Page 75 of The Syphon King

“I THINK SHE’S HEADEDover here,” Harlow announced, turning every head. “Butterfly. That was her, she’s uh...ready to know whatever needs knowing. She knows something’s up.”

Kult wanted to snap his neck. “Thanks to all thesister’sknowing.”

“There’s nohelpingthat, they’re fuckin’symbiotic.”

“Isla,” Quantum said quietly, turning with his phone. “I need you to get the Sisters and take them somewhere while we speak to Butterfly. Harlow’squarters. Okay. Thank you.”

He hung up and joined the eyeing of the door, like they waited for a zombie invasion. He’d fucking rather that than this.

“Fuck,” Quantum growled, showing them his phone screen.

They all hurried over and saw Butterfly walking down the hall with a flock of nuns behind her.

“Bruh,” Harlow warned. “She’s coming with heavenly forces. We aresofucked.”

“At least it’ll be done,” Kult said, ready to have it over with.

Pain got in front of the door and placed both hands on the jamb. Fuck, what was going through his head? Kult couldn’t handle seeing him lose his shit.

The pound on the door finally came. He opened it and caught Butterfly in his arms wrapping her up tight. He was absorbing it. Kult paced while watching him, sure darkness never looked more beautiful than when he wielded it to protect their Butterfly.

“Let me go,” she wept.

“No,” he swore.

“Rookie, let me go,” she ordered in his chest.

“Never, Mistress,” he strained as he held on to her.

“Pain,” she wept against him. “I don’t want Quantum telling me, I wantyouto.”

“Okay baby,” he said. “I’ll tell you. And I’ll take it from you.”

“Just do it,” she begged.

The nuns crowded in behind her, all fighting to put their hands on her and even Pain, their hushed prayers a rustle of power riding his skin like hot fingers.

He watched Pain’s mouth lower to her ear and Kult’s breath stuck in his chest.

“What?” Butterfly gasped. “I...I don’t...How, how is that possible?”

He whispered more as he pet her head, every second layered with dread as they all waited to breathe.

The first sob tore from her chest, and it felt like his soul ripped right out of him. He closed his eyes as another one came, straining out of her, jagged and sharp as Pain cooed sounds in her ear. Then came the long, broken scream with that one fucking word—“Why?” Over and over it tore from her, each one packed with confusion and betrayal. Pain socutting, it made him need to kill, make it fucking stop.

He made his way to Quantum and Harlow, meeting the fury in both their gazes. “I want you to create Handy’s body,” Kult muttered.

Sync and Atlas joined them.

“Fuckingwhy?” Harlow grit at him.

Kult’s need for bloodshed made his pallet tingle as he eyed him. “Tokillhim.”

Vengeance darkened Harlow’s gaze as he turned to Quantum. “Are you capable with your directive?”

He considered it. “I’m only capable ofcreatinghim,” he said, sounding pissed. “But the law within me says an eye for an eye is permitted in his punishments.”

“How the hell do we accomplish that?” Atlas wondered. “He didn’t just lie about who the baby was for, he lied that therewasa baby. What exactly do they have on the books for that kind of evil?”

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