Page 68 of Vanish Into Light

“It’s fine,” he said, and then his eyes rolled back, and he fell, face-first, to the floor.

FOURTEEN

First, Rose had panicked. Then Morgan had gripped her sleeve, and she’d felt relief. Morgan was here. Morgan could heal him. But then Morgan had said that she couldn’t – had only looked up at Rose with those huge, guileless eyes when Rose had shaken her – and explained that Beck had been touched by hell, touched boldly, and her powers for healing could do nothing for him.

He will heal himself, she said, as if he hadn’t been bleeding out on cheap shag carpet; as if he hadn’t been totally unresponsive to all her efforts to rouse him.

Lance had to carry him, in the end. Beck was tall, and his wings and tail added weight, she knew, but Lance was strong, and Beck was more lank than bulk. Lance made it look easy, physically, though his face was a portrait of intense worry.

Tris ran point. Gavin brought up the rear, and Rose alternated between watching their three and nine with Gallo, and darting glances toward Beck’s face: slack, pale, blood-spattered.

A few doors opened, on their way out of the building, but it was only so terrified customers and employees could peek out at them before retreating. Their entrance – and probably the very loud killing of their boss – seemed to have driven all but the bravest back – and the bravest were dead, obstacles for them to step over as they retreated.

Getting to the Hummer was a blur. She was aware of a flash of blue-white light; of Morgan doing something – repelling someone, she thought. Gavin cracked off a few shots. And then they were inside, and Gallo was driving like a madman, and Beck was unconscious, and everywhere she touched him, her hands came away red.

She drifted.

She was in Lance’s arms, fighting, kicking, screaming, as a fist of blood closed around Beck and dragged him down.

She was kneeling on the muddy forest floor, hands pressed to the place where Gallo’s arm had once been, blood spurting hot through her fingers.

It was Lance’s blood filling her hands, glass pricking her through the knees of her tac pants, as she watched Beck stab a conduit with his tail, and drink his blood until he passed out.

She was sitting dazed in the backseat of the Hummer, rain splashing the side of her face, while Gallo told her gently to move, and he and Tris bundled Beck’s unconscious form out between the two of them.

They were back. At Castor’s mansion.

Lance’s face appeared in front of her. He had blood smeared on his neck, on his chin, on his hands, when he reached to touch her face; she felt the cold, gummy slide of it on her cheek. “Rose?” His voice sounded as if it was coming from down a tunnel. “Are you okay?”

It was Beck’s blood all over him.

She gathered a deep breath, and then scrambled out of the Hummer – so fast he had to step back in a hurry. “I’m fine.” Her heart felt as if it might splinter through her ribs.

Inside, Tris and Gallo laid Beck out on the dining room table, where the sheets and towels they’d spread beneath Gavin still lay, blood-stained. What was a little more?

Gallo got his kit open, snapped on gloves, and then turned to Rose. “Did you want…?”

She shook her head, and moved to stand by Beck’s head. Her hands were shaking too badly, and Gallo was a better medic besides.

“Morgan, you can’t do anything?” Lance asked.

“I’m afraid it would do more harm than good,” she answered. “But it’s as I said: he will heal himself. It will be painful, and maybe even slow, but he won’t die.”

Rose didn’t believe people, as a general rule.

Morgan wasn’t a person, though, was she?

Gallo cut away Beck’s shirt, and let it fall to the side. His chest and stomach were a sticky, red mess with drying blood. There were six bullet holes.

Six.

Rose didn’t realize she was weaving until a hand steadied her. A quick look proved it was Lance.

“He’ll be okay.”

She wanted to scream at him. A vicious, lightning sentiment.You don’t know that. You can’t – and what do you care anyway?

But Lancedidcare. He wasn’t just worried about her this time. And so she bit her tongue, and followed the concerned cast of his gaze back to Beck.

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