Chapter Fifty-Seven
As the countdown began, and the eerie voice of the Shadow permeated the landscape, Allhan sat up in the bushes by the river, intending to go back up there and get his female. But Vishous landed on him before he had a chance, the Brother’s weight hitting him like a boulder.
“No,” Vishous said as he held things in place, “She’s… working something up there. Something’s about to—”
“—two… one,” the Shadow’s images parroted all around.
The explosion was like a fiery meteor had obliterated the house—except that the burst of flames came from within. And Allhan had a horrible thought that Denne had been incinerated, except then he looked up to the porch.
Backlit by the orange and yellow fireball, the female he loved with everything in him went airborne off the porch, and not only that, she was coming right for him. Bouncing in the snow as she hit the embankment, she tumbled down toward the shore.
Which was great, because her clothes were on fire.
Allhan jumped to his feet and went catcher’s-mitt on her, grabbing his female before she shot all the way into the icy Hudson. Well, not really grabbing her, more like tangling into her. Their bodies melded, all arms and legs together as he was caught by her momentum and carried away.
He saved them by slapping a hand on a branch and stopping them two feet from the river.
Panting, his. Wheezing, hers.
And then… Denne started laughing. There was a crazy edge to the sound, but didn’t he jump right in with her. The next thing he knew, they were kissing, and she tasted of her blood and gunpowder and ashes, and all that was okay with him.
Meanwhile, up above, the glass house was a five-alarm fire that owned the night’s horizon.
Except what about—
Something landed next to them in the snow and bounced a couple of times. As they both turned to whatever it was—
“Oh, my God—”
“Holy shit—”
The Shadow’s head was face-up and dead-eyed at the night sky, the gristle of the neck a glossy show of anatomy, the mouth wide open as if he’d been screaming as his skull had been blown off the top of his spine.
“Allhan! Allhan, I’m coming!”
But his sister was not the one who got to them first. Vishous arrived before Carmen did, and the Brother’s eyes went over both of them. Behind him, she was waving her arms to stay upright in in her high-heeled shoes as she made her way through the snow from where she’d landed.
Allhan immediately looked at what was left of t’On. “Crap, my sister can’t see that—”
Denne sat up. “I’ll get it—”
Vishous took a step forward, drew back his opposite shitkicker, and soccer’d the head right into the only part of the river that wasn’t iced over.
“That was very impressive,” Denne said as the splash faded.
“I was a Messi fan years ago, true?” The Brother put his hand in his jacket and took out a bent hand-rolled. “You two okay?”
“Yes,” Allhan said. “Oh, I’d like to properly introduce you to the love of my life, Denne.”
Vishous put the off-kilter coffin nail between his front teeth and smiled. “You’re a pretty smart male, you know that. You have chosen wisely.”
Allhan leaned in for another kiss, and they were just breaking the contact as Carmen arrived.
“Carmen, this is Denne. Denne, this is my sister.”
“Hi.” Denne scrubbed her palm on her smoke-stained button-down and offered a smile. “Pleased to meet you.”
Smiling back, Carmen inclined her head graciously, as if they were at a cocktail party. “Likewise, I’m sure.”
Meanwhile, Vishous started patting every pocket he had. “Where the hell’s my lighter—”
“Oh.” Denne winced. “Sorry about that. I borrowed your Bic when I shoved you off the porch. I needed something to light that fire with.”
As Brothers and fighters started appearing all around, Vishous glared at the the fireball above them. “Borrowed? Young lady, let me teach you some manners. If you’re going to use something of somebody’s, you have to return it—”
“Wait, wait, wait!”
She scrambled through the snow a couple of feet over and came back with a burning stick. “Here, this’ll work fine.”
As she stuck it out, Vishous smiled again and leaned down to the flame. When the cigarette came to life, he exhaled and inclined his head.
“Allhan, she really is a keeper. You have my blessing.”
With a feeling of utter gratitude, he looked at the only female he was ever going to love. Then he choked up, not just because of what he was going to say, but who he was saying it to.
“I couldn’t agree more… Father.”