Page 6 of Chaos Crown

“It’s okay.” Zoey kissed my forehead. Standing up, she backed away, aiming my bow at my now silent boys. “You were special, Angel. Only you could live on after death. Even so, you must pay for what you’ve done. Give back the time that wasn’t yours.”

I rose on shaky knees.

“Scott believed we could bring you back through blood, clues, and letters. But he should have known.” Zoey lined the shot at Cairo’s heart. The expert marksman I was, I knew this time she wouldn’t miss.

“The dead only return through sacrifice.”

I looked down below at the black, icy waters.

“Now it’s time to make your choice,” she barked. “You? Or the Bedlam—”

I climbed onto the ledge and jumped off.

Chapter One

Icy claws bit intomy legs, stomach, chest, face—dragging me under. The impact smacked conscious thought clean out of my head, filling me with a blank calm. I didn’t struggle. Didn’t thrash, fight, or claw to the surface.

I shut my eyes... I think. The water was too dark to tell if they were open or closed, and I stopped feeling my face somewhere around the time my guys’ shouts faded.

It was better this way. How wrong it was of me to live on after death. My soul walked away from that grave, stealing borrowed time and not even using it for vengeance. There was no point of me anymore, so let my death do some good this time.

Let it save my boys.

The claws loosened their grip—accepting that I wasn’t going to escape. Watery arms cradled me, gently sending me on to a place more peaceful than I deserved.

I’m so sorry.My lungs burned... until they didn’t.I’m coming.

A band wrapped around my forearms, snapping my eyes open. I knew they were open this time, because something was looking back at me.

Black crept in around my vision, blurring the figure. As we burst through the surface, it claimed me for good.

***

“RAINEY? RAINEY, WAKEup. Dammit, wake up!”

Pain pounded my chest, ripping me from sleep. I shot up, spewing river water from my throat. My eyes focused on Cairo— No, not just Cairo. Jacques and Legend hovered behind him.

---