Page 182 of Black Bird

“I get sick of all of it, mate.” Devin stared off, nursing his beer.

When a stifling silence passed between him, Tony felt it tug more than he realized. It wasn’t half a second later he realized they were both looking at Decclan. “Whadd’ya think happened there?” Tony asked, knowing he shouldn’t ask at all.

“I know what happened there,” Devin replied, his eyes never leaving his comrade. “So do you.”

“When does it end?”

Devin turned around, giving him a look that told him to shut his mouth. That look was getting old. Thislifewas getting old. “It’ll end a lot quicker than you expect if you can’t keep your thoughts to yourself, and you know it.”

“I’m tired of living in fear, Dev.” The words just kept rolling out, and he couldn’t control them. “This isn’t actually living. If this is an eternity of what we have to look forward to, then why are we hanging onto it so hard?”

“Look man, we’re all feeling some type of way after—after that. But unless you wanna be the next one locked out on a rooftop, then I suggest you keep the lid on your fluffy feelings.”

“She’s one person, Devin.One. What if—”

“Shut the fuck up, Tony.” Devin’s finger nearly tapped the end of his nose. “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” He unfolded the rest of his fingers and laid them on his shoulder. “We’re not losing any more of our family. I’m sure as hell not losing you or Decclan. Y’all have to keep your shit together. You hear me, mate?”

Tony swallowed, bringing his cigarette back to his mouth and shrugging off Devin’s hand. “Yeah, alright …”

Devin raised his beer to him and turned away, passing through the dancers and joining Decclan by the back door. It wasn’t a surprise to hear Devin tell him to zip it. Decclan had tried so many times to tell Kane the same thing, but Kane got out … didn’t he? It was hard not to care for one another. Yes … he understood Decclan’s predicament very well … they were just all on a whole different side of it. Them and the rest of the coven, who, Tony noticed, were barely stirring a ripple in the throng of possible meals for the night. Everyone was different after Patrick’s sudden execution. He couldn’t remember seeing such a change in all of them. There was a storm brewing in the Black Bird coven. One Tony wasn’t sure any of them would survive. He turned toward a patron who was waving for his attention and grabbed a clean glass.

It had been hours, and Nick carefully checked Sarah’s vitals, as she’d gotten halfway through filling her third large bag of blood. He and Kane had convinced her to eat half of a sandwich that someone had stored in the break room fridge, but her condition was deteriorating little by little. She’d asked for two more of the blankets, and Kane bundled her up. She kept herself busy for a while, scrolling through social media, and checking news websites to see if there had been anything publicly issued about her friend’s disappearance. Nick had started to wonder about what Evie would think of his own disappearance, and Sarah informed him that they’d left a note in his room. It was creepy … how well they’d planned all of this, and seemingly in a very small amount of time.

He did take notice of how somebody as intimidating as Athan Kane could seem so much softer as he carefully tended to that girl’s everyneed. He never fathomed seeing this man so—caring? Sarah’s eyes slowly closed, and she snuggled down into the layers of blankets.

“Wake me up when it’s over,” she said softly, tucking the blankets beneath her chin. “I need to shut my eyes.”

“Should you be doing that?” Kane asked, looking first to the monitor, and then at Nick. “Shouldshe be doing that?”

Nick read the numbers and nodded. “I’m surprised she’s gone this long without passing out. Sleeping won’t change anything. Honestly, I expected her to be far weaker than this right now.” The detective slid his stool closer to her and placed a hand on top of her blanket. Sarah’s body drooped in the chair, and both men shot their faces back up to the monitor. “She’s alright. Sleep took her quick.”

Nick watched on in silence for a few moments. He had so many questions. Questions that were more for his own curiosity than the predicament they found themselves in. About half an hour more, and Sarah would be dangerously close to being the first person he’d ever killed. His stomach flipped, and he found himself wondering why she was so desperate to do this. It felt like he deserved some kind of explanation if he was going to be involved—and they could decide to kill him anyway. Nick rested his elbows on his knees and leaned toward the detective.

“What is it that she’s planning to do with all this blood, exactly?”

Kane ignored him and stared between Sarah and her monitor. “She already told you that.”

“Kane, look … if she doesn’t make it through—”

“She will. She has to. I’m not letting her die, so if that’s what you’re worried about then you can calm down. Although, I’m not really sure why you’re worried when you’ve been playing just as fucking dirty as the rest of them where it concerns my mate.”

Nick drew his brows together. “Yourmate?” When Kane ignored him again, the wheels started turning, coming up with all kinds of extra questions and theories. As was the nature of a scientist, Nick supposed. “What is she? Is she like you?”

Kane exhaled deeply through his nose. “Not completely. I tried to keep it that way. Once her mind is made up, though … well …” He shrugged and Nick nodded his understanding. “Her blood brought me back to life. It does amazing things. That’s why you’re caught in the middle of a war. Everybody wants the elixir of life.”

“So … her plan is to give this blood to an entire coven to what—make them like you?”

Kane finally turned his head to look at him. “Yes. She’s going to give them the opportunity to change their immortal lives, on the condition that they turn on Dahlia. Once we get them to switch sides … we’re killing her.”

Nick felt the color drain from his face. “Shit …” His palm smoothed over his mouth and chin. “How?”

“We haven’t worked that part out yet.” Kane’s attention was back on the weakening girl in the chair, whose numbers were slightly dropping. Nick glanced at the bag. It was about three-quarters full now.

“How are you planning to offer them this opportunity without the leader figuring you out?”

He didn’t look at him when he spoke this time, and Nick could tell that Kane was noticing the change in Sarah’s pulse. “That’s the other part of your redemption, Nick.”

“Me?” Nick choked out, rolling back on the stool. “Wait, wh—what do you mean?”

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