Chapter 25 – KNIGHT
KNIGHT
metal tears above.
screaming sound of roof peeling back like skin from bone.
cold air rushes in.
and then.
him.
the other one.
the broken one.
the monster one.
like me.
Wraith drops through the hole he made, landing in a crouch. white scarf wrapped around lower face. can still see the monster beneath the loose fabric.
a flash of sharp teeth, exposed muscle.
remember him.
remember the lab.
remember his rage.
but something different now.
his blue eyes not wild like before.
focused. purposeful.
looking at me like he knows something.
like he wants something.
don't care.
he's between me and Moon.
that's all that matters.
I lunge.
we collide like mountains crashing.
he's stronger than before.
not exhausted.
good.
makes it fair.
we slam into train wall.
metal buckles under impact.
light explodes around us.
in another train car now.
another wall explodes.
another car.
he twists. uses momentum to throw me across car.
I catch myself.
claws dig grooves in floor.
snarl builds in chest.
but he doesn't attack again.
stands there.
watching.
then does something strange.
moves his hands.
not like fighting.
different deliberate movements.
fingers forming shapes.
gesturing at himself, then at me.
pleading blue eyes.
no more feral rage.
what is he doing?
why isn't he attacking?
don't understand.
don't care.
I charge again.
he meets me halfway.
we grapple, each trying to overpower other.
his strength matches mine now.
but still those hand movements between strikes.
still trying to... what?
communicate?
why?
we don't need words.
we speak in violence.
train rocks violently. explosion outside. someone yelling. sounds like the big loud alpha. the one who smells like whiskey.
big loud alpha is on a horse.
big loud alpha has a rocket launcher.
big loud alpha stuffs missile into barrel.
"Gimme back my fuckin' husband, you assholes!" he bellows. takes aim. burst of hot white light.
another explosion.
ears ring.
head throbs.
smoke blinds.
Wraith uses my distraction. throws me toward window. I catch the frame. glass shatters around me. he's there instantly. but not attacking.
dragging his hand across glass.
drawing with blood from our wounds.
B-R-O-T-H-E-R
letters.
he's writing letters.
like I did on the wall.
brother?
NO.
rage floods through me.
how dare he.
how dare he claim that.
we are nothing alike.
he is with the alpha pack that captured Moon.
that tore her from her sky.
nothing else matters.
I grab his head and slam it through window.
glass explodes outward.
he roars, sound muffled by his scarf.
twists in my grip, drives elbow into my ribs.
something cracks.
pain flares but doesn't matter.
nothing matters except protecting Moon.
Wraith spins, grabs my head with both hands.
slams it back into train wall.
metal dents.
ears ring.
something... shifts.
like glass breaking inside skull.
chains snapping.
memories flood in.
sharper. clearer. more.
the lab. the tests. others like us.
experiments.
brothers in suffering.
brothers in—
NO.
shake head violently.
don't want these thoughts.
better when everything was red.
my claws find Wraith's shoulder, dig deep.
blood sprays.
his hand finds my shoulder in turn.
fingertips dig in.
wrenches metal from flesh.
sparks burst from shoulder joint.
BOOOOOM.
closer this time.
train lurches sideways.
we both stumble.
Moon.
where is Moon?
can't see her. one-eyed alpha was holding her.
need to—
Wraith tackles me before thought completes. we crash through boxes, wood splintering around us. something sharp pierces my side. ignore it.
grab his throat, squeeze.
he doesn't try to break free.
instead more hand movements. frantic now. pointing at himself. at me. at the word still visible in blood on broken window.
B-R-O-T-H-E-R
don't care.
squeeze harder.
his eyes... not angry.
not afraid.
sad? why sad?
we're fighting.
this is what we do.
what we are.
monsters.
weapons.
nothing more.
"Knight, stop!" Raven's voice. somewhere behind me. "We need to get off this train! Now!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
train tilts dangerously.
metal screaming as it grinds against tracks.
Wraith uses the momentum.
breaks my grip, rolls us.
now he's on top.
but still not going for killing blow.
still trying to communicate with those damn hand movements.
frustrated growl tears from my throat.
fight me properly!
kill or be killed!
that's all we are!
grab his wrist as his fist descends.
stop it inches from my mask.
we strain against each other.
matched perfectly.
neither giving ground.
flip. roll. slam. bash. claw.
he's beneath me now.
I have him pinned.
have him where I want him.
his scarf has come loose in struggle. can see his ruined face clearly now. the exposed muscle and sharp teeth that should be hidden behind flesh.
but his eyes are...
human.
more human than mine have ever been.
raise claws to strike him.
to tear off the rest of his face.
he doesn't fight back.
just stares at me.
pain in his eyes.
no rage. only pain.
why won't he fucking fight me?
why can't I just finish him off?
why can't I kill this fucking alpha fuck hate fucking alphas fuck fuck FUCK—
another explosion.
this one different. closer. bigger.
rocket tears through train wall.
world explodes.
fire everywhere. metal screaming. impact slams into ribs. into spine. into everything.
flying.
no.
falling.
Wraith's body tangled with mine. clawing at each other even as we plummet. his fist connects with my mask. my claws rake his chest. still fighting. always fighting.
hit sand hard.
impact drives all thought from mind.
just pain. darkness. choking.
consciousness flickers.
comes back to more pain.
half-buried. metal arm seized up. sparking. Wraith nearby, dragging himself from crater. blood on sand.
his blood. my blood.
doesn't matter.
he sees me moving.
we lock eyes.
both lunge at same time.
crash together.
roll down dune.
punching. clawing. slamming.
train whistle in distance.
MOON.
punch Wraith in throat.
he chokes.
good.
scramble to feet, limping after train.
feet slipping in sand.
something slams into back.
Wraith. tackling me down again.
NO.
Moon needs me.
Cosima needs me.
JUST FUCKING DIE—