Chapter 35
Furyon
I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve been up and down every inch of downtown, and Lemon’s fucking nowhere.
Her godsdamned father and brother hover behind me, useless, barking questions at me that I obviously don’t have the answers to.
Shrieking and howling interrupt my train of thought as two pit hells run up the street toward me. They crowd around with the other three who are still following me. The duo yip and yowl until they’re all at max volume, jumping and clawing at me.
The pit hell tattoo on my back lights up, on fire as I gasp at the new sensation. They need me. Could this be connected? I have to assume it could be. Tonight’s not the night to stop listening to my gut.
I hop in my truck, and the pups hop in the back. I’m squealing out of my parking spot as Lemon’s father and brother throw themselves in the bed with the dogs.
We rush out of town, foot to the truck floorboard, headed off into the darkness. Two of the pit hells leap out of the back of the truck, tumbling in the dirt. Quickly they leap to their feet and take off into the black. Yanking the wheel, I spin off the road and follow them through a wheat field.
The minutes pass like molasses as dread fills me. There’s nothing out here. Nothing but the train tracks. What in the hells would Lemon be doing out here by herself?
That all becomes apparent moments later when the tracks come into view. A lump is barely visible, but the closer we get, the more sure I am it’s her. Why? How?
Those are questions for later. I drive up over the train tracks and slam the truck in park. I’m out and clearing the hood in half a second. I drop to my knees by Lemon’s side.
She wails and struggles as I take in the situation. She’s tied to the fucking tracks with tight, intricate knots.
A train blast rends the night as Hunter and Rikard rush to us and kneel on Lemon’s other side. “Who did this to you?” her father demands.
I yank the knife from the holder on my belt and start sawing at the rope around her hands.
“Help me!” I shout at her father and brother. “Use your claws, anything!”
Her father slips his claws out and moves to Lemon’s feet.
She sobs, staring at me. “Furyon, I love you so much. If this is it, I wanted you to know. Oh gods, don’t let this be all the time we had, but if it is...”
“Hush, baby.” I try to keep my voice steady even though terror claws up my throat. Mabel’s light flashes on the tracks to my left, her horn blaring. The conductor will have seen my truck on the tracks. He’s warning us to get out of the way.
“Furyon, get out of here!” Lemon shouts. “Mabel’s coming. There’s no time!”
Rikard and Hunter yank and slash at the ropes, but she’s right, we’re out of fucking time. Mabel’s brakes squeal as she hurls forward along the track, sending vibrations along it.
Sobbing, I stab at the ropes until I get a hand free. Lemon squirms and flicks her claws out, slashing at the rest until we get her hands out.
I dive to her feet and shove her father out of the way to saw at the ropes around her ankles.
“We’re too late,” Hunter gasps, staring up the tracks. He yanks his father backward, but Rikard leaps forward and grabs Lemon’s ankle, pulling her toward him.
Mabel’s horn blares frantically, nearly blowing my eardrums as the pit hells scramble away from the rushing train.
Rising, I lock eyes with Lemon as her father drags her off the tracks. She screams my name and claws at the dirt as Mabel hits my truck, smashing it and sending it flying through the air.
I will my muscles to move, but Mabel’s too fast.
I want the last thing I see to be Lemon.
But she shoves her father off as she screams.
Bunching my muscles, I leap for her. But I’m too late.
Too late.