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480 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2022
”In a different story, would we still have been enemies?”
”Killing is easy,” Alistair murmured. “It’s the afterward that’s harder.”
“But it’s the afterward we’re fighting for.”
He loved monster stories, after all, and he was undoubtedly the monster of this tale.
Gavin had once agonized over whether the real Alistair Lowe was more boy or monster, but now he understood that Alistair was both. And even though neither canceled the other out, he didn’t think that made Alistair beyond redemption.
🦋Alistair Lowe🦋
The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill.
✨Gavin Grieve✨
The Thorburn family had always played the heroes in their town’s ancient, bloodstained story, and no one resented that more than the Thorburn sisters.
🥀Briony Thorburn🥀
Because the Macaslans were disgusting, conniving, greedy. They spun whatever tales suited them; they took advantage of every contemptible opportunity that fell at their feet. And the only way to finish their true story was to stoop to the vilest low possible to survive.
🔮Isobel Macaslan🔮
There was no denying it—no matter how much perfume she spritzed on to cover her stench, Isobel was a true Macaslan champion.
🍃Hendry Lowe🍃
🖤Reid MacTavish🖤
They weren’t friends; they were allies.
"Heroes are just villains with worse survival instincts and moral superiority complexes."
“Killing is easy,” Alistair murmured. “It’s the afterward that’s harder.”
The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill.
Both of them deserved a better story.
“Killing is easy,” Alistair murmured. “It’s the afterward that’s harder.”
“But it’s the afterward we’re fighting for.”
As it was, he felt as though he lived with some sort of comical in-between, with an Alistair who’d put his shiny new pitchfork in a place of honor by the fireplace, who mumbled about souls and goblins and whatever other nonsense when he thought no one was listening.
The broom cupboard, alas, had extremely thin walls.
“In a different story, would we still have been enemies?”
“Does it matter?”
The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill.
Both of them deserved a better story.
“I think maybe people need stories to survive, but they can also use them to hurt each other. Or themselves,” Gavin said. “If you’ve found a way for your family’s stories to feed you without feeding on you . . . that seems worth holding on to.”
After everything he’d gone through, one thing remained unchanged: He’d always want what he’d never have.
It was a story that could only end in death. Trying not to make that death his own shouldn’t feel shameful. Just necessary.