fingers closing tight around the locket. I saw something harden in her eyes—a spark of resolve beneath the grief.

That’s right. I found this locket on her sister Ellie Evans’s body. The memory flashed through my mind: Ellie’s lifeless form, the locket glinting in the dirt. I’d hidden it away, waiting for the right moment. They were both daughters of Senator Evans, sisters by blood. The Evans girls were the pride of Maple Heights—polite, well-educated, always dressed just so. Their father had been a fixture at every town event, shaking hands and making promises.

Jackson was once just a broke law student. He’d shown up in town with nothing but ambition and a secondhand suit. Folks said he was charming, but I’d always thought he was too slick by half. Mariah fell for his ambition, gave him her heart and her money, and helped him pass the bar. She’d worked double shifts at the diner, saving every penny to pay his tuition. She believed in him when no one else would. She even defied her father to marry him. There was a big blowout, the kind that sets tongues wagging for years. Mariah stood her ground, refusing to back down, even when her father threatened to cut her off.

Later, her father, Senator Evans, died shielding Savannah Langley from a crazed gunman, sacrificing himself to save her. It happened at the annual Founders’ Day parade—gunshots rang out, and Senator Evans threw himself in front of Savannah without hesitation. The whole town watched in stunned silence as he fell. But when Savannah returned in glory, she told the governor that Senator Evans hadn’t done his duty, and didn’t deserve any honor even in death. She twisted the story, painting herself as the real hero. The governor, eager to please his daughter, went along with it. Senator Evans’s sacrifice was swept under the rug. The governor refused to grant him a posthumous medal. The Evans family was left with nothing but memories and whispers. The medal would have meant everything to them—a final recognition of his bravery.

All because, on the way back to Maple Heights, Savannah had met a handsome man in a white suit at the bridge—Jackson Evans. He’d been waiting there, bouquet in hand, hoping to catch Mariah’s eye. Savannah saw him first, and that was all it took. She fell for his looks. Savannah always got what she wanted. Jackson’s dark hair and easy smile were just another prize to be won. When she heard he was already married to Senator Evans’s daughter, jealousy took root. She stewed over it for weeks, her resentment growing with every passing day. It was only a matter of time before she decided to ruin them both. So instead of repaying the senator, she turned his sacrifice into a joke. She made sure everyone knew the Evans family was out of favor. Invitations dried up, friends vanished, and their name became a punchline at Savannah’s parties.

Senator Evans had no sons, only the two daughters, Mariah and Ellie. The Evans girls had always been close, but Savannah’s games drove a wedge between them. In my last life, their family fell and both sisters died. I’d seen it happen—slowly, then all at once. The Evans name faded from memory, their house sold off to pay debts.

This time, though I was reborn, I only had time to save Mariah. I cursed myself for not moving faster, for not doing more. But I couldn’t turn back the clock. All I could do was make sure Mariah lived. Her sister was already gone. Ellie’s laughter haunted the halls, a ghost of what might have been. I pressed the locket into Mariah’s hand, a silent promise that she wouldn’t be forgotten.

I took this locket when Savannah sent me to deal with Ellie’s body. I’d hidden it in the lining of my apron, terrified someone would find it. But I knew it would be important one day. I risked keeping it for this very moment. Every day, I checked to make sure it was still there. It was the only piece of the Evans sisters I had left.

“Miss Evans, you have two paths. I can send you out of town, far away from all this, and you can forget your past. Or, I can help you create a new identity and take revenge. But that path will be full of hardship and danger—one misstep and we’ll both die. The choice is yours.” My voice was steady, but my heart pounded in my chest. I watched her closely, waiting for her answer.

Mariah’s tears had dried. She clutched the blood-stained locket, biting her lip until it bled. She stared at the floor for a long moment, her shoulders shaking. Then she looked up, her eyes fierce and determined.

After a long while, she knelt and bowed her head. “For the sake of a heartless man, I betrayed my father’s teachings and doomed my own sister. If I can’t get justice for them, then I don’t deserve to breathe. Even if the road ahead is hell, I won’t back down. If you’ll help me, Miss Tessa, I owe you my life.” Her voice was clear, unwavering. I saw the Evans pride shining through her grief. She was ready to fight, no matter the cost.

That’s Senator Evans’s daughter—spine of steel. I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, together, we stood a chance.

I helped her up and told her, “Under someone like Savannah, we’re all ants. I don’t need your life. I’m helping you to carve out a path for myself, too.” I believed Mariah would make an excellent ally. She’d lost everything, but she still had her will. That made her dangerous—and valuable. Because her face alone was leverage. She was beautiful, sure, but more than that—she looked enough like her old self to be useful, if I played my cards right.