Page 212 of Fangs
My panicked eyes scanned the tent, but it was empty except for us. I shifted and realized metal handcuffs bound my bandaged wrists in front of me. I tried to sit up, but she shoved me back down with one hand and held me there. I stared at her, my heart thudding in time with my pounding head. I’d barely interacted with her at the Vault, and I didn’t know her well enough to anticipate what she’d do. She’d always seemed more like Madame than like Nemo, and she was clearly working with Sax. Did they know I’d killed Madame? Was this revenge?
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice raspy and hoarse. My throat ached.
She sighed, tilting her chin in a strange, almost playful way. “So many things.”
I stared at her.
“Oh, you mean with you?” she grinned. “Well, I could think of several fun things to do with you, but unfortunately, I’m to deliver you in one piece.”
The hair on the back of my neck raised. “Deliver to who?”
“The God of Death.” I must have looked as startled and confused as I felt because her smile turned wicked. “Aww, sweet thing, you didn’t know? The God of Death himself promised to elevate whoever fetched you to godhood.”
I could only stare, speechless.
“Unfortunately, we will have to travel with those Voiceless creeps, but it’s a small price to pay for immortality.”
“He’s lying,” I said, trying to sound confident, but my voice shook. “That’s impossible.”
“A year ago, I would’ve said it was impossible to heal another person just by touching them, but here you are.” She leaned down and tapped me on the nose with one finger.
“No one is immortal,” I tried.
“How do you know?” Her head tilted as she studied me.
I hated that she was looming over me while I was stuck lying on my back. It made me feel completely powerless. “Are the Voiceless here?” I asked, ignoring her question.
“They will be any minute.”
I forced my spinning mind to focus with a monumental act of will. “How did you know where I was?”
She grinned. “Did you think Hawk unraveled all by himself?”
“What do you mean?” I breathed, my heart lodging itself in my throat.
She narrowed her eyes as she held my gaze, and I was about to ask again when pure terror seized me, so potent I immediately was sick. I barely managed to roll on my side so I didn’t vomit all over myself. When I glanced at her, trying to catch my breath, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
“What just happened?” I choked out.
“You’re not the only one with powers anymore, sweet thing.” She smiled wide, showing all her teeth.
I stared at her in horror.
“I can manipulate emotions,” she bragged.
Oh fuck.
“You made Hawk hate me?” I whispered.
Her head tipped back as she laughed, the mockery clear. “Oh, he already hated you. I just turned the dial up a little andsuggestedhe bring you to that cell.”
I had to breathe deeply through my nose for a moment. “He killed Sky because of you!”
She shrugged. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”
Every part of her radiated indifference like Sky’s life meant nothing, and I snapped as rage roared through me. I lashed out with my leg and connected partially with Zana’s shoulder. She grunted but immediately blocked my next attempt. The next thing I knew, she’d shifted to pin my thighs under her knee. I brought my cuffed hands up to shove her, but she caught my wrists and forced them to the ground above my head. I couldn’t help the hiss of pain as she manhandled my bandaged wrists, but I still fought to escape.
Zana leaned down, her grip like iron, and her mouth twisted in a smirk. “Your fear is delicious. It’s really too bad we don’t have time to play. I’d love to see how much fear I could squeeze out of you.”
