Page 209 of Fangs
“Hawk, she’s innocent!” I shouted as Sky began to cry. “Just let her go. You can do whatever you want to me. Just let her go.”
He started pacing, bringing a hand up to rub his forehead, and the pistol he held glinted in the dim lantern light. He muttered to himself, but I couldn’t make out the words. I took a breath and attempted tothink.A rumpled bedroll and a pack were on the floor in the hallway. I spotted a mug and a metal fork on the floor against the hallway wall.
“Have you been living down here?”
He glanced at me but didn’t respond.
“If you let us go, you could come home.” I softened my voice.
He started laughing, and the manic sound gave me chills. “They’ll never let me back in the Vault.”
“I could vouch for you. You haven’t done anything past forgiveness yet, Hawk.”
He swung suddenly toward us, and I lunged in front of Sky. Hawk slammed into the bars, the pistol clanging hard against the metal and making my ears ring. “I don’t need your forgiveness, Bones,” he snarled.
“Okay,” I said, my voice shaking despite my best efforts. “Okay, you’re right. You don’t need my forgiveness.”
He stared at me, his eyes wide, and I noticed his pupils were fuckinghugelike he was high on something.
“You have a power, don’t you? You can… travel between places?”
“The gods gave me the means to bring you down,” he sneered.
“Not Sky, though. She’s innocent.”
“No, Bones, don’t!” Sky sobbed.
“Just let her go,” I pleaded. “You’re not a murderer, Hawk.”
“No,you’rethe murderer!” he shouted, spittle spraying from his mouth.
Sky shrieked in terror, clinging to me.
“I am. You’re right. I’m a murderer.” I struggled not to cry, tothinklike Wolf taught me.
Hawk stepped backward, but the despair that filled his face made my stomach drop. “I’m sorry it had to end this way, Sky.”
“Hawk, please,” Sky begged, her voice panicked.
“Nemo sealed off this place.” Hawk waved the pistol in a vague gesture around us. “No one will find you, maybe for decades. This will be your tomb.”
I was struggling to breathe now. “Hawk, please. Mist still believes in you?—”
His face twisted with fury, and I knew I’d fucked up by bringing up Mist. “Don’t you dare say her name,” he hissed. “Ilovedher. I had our life all planned out, and thenyouruined everything.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, tears rolling down my face. “I’m so sorry.”
“You stole everything from me.” His voice shook. “So I’m gonna bury you where no one will ever find you.”
He lifted the gun and pointed it at me, but Sky darted around me, throwing her hands out like she could catch a fucking bullet.
“No!” she screamed, and I think I was screaming too as I lurched forward, trying to snag the back of my sweater she wore.
The gunshot cracked like thunder, but at the same time,fireexploded from her hands.
I instinctively jumped backward, away from the blistering heat, and gasped as the fire completely enveloped Hawk’s body. He screamed, beating at the flames consuming him. His gun clattered to the floor, but I focused on Sky.
She stood wreathed entirely in flames as though she was a creature made of fire and ash. The flames didn’t seem to be hurting her like they were Hawk, but as she turned toward me, I realized she was clutching her chest where blood dribbled from a gunshot wound. I darted forward and grabbed her arm with one hand, only to release her with a cry of pain as the fire seared my skin.
