Page 136 of Creatures that Breathe

Because she didn’t think I could?

Luke’s wide, sweat soaked back is turned to me as he scans the trees with the scope of his rifle. Rune’s injured—badly—bleeding out in Lev’s arms. Atlas sets a brutal pace from behind me, urging us faster farther. The rest—a limping Meda, Drake, and Zeke—cover the flanks, anticipating attack.

Does Atlas think Leni leaving will hurt me less if she’s harder to get to?

Does he think distance will somehow stop me from succumbing to the curse again?

He’s wrong.

“She’s killing herself!” I shout, thrashing against the restraints. Leni’s bullet gouges deeper into my muscle, drilling greedily. “Turn around. Let me go! We need to stop her!”

“We’re in no shape to face the prince now,” Atlas grunts. “We retreat to fight another day.”

Another day.

A day while Leni suffers under that sycophant’s control? Bile and blood rise in my throat. “I’m not leaving her with that fucking monster.”

“You’re no use to her dead.”

A red and black haze clouds my vision. I twist in Sin’s grasp, fingers curling into claws, frantic to get free, but too exhausted, too spent to make any headway. I rasp to Atlas, to anyone that will listen, “I’m no use alive without her.”

“Keep walking,” Atlas directs Sin, as if he can’t hear me.

Fuck that. They can drag me into the pits of Tartarus and I’ll still never quit going after her. “Take me to Draven,” I beg, pathetic and not caring. “Take me or it won’t matter if I live. Please. Listen to me.”

Atlas is done hearing me.

He nods to his left. “He’s blowing position. Silence him.”

Then I see Zeke’s scarred eyes, and a rag shoves down my throat.

“We didn’t want it to come to this,” Atlas informs me, cold and clinical. “The female made her choice. She chose the Blackguard over herself. We’re the selfish bastards who have to live with it.”

Selfish bastards.

That’s exactly what we are.

Animals. Horrible, heartless beasts. Tears sting my eyes as I continue to struggle. “No,” I plead, muffled through the cloth, useless. “You don’t understand.”

Zeke shakes his head as he places his hand on my leg, trying to heal me.

I kick at him. Healing is not my priority. I need them to understand. It was not my secret to tell, but now I must.

“Stop it,” Zeke grumbles. “I’m helping.”

“Please,” I beg again, dropping the shadows until Zeke’s face is completely visible. “Please. I’m your brother. Please.” My voice cracks with emotion.

Zeke glances at Atlas, then he’s pulling the rag from my mouth.

Too late. A blinding white light flashes over us and seconds after, a teeth chattering blast sends the forest into deadly quiet. Fire, a blaze of white flames erupt straight into the air, then explode outward, searing everything in its path.

The inferno rages, scorching damp leaves and waterlogged wood like fuses. Massive trees become columns of silver flame piercing the sky like raised swords, casting an eerie glow over us.

I’m paralyzed, unable to breathe as I stare at the roiling colorless flames. It smells like heat and smoke, and my brothers converge into battle ready positions, injured in the center, strong surrounding, weapons out and armed. A form we’ve assumed a hundred times, every time prepared to fall on our swords for our family.

But there’s no one to fight.

Leni’s guaranteed it.

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