Page 197 of Fangs
The anger that filled his eyes surprised me. “He tied you up?”
I nodded. “I…sort of panicked and, um, fucked up my wrists.”
“Can I see?” he asked, gesturing to my wrist.
The urge to flee filled me, and I hesitated but then slowly unwrapped the bandage on my left wrist and let him examine the lacerations I’d put in my skin. His jaw flexed, and his eyes narrowed as he inspected the wounds. I hadn’t expected him to be angry on my behalf, and it flooded me with something like relief.
“I’ll speak to him,” he finally said, meeting my eyes. “This is unacceptable.”
For some reason, that made me start crying—fat tears rolling down my cheeks—and his eyes softened.
“My father abused me for years,” he said as he re-wrapped the bandage on my wrist. “I was often tied up, and to this day, someone grippin’ my arm tight is still enough to bring up all that panic and fear.”
I sniffled, watching him and wondering if that had anything to do with why he disliked clinics and healers.
“I know Madame and Vulture chained you up in the clinic,” he added. “While I have the power to do so, I’m gonna make sure that doesn’t happen again, alright?” He glanced up at my face, waiting until I managed a tiny nod. “Your brother is a good man, I think. I don’t think he meant to hurt you, but even good men can make mistakes.” He gave me a slight smile. “As I have many times.”
He tucked the bandage in and released me, opening his mouth as though he would speak and then closing it again with a sigh. I pulled my arm back, waiting to see if he had more to say.
“I had a daughter,” he finally said, his voice soft and pained. “I lost her and her mother when she was only eight. You remind me of her, and I must admit I occasionally find myself takin’ the role of a protective father, and I apologize for that.”
I wondered if this was what it felt like to have a father who cared, and my heart ached. The words spilled out of me in a shaky whisper before I could stop them, “My dad hated me.”
The grief in his eyes made mine burn. “Parents not lovin’ their children is somethin’ I’ll never understand. I’d do most anythin’ to have mine back.” He paused. “I think it’s pretty clear your brother loves you, even if he makes mistakes.”
I hesitated but then spoke, “Wolf said the Voiceless put a bounty out for me.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I figured they would eventually.”
“Do you know why?” I asked, my stomach churning.
“The Voiceless are all about power, but they have none to wield besides fear. Their leader, he has a sort of power, but it’s nothin’ like yours.” He paused, his face grave. “I would imagine he either wants to use you somehow… or kill you.”
I shuddered. “Juck said he used to be part of the Voiceless.”
Nemo’s eyebrows raised. “Really?”
“Do they let people just… leave if they want to?”
Darkness flashed across his face again. “No.”
I frowned, my mind spinning. It felt like the Voiceless had been lurking on the edge of my life for a long time, and I gathered the courage to ask a question that had been bothering me. “Does the Voiceless leader… could he be the one with mind powers?”
Nemo shook his head, but the unease on his face didn’t provide much relief. “No, he doesn’t have any powers like that. I’d never heard of such powers until Mac told me.”
I stood silently for a few seconds. “You… you seem to know a lot about the Voiceless…”
It wasn’t a question, but it was. He studied my face for a moment. “I was also a part of them, but not by choice. I escaped. Many are not so lucky.” He took a deep breath. “I will share my story soon, I promise. With all of you.”
I had a million questions, but the sound of running footsteps stole our attention. The door opened, and Smith stuck his head in.
“They’re on their way back,” Smith reported, worry evident in his voice. “They’ve got wounded.”
My stomach dropped.
“Let’s go to the gate, Ember,” Nemo said, calm but grave. “Smith, alert the others.”
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