Page 42 of Dust to Dust

A test.

Anton’s continuous goading of Titan and Dash was a test from The Rites of Passage.

I pushed off my chair and stepped between Anton and Dash. Dash, at that moment, let his demon out. The hungry devil that was going to rip flesh from bone, then extract his victim's soul and take it to the deepest part of hell. I wasn't scared but cautious as I angled in front of him.

In Dash's eyes was a potent darkness. I felt it tug at the tips of my toes, begging my feet to walk closer to it.

I'd seen evil men, had been raised by them and even killed terrible men—those men I could handle. I thought I could handle Dash, but I was mistaken. I had come across men like Dash in my travels. Those types of men you didn't want to have glance your way. You didn't want them to hunt you because they would never stop. Men like Dash were predators that let the prey think they got away. The prey relaxed in the artificial freedom only to be killed slowly; their eyes gapped open at the paradise they would never get to taste.

"I need him alive." But did I? I already knew my truth. I was nothing but a doll for Lucas King to gift to his son. My father picked the wrong side. "I want to know if Anton knows who killed my parents. Lucas said he wasn't responsible for their murder. I deserve to know who was."

I could see the blood lust in Dash's eyes. His black pupils dilated as he honed in on Anton. Dash wasn't about to let this go. He was going to kill Anton, so I had to betray Mila at this very moment. I needed to know what part my father played in this. I'd worry about our friendship later.

I was selfish.

With psychopathic tendencies. You will betray others to benefit yourself.Ghost added.

That just makes me unique. It's the unicorns of this world that people long for Ghost.

"Mila is going to run if you don't change." I threw my curve ball.

The demon in Dash scented fresh blood as he pivoted his head towards me. Dash inched a step closer to me. My mind screamed danger, but I held my ground.

"I know." He confessed. The left side of his mouth tipped up.

My glossy lips parted. I realized Dash wanted her to run. Dash wanted to show Mila there was no escaping him. Last I checked, Blaze was still alive. Which was shocking and odd. Dash was overly possessive of Mila. Poor Blaze was going to have a painful end in sight. Did Dash want to catch Blaze helping Mila? Maybe he planned on killing Blaze in front of her to teach her a lesson.

Turning, I crouched down and eyed the man who watched my back as best as he claimed he could. Gone were his handsome features, now covered in blood. "Tell me about my father. Who's side did he pick? Who killed him?" I pleaded.

"Your father was loyal to his last breath." Anton's voice was weak and sounded distant. My time for answers was about to end before he gave into his darkness.

"Loyal to who?"

"Loyal to himself. His blood. At first, he tried to play both sides, but the coin must land Nova. He had to pick a side in the end. He just picked the wrong side. Blood isn't always the safer choice. By the time I was recruited, you were already in Igor's claws."

"Igor. My uncle betrayed my father?"

Anton's eyes started to fade. I pulled the knife from my boot and cut Anton's bonds. His body slumped to the floor. "I was given orders. I'm sorry, my Kukla, sorry I allowed you to be fed lies and to allow them to fuel you. I tried to protect you the best I could, but in order to protect you, I had to break you. I had to force you to evolve into something stronger. Lucas saw you as the perfect object to mold for his son, and mold you, I did." His voice was merely a whisper now. His eyes fought to stay open. I couldn't see the whites of his eyes anymore. Bending on my knees, I lowered my face closer to his bloody lips to hear him, but I was too late. Anton was alive and breathing, but he had taken too many hits and lost too much blood to remain to talking tonight.

I lost again…

Patience wasn’t a virtue. Patience was a form of torture.

I balled my fist, sinking my nails into the palm of my hand. Pressing my lips together, I closed my eyes and remained calm. How was it that I kept getting the short end of the stick? I didn't get to kill Lucas, and I didn't get to find out who killed my parents!

"Babygirl." Titan's voice lost its usual deepness.

"Don't." I continued to be robbed.

"We'll get your answers," Titan added.

"When! Because you and Dash got many answers, I got nothing."

Nothing. It was how I felt.

"I've got a doctor on the way," Dash added with a gentle voice I didn't know he could possess.

I bit the inside of my cheek. I needed pain. I needed to let it consume me, to make me numb.

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