Page 77 of Devour the Dark

He groans, tilts forward, blood gushing from the wound.

She’s by my side in an instant, the tip of the blade—our blade—pressed just beneath my jawline.

“Three weaknesses. All of them in this room. How many need to die before you become amenable?”

Roc isn’t looking at me now. He’s trained on Wendy and Hook. All of the blood has drained from his face. All of it pooled on the floor beneath him.

“You didn’t leave,” he says.

“What?” James asks.

“I thought…I thought you both…” He takes in a shuddering breath.

“They did try to leave you,” the Myth says above me. “Vane, too. They don’t love you.”

Myth Makers have a power that isn’t as easy to spot. You can’t taste it. You can’t see it. You can’t feel it on the back of your neck.

But it weasels into your ears, into your head, and burrows in like a virus, blooming into something more.

Her words aren’t directed at me, but even so, I start to believe them. Just for a second.

“Don’t listen to her,” I say.

The blade bites into my skin, drawing blood.

“We would never leave,” Wendy says.

“She’s lying,” the Myth counters. “She’s just trying to distract you so she can run away with James Hook, just like she did before. They will always choose each other.”

Roc’s brow sinks and for the first time in a long time, I see despair on his face.

“Roc,” I call. The blade sinks deeper. If she keeps going, I won’t have a windpipe.

With the mercury still burning through my veins, I’m at a massive disadvantage.

And then I see it—a shadow, low to the ground, darting into the room.

Is that…is that a fucking cat?

And just beyond it, through the crack in the open doorway, I see two small frames.

Win and Asha.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

ROC

They left you,the voice in his head says.

Why fight it any longer?

Give in.

Let me take on your responsibilities.

Let me do the hard work.

No, he thinks.They didn’t leave.

---