Alice folded the thick envelope of cash and slipped it into her pocket.
Suddenly, Horatio convulsed. A violent, wet cough erupted from his chest.
The sound was hollow, as if his lungs were tearing apart. The old man's face turned a terrifying shade of purple. He gasped for air, his hands clawing at his throat.
Daryn panicked. He dropped to his knees, patting his father's back. "Medicine! Get the medicine!" he screamed at the hallway.
Horatio hacked violently and spat a mouthful of thick, black-streaked phlegm onto the rug. He slumped back into the wheelchair, his breathing shallow and rattling.
Alice's eyes turned lethal. She stepped forward, pressing her two fingers firmly against Horatio's wrist.
The moment her skin touched his, a freezing, bone-chilling energy shot up her arm. Death aura. She immediately severed her spiritual connection to protect herself.
She stood up straight. Her eyes swept the massive living room like a radar, hunting for the source of the rot.
The sharp click of stilettos echoed from the foyer.
A young woman strutted into the room. She wore a brand-new Chanel tweed suit and carried several luxury shopping bags. Felicity, Alice's cousin.
Felicity stopped, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she looked at Alice. "Why does the house smell like a thrift store?" she sneered.
"Watch your mouth, Felicity!" Byron roared. "This is your cousin."
Felicity rolled her eyes. "I am not claiming some trailer park trash as my family."
Alice ignored the insult. Her eyes were locked onto Felicity's chest.
Resting against the expensive silk blouse was a black, wooden pendant carved with jagged runes. It was practically vomiting thick, black death aura into the room.
Alice pointed a finger at Felicity. "Take that off and throw it away. Now."
Felicity gasped, clutching the pendant defensively. "Are you crazy? You want to steal my things already?"
She lifted her chin proudly. "I paid a fortune to a top psychic for this. It's a high-level blessing amulet to protect Grandpa's health."
Alice let out a short, harsh laugh. "That is a Death Mark. It feeds on the vitality of blood relatives. That's why he's coughing up blood."
Felicity's face turned red with anger. "You uneducated fraud! Don't try to scam us with your ghetto ghost stories!"
Daryn stood up, torn. He trusted Alice now, but he couldn't believe his own daughter would bring a curse into the house.
"Let's just put it in a drawer for now," Daryn said gently, trying to mediate. "We'll call a doctor for Grandpa."
"No!" Felicity shrieked, stomping her foot. "You're all brainwashed by this stray dog!"
She spun on her heels and ran toward the grand staircase, refusing to surrender the necklace.
Byron lunged forward to chase her, ready to rip it off her neck himself.
Alice threw her arm out, blocking his chest.
"Don't," Alice said coldly. "Forcible removal triggers a violent backlash. Let her learn the hard way."
Horatio gasped, his breathing slightly easier now that Felicity was further away. He weakly squeezed Alice's hand. "Forgive her... she's spoiled."
Alice patted his wrinkled hand. "I don't hold grudges against idiots being used as pawns."
From the second floor, the sharp sound of shattering glass echoed through the house.
A second later, Felicity screamed.
Alice looked up at the ceiling. The corners of her mouth curled up. "The show begins."
