Page 127 of Savior

The forest was filled with the songs of crickets and gentle chirps from a few late-night birds looking for a snack, but nothing unusual. I turned to Carnage and Molly. “Let’s go.”

We stayed low as we moved through the brush surrounding the cabin. It seemed as if every light in the house was on, something Jamie never would’ve done if he and Kate were hiding out.

“You think Angel left the lights on?” Molly whispered against my ear.

I shook my head. The old biker might’ve been a lot of things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.

“Comedian knows we’re coming. Stick to the plan. Once I distract him, get Jamie and Kate out.” I thought of the truck. “Probably Angel too.”

“I got it, Celia,” Carnage assured me. “I can carry them both if I need to.” I didn’t doubt it. I’d long considered him half-biker, half-mutant.

We moved around the cabin until we came to the front door. My stomach churned in a jittery mess of fight or flight, my body screaming for me to run away from the danger and not toward it.

“Remember, don’t come back for me,” I warned, before climbing the worn wooden steps. I prayed that Comedian didn’t have a sudden urge to fire through the door and ask questions later.

We had one shot to end this.

Hades might’ve been the god of death, but the queen of the underworld still controlled the spring, and she had no qualms about using the roots to bind her enemies.

Giving myself one last jerky nod, I turned the handle and reclaimed my throne.

My throat clogged with the coppery stench of blood. As much as I wanted to turn back, I forced my feet to follow the trail to where Angel lay on his back. I knelt and placed my hands over his wounds. Tremors wracked my fingers as I tried to staunch blood that had already begun to congeal.

He was gone.

I knew it, yet I couldn’t let go. He was my friend, and he’d needed me. His blood soaked through my jeans, just like mine had done to his the morning he saved me.

“I’m sorry,” I choked softly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you like you saved me.”

An ugly sound forced its way out of my throat, filling the air around me and alerting my enemies to my presence. I’d burned once before, on the floor of my bathroom.

This time, I didn’t fight it. I let the flames lick along my skin, burning away the last bits of softness inside. I left behind what remained of the naïve girl who still believed there could be good in the world. I scorched myself until nothing but ashes remained.

And then I kissed Angel’s head and pushed myself back to my feet.

“Celia?”

I jerked my head up at the sound of his voice, letting the rage rise to the surface. For the first time, I saw the monster behind the man. The madness that I’d long mistaken for complacency shone brightly in his eyes.

Comedian’s eyes moved down, and he paled. “Fuckin’ Christ—is he?”

“Wouldn’t you know?” I bit out, forgetting the role I was supposed to be playing. “You did this!”

He shook his head and held his hands up. “I got a call from the detective I hired to look into Mike’s case—said he had information.”

I balled my hands into fists before taking a deep breath. If I wanted this to work, I had to stay calm. I needed to play along.

My head bobbed up and down in a jerky nod. “So, you just drove out to the middle of nowhere?”

“I know what it looks like, but if—” He ran a hand over his face, suddenly looking as if he was on the verge of tears. “I thought if there was even the smallest chance it’d help me find the men who killed my boy, I had to take it. Swear to you, though. Didn’t have shit to do with this.”

“You were set up,” I stated, keeping the accusation out of my voice.

Comedian nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Looks that fuckin’ way, don’t it? Who told you to come?”

“I—” I swallowed.

“Was it you? Were you behind it?” His face fell. “Tell me you didn’t have nothin’ to do with this, Celia.”

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