Page 27 of Payne's Envy

“Your sister asked a question. Prudence, don’t interrupt,” Derrick said. He flicked his hand, and she sailed through the air.

“My lady!” Wallis and Marty screamed.

She smacked into what was left of the ruined museum with a loud thud. Bile rose in my throat. Every part of me screamed. I wanted to check on her, but Derrick stood there watching. I had to get to Prudence, but how? We were no different from the mortals we protected when we lost our powers. If he wanted to, he could kill us with the swipe of his hand. But he hadn’t. Which meant something.

When I heard my sister’s guttural scream, I reacted. Turning, I ran toward her, leaving my back exposed to him. But I didn’t care. If we died there, we died. I refused to do anything but help my sister.

“Prudence!” I shouted. I could heal her the second my powers returned. If she used her powers, too, Prudence would receive a double dose of healing.

“Don’t move,” Derrick said against my ear.

I froze.

“I may be a powerful proxy, but I’m not immortal like you and your family. I have to be careful with my life since I only get one, unlikeyou,” Derrick said, yanking me by my hair. Pain flared across my scalp. “I had to choose the perfect opportunity to take one of you.”

So, he was a Harvester? My father’s worries about Harvest being after us were warranted after all. My heart tightened. I hated my dad was about to lose one of his daughters. My family was going to be so pissed.

“Leave her alone!” Prudence yelled.

“Don’t come any closer, Prudence,” I called back. “He doesn’t want you.”

“Joy!” I closed my eyes when my sister shouted my name.

“Are you a Harvester?” I asked.

“Harvest has someone that belongs to me, and I need your brother to die so she’ll be mine.”

My eyes shot open.What?

“With your powers fading, I now know it’s possible to kill a Reaper.”

Derrick threw his hand in front of me. Black particles scattered before my eyes. Too late! I inhaled them all. The effects were instant. My vision hazed.

I wished he could see my smirk. Even mortal, I’d bet my life on my brothers sending that proxy to his grave. Hopefully, I got to see it.

The world went dark.

Chapter Fourteen

Payne

Time was not on my side. The end was near. The heat was back. I still didn’t know what the fuck I was. Nothing allowed me to be with my Joy. She was mine. I knew it. Even the change happening within me knew it.

But the change petrified me. I was losing time. I spent hours killing three ginormous monsters with August and the others. No, more likeIkilled them. How did I accomplish the things I did? Worst of all, I hardly recalled bits and pieces. Did I lose consciousness? How?

People, conversations, and places jumbled inside my head. One moment I was tearing through monsters. The next, I stalked toward Joy, but then she was gone again. Why was she gone? I hated when she wasn’t near. I was so tired of it.

Days without sleep must have caught up to me. The only thing driving me forward was a single person. Joy.

Mate.

But, I…

Tired. My bones never ached so much, and my limbs were so heavy, but I couldn’t stop. All I could think about was finding a place to rest, though, but I couldn’t. Not yet. I needed to get Joy and keep her with me. So, when I woke, she’d be there, and I didn’t have to go searching.

I had to stop searching.

A terrible sting tore into my chest. It felt like being yanked from the inside. I fell to the ground. The prickling alarm licking up my spine jolted me, and I looked around. Where the fuck was I? I didn’t have a clue. It was dark and empty. An orange glow caught my eyes, and I glanced down at my chest. I gasped when I saw the bright lines zigzagged all over my body. Were those my veins?

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