Page 137 of Puck & Her Blades

I bend down and scoop up a handful of snow. It freezes my fingers. Then I launch the snowball, and it hits Sydney squarely in the face.

She splutters and gapes at me.

I only just stop myself from laughing, but Cygnus doesn’t.

He giggles.

That seems to make Sydney snap.

She marches toward us both. She snatches us by our collars and drags us up onto tiptoe, until we’re dangling in front of her.

“Haven’t you already hurt me enough?” Cygnus doesn’t drop his gaze, even though he starts to cough. I try to fight her hold but can’t break free. I’m desperate to make sure that he’s okay and doesn’t faint. He’s already being pushed too hard by his sister. “Are you really going to throw the fact that I can’t purr in my face, when it’s your fault?”

Sydney’s mouth twists, as she looks at me, uneasily. “Shut up.”

“Why?” Cygnus’ voice wavers and breaks. I hate to see the tears chasing down his cheeks but I can feel that this is something that he needs to say. In fact, that it’s something that he’s desperate to say. “I’ve kept this secret to protect you for years. I love you, Syd. You’ve never said that back to me. Do you even realize that? But it doesn’t matter. I always thought that one day you would. I realize now that you won’t. Still, I’ve spent so many years hiding the truth to save you from Dad’s anger. The truth always gets revealed sooner or later, however, and protecting you has only let you hurt other people.”

Sydney’s eyes are wide with panic. “I said, shut up.”

She hurls Cygnus, launching him over the frozen lake.

Horrified, I watch, as he lands with an agonizing thump on the ice.

He lets out a pained groan.

“No, no, no.” I struggle, and Sydney finally allows me to drop to the ground.

I rush to the edge of the lake.

My heart is in my mouth. My breathing is ragged.

Cygnus is staring back at me with haunted eyes like he’s facing his execution.

All of a sudden, there’s an ominous crack.

A cold ball forms in my stomach.

I stare at the spiderweb of cracks that are spreading out underneath Cygnus.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“It’s okay,” he whispers like a goodbye.

I can’t lose him like this.

I won’t.

Because nothing about this is fucking okay.

I don’t even hesitate.

I lie on my stomach to distribute my weight as evenly as possible and then lean over to grab Cygnus by his arms, as he reaches out toward me.

I can just reach his wrists. My Rej bracelet jangles.

Our breaths mist like ghosts in the air.

Thank fuck for my athletic muscles.

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