Page 131 of Delinquents Turned Fugitives
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Malcolm meltedthe glass between the visitor’s section and Matthew’s as my heart thumped rapid-fire.
The walls seemed to lean inward and close around me as I walked forward to where Matthew snarled, chained in a corner. My freckle-faced brother didn’t look any better than the last time I’d seen him. He looked purely vampire, fangs and claws extended. There was no hint of a bat, which pissed me the fuck off, because Potts had promised to keep him hidden.
But either her illusion spell had worn off or she’d been too afraid or angry at me to keep her word.
I shook off my fury at the self-righteous counselor because it didn’t matter. Her cowardice saved me a step and now Evan, who had shifted but was still stuck with a net on his face, didn’t have to try to unravel a spell I’d only ever guessed at.
“Guys, hurry the fuck up,” Gray’s voice sounded strained in my ears and his mic picked up a whistling wind. “I can’t keep them off you much longer.”
“Got it. We’re at the target,” Malcolm responded.
“Hurry,” Gray repeated, grunting as he strained to do something.
I tuned him out, because the outside world didn’t matter just yet. Not until I got to do this one final thing.
My stomach churned with fear, pity, and the tiniest flecks of hope as I looked over at my brother, the ravenous magical mistake eating away at his mind.
Callum squeezed my hand and gave me a nod, indicating that he would take things from here. He and two of the others grabbed Matthew’s arms and held him still. Callum even put a hand on Matthew’s cheek, restraining him so that I could step forward.
I dug into my pocket, disbelief coating my mind, making it hazy. It was hard to believe that I’d gotten to this moment.
“Matthew,” I called softly, as my brother fought futilely against the vampires who pinned him to the wall. “It’s me. I’m here to help you. You’re going to be okay.” A tear tracked down my cheek, warm and wet. I pulled out the tiny vial and unscrewed the lid, looking at Callum once for confirmation that he had a tight hold. Then I stepped forward. I pressed my hand against my chest wound, gathering up a bit of blood, tempting Matthew into opening his mouth.
He snarled and tried to get to me.
I dumped the green magical liquid into his mouth.
“What the hell was that?” Callum released Matthew and shoved me across the room at vampire speed. My back slammed into the wall and I saw stars. To our right, from the visitor’s viewing area, my guys started to yell and Callum’s vamps unsheathed their claws.
“What?” I asked, trying to blink away the pain. “The vampire serum?”
“That wasn’t serum,” Callum growled. “Serum is red.”
My eyes widened and I shook my head. “No. This is what we got from the vault.” I held up the tiny vial, half a drop of green still stuck at the bottom. “This is what we got from the Pinnacle—”
Callum snatched the vial out of my hand and lifted it to his nose. “This smells like goddamned Calm!” He turned to look at Matthew, who wasn’t fighting against the others, just crouching in their hold, a glazed look in his eyes.
Dread deeper than any I’d ever felt before filled me. I snatched the vial back from Callum and poured the single droplet onto my finger. I licked it.
Horror rocked me from my head to my toes. It was Calm in that vial.
All this time, I’d thought I’d had a cure for Matthew. All this time, everything I’d done … my jaw went slack and I turned to stare at my guys.
Everything they’d done … Everything they’d sacrificed … it was for nothing.
I didn’t have the cure for my brother.
I’d failed.
I felt hollow. Like some great bronze statue that had nothing but air inside. Nothing but stale air.
For a moment, I regretted that Claude and Muller hadn’t killed me.
Malcolm took a step forward, his blue eyes calculating in the dim room. “Your stepfather was there. He was in the vault. He must have switched the vial out.”
Yes. Yes. That made sense.My brain latched onto that theory and tried to pry my body out of its numb state of shock. Claude would have had plenty of Calm on him at any given time, to supply my addicted mother. It would have been an easy swap to make.
