Page 54 of When the Living Fall

Actually, it’s already going to be the last thing he ever says. He’s not getting off this roof alive, even if I have to go down with him to ensure it.

He ducks my swings, and I swipe at him with my knife in my other hand. We roll around on the roof; the shingles growing hot, but neither of us seems to care. He laughs in my face. Literally. I’m pretty sure some spittle flew out. So unsanitary. “Riling you up is so much fun. I’m glad you’re still alive so we can have this moment.”

“You know what else guarantees my survival? Not leaving me for dead.” I swipe my knife at his throat, but he dodges that, so I swing Debbie around, but he jumps backward. His foot falls through a weak point in the roof but he unfortunately saves himself. What a shame.

“Worth it.”

I stall at his response, my blade pressing against his chest. “What do you mean?”

His grin is so wide I can count the cavities. “Well, I got all the food, clothing, and weapons. You got the psychological issues. I think I wound up with the better end of the bargain.”

I show him a grin of my own. “Well, I got Emily. So, I think I win.”

“Really? Look down, little brother.”

I glance down and see red staining my pants leg. Huh, look at that.

“What now?”

I stick my fingers through the hole in my pants leg and tear the fabric until the wound is exposed. It’s not even that bad. Only a minor cut. A few Band-Aids will fix it right up. I shrug. “Guess I’ll let it bleed until it stops.”

He laughs. “And you think I’m the crazy one? Right.”

“I. Am. Not. Crazy.” My knuckles are so white around Debbie, they might even glow in the dark tonight.

“And that girl liked you? She must be just as fucked up.”

Instead of waiting to think of a response, I slide my blade straight into his chest, piercing his lung. Watching him gasp for his final breaths is how I imagined his end, right beforeabandoning him in a horde of rotters. William took the latter option away from me, but I could probably find it in my dark heart to forgive him for that.

“Guess again, brother. You took the easy way out and got to live the cushiony life. I fought and clawed my way through all these months, and I wound up with a whole family who’s far better than you ever were. You were never going to beat me.” I push the knife deeper, each second satisfying in a way I’ve craved for so long.

Bloods paints his lips red when he coughs, even coating his teeth when he grins. His words come out as a squeak. “I didn’t need to. I always won, didn’t I?”

“Guess again, brother.” I twist the knife in a slow circle. “I needed to lose you, to find myself. Now I have the kind of family I always deserved. You’re the one who’s been losing, even since the day you lost me.”

I push the knife in all the way to the hilt. His laughter twists into a gurgling gasp. I watch while he chokes, memorizing every moment of the life fading from his eyes before he disappears through the roof.

Flames welcome him down into the burning building, and I run away, my foot leaving the building right when the rest of the roof caves in and I leap into the air for the next building, landing on a roll.

Barking reaches my ears, and I notice Buddy running back and forth along the wooden wall surrounding the town, barking like crazy, trying to find a way out. Next order of business: grab Buddy and get the hell out of here.

I look around for a way down, and when I see Emily, my heart plummets.

She’s on the ground, holding Zoey, surrounded by the wounded colony people. Rotters are leaving, but she shouldn’t be on the ground. Her clothes also shouldn’t be covered in blood.

No.

No, no, no.

She’s not hurt. I refuse to believe it. I would have gladly left Nathan alive if I’d seen her first. That can’t be her blood. She’s bathing in the blood of her enemies…yeah, that has to be it.

Ignoring the tightening in my chest, I force out a burst of energy and leap off the building with a hard landing and run without looking back.

29

EMILY

Max’s knees slam onto the ground next to me, sending dirt flying. Buddy is by his side, but I barely notice his tongue lapping at my face. Max pushes Buddy to the side until he’s directly beside me. “Emily, tell me what’s wrong.”

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