The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast #0)(108)

“I’m so sorry, Scarlett.”

She hates every urge to run out of her bedroom to go cry into the arms of her parents. If they couldn’t treat Valentino right in life, they shouldn’t get to grieve him or console her. But Scarlett can’t deny that the urge is indeed there because that’s how alone she feels right now. Valentino isn’t around—isn’t alive—to hug her.

The loneliness of becoming an only child has already begun.

Scarlett feels hollow. . . . Can someone feel hollow?

She wants to knock on Valentino’s bedroom door and see what he thinks.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Dalma asks.

Scarlett forgot she’s on the phone. “Tell me everything else went well.”

“It did,” Dalma says, her voice tinged with guilt.

What went wrong for Scarlett’s brother went right for Dalma’s friend.

“Good,” Scarlett says. That’s what Valentino wanted. “Do you have his camera?”

“I do. Are you still coming to New York? If not, I can mail it to you along with everything else he has in the apartment.”

Scarlett can’t imagine being in New York without Valentino. “It’ll be too lonely.”

“No, it won’t,” Dalma says. “We don’t know each other, but Orion and Valentino showed me that doesn’t matter. If you come out here, you will never be alone. My family is your family.”

They seem like pretty words, something you say to comfort someone who lost the person closest to them. But Scarlett is choosing to trust this stranger. Valentino did the same, and it worked out in all the ways that matter. Besides, it’s not as if she really sees herself staying in this haunted house with her parents who drove Valentino away.

She will brave New York to honor Valentino’s spirit, not treating it as the city where he died, and instead remembering it as the new home where he lived.

There’s a flicker of flame in her hollow chest, like hope heating within, like the fires of a phoenix that will be reborn.

Her life is changing—has changed—and she will need a fresh start to get through her grief, to completely reimagine a future without her twin brother.

But she’ll never forget him.

Scarlett doesn’t have to carry her brother’s heart for him to forever live in hers.





Gloria Dario


3:04 a.m.

Death-Cast did not call Gloria Dario because she isn’t dying today, but Gloria certainly feels dead inside.

Never in a million years did Gloria predict the first End Day would unfold with her husband dying—with her husband being killed by her son. What’s confusing is how Death-Cast didn’t even call Frankie. Yes, Gloria registered Frankie for the service behind his back, but it’s still his phone number that was listed. Why didn’t Death-Cast call? Will these mistakes be prevented in the future? But maybe if Death-Cast had called, Frankie would’ve killed Gloria in an outrage too. He almost did tonight anyway. She’s only alive thanks to her son, but at the cost of his own life, his own future.

In the police station, Gloria holds Pazito close.

While this was an act of self-defense, Gloria is coming to understand that it won’t be that simple. There will be investigations and questionings and the idea of anyone seeing her wonderful son as anything but breaks her heart. What if a court tries taking Pazito away? All because he wanted to save her life? Rolando has been assuring her that won’t happen due to Frankie’s documented abusive history, and Gloria desperately wants to believe him, but when has the criminal justice system been fair? Even if Pazito serves no jail time, what will this do for his soul?

“Mrs. Dario?”

Gloria looks up at the officer. “It’s Ms. Medina.”

She’s reclaiming her maiden name, never taking another man’s, not even one who loves her with his full heart. Gloria must be herself first, and only she can define what that means.

“Ms. Medina, is it possible to speak with Pazito alone? We’d appreciate his cooperation but understand if you’d like to wait for a lawyer.”

Gloria knows there’s no point in fighting, nor do they have anything to hide. She lifts Pazito’s chin with her finger. He’s staring at her with terror in his eyes.

“They’re going to lock me up,” Pazito says.

“They just want to talk,” Gloria says. As a parent, it’s her job to protect her child. That has always meant shielding him from all his fears, whether it was the monsters under his bed or now the nightmarish reality he could be living. “Be honest, Pazito. Do not lie.”

“I won’t, Mom.”

Instead of beating herself up some more about all the different things Gloria believes she could’ve done to not be here tonight, she pulls her son in a quick but tight hug. They can only move forward, and if all goes well, they’ll be able to figure it out together. And if Gloria can find the space in her head and heart, she’ll be able to invite Rolando in. That’s not a decision to be made lightly, especially given her last big impulsive decision resulted in the death of her husband, a husband she doesn’t expect she’ll ever find herself mourning. But who knows. Grief is strange, and it can make you miss someone who was never good for you.

Pazito drags his feet alongside the officer, looking over his shoulder the entire way.