Chapter 6
“ I love you, Bones.” Trey’s expression was anguished, tears sliding down his face. “I love you.”
“Please! Please don’t, please don’t,” I sobbed, trying to run to him, but my legs were numb and useless.
“I love you,” he repeated, his brown eyes fixed on me.
“How sweet,” Madame sneered.
“No!”
The gunshot was so loud, and Trey’s blood splattered across my face. The light in his eyes extinguished as though someone blew out a candle; he started to fall, and I screamed and screamed ? —
“Ember!”
I wrenched away from Vulture, gasping in a panicked breath, but I slammed into something hard.
“Em, you’re dreamin’. It’s just a dream.”
I blinked, and it wasn’t Vulture who grabbed me and shook me awake. It was Wolf. My stomach flipped with a strange mix of relief and terror. I was still sitting on the couch, now pressed against the back of it, breathing hard. My brother was crouched in front of me, studying me closely.
“It’s just a dream,” he repeated.
I had a crazed urge to laugh. If only it were just a dream. I swiped at my wet face with the sleeve of Lee’s shirt, my hands trembling.
“You ok?” a voice asked from behind the couch, and I twisted with a gasp. Lee grimaced at me. “Sorry.”
My eyes wouldn’t stop leaking. I swiped at them again, sniffing, trying to wrestle myself back under control. They were both silent, watching as I huddled back in my corner.
“I’ll sub in,” Lee suddenly said. “Wolf, you should get some rest.”
“I don’t?—”
“You do, ” Lee interrupted firmly.
They glared at each other for a few seconds before Wolf abruptly got to his feet and strode out of the room. I couldn’t suppress my surprise, and Lee smirked as he went around the couch and sat close beside me. He threw his arm around the back of the couch, practically around my shoulders.
“You wanna punch me?” he asked.
I cut my eyes sideways at him.
“I’m giving you one free punch, remember?” he grinned.
I swiped at my face again and tried to ignore him.
“Wow, you really are back to not talking to me,” Lee lamented. “And here I was thinkin’ we’d bonded.”
I rested my forehead on my knees again.
“I don’t go jumpin’ into frozen rivers for just anyone, you know.”
I didn’t respond, and he fell quiet. Tears continued to spill out of my eyes, dampening the blanket.
I love you, Bones.
“I’m sorry about the cave,” Lee said, his voice so jarringly serious I lifted my head. He was staring at me, his brow pinched. “If you weren’t in danger of freezin’ to death, I never would’ve…forced you like that.”
I stared at him, unsure of how to respond. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second before continuing, his voice even quieter.
“You were talking in your sleep before you started screaming. Sounded like you might’ve been havin’ a nightmare about the cave.”
Oh.
I dropped my eyes. “I wasn’t.”
“What was your nightmare about?”
“Nothin’.”
“Lot of this nothin’ seems to happen to you.”
He’d rolled his sleeves up, revealing part of the tattoo that went down to his wrists, but even in the better light of the cabin, I still couldn’t figure out what it was.
“You hungry? We saved your sandwich.”
Maybe if I ignored him, he’d shut up. For a minute, I thought it worked.
“You know what’s weird? I had this big gash in my leg from somethin’ in the river, but when Sable went to stitch it up, it was gone.”
I focused on breathing evenly. Don’t react. Don’t react.
“Crazy, right?”
“What’s your tattoo mean?” I blurted out the first question I could think of to change the subject, and the grin that crossed his face made me immediately regret it.
“Oh, is that what you were lookin’ at in the cave? My tattoo?”
I glared at him, hating the heat rising in my cheeks.
He chuckled and leaned slightly toward me. “It means you shouldn’t get tattooed when you’re shitfaced.”
I glanced back down at his forearm, my brow furrowing as I studied the meandering black ink covering his skin.
“If you want me to take my shirt off again so you can see the whole thing, all you gotta do is ask,” he teased, looking far too pleased with himself.
“When are we leaving?” I asked, attempting to ignore him and change the subject.
He paused but then said, “Not sure yet.”
His tone was casual—too casual. I remembered the conversation I’d overheard about baits and positions, and my stomach twisted again with fear. He smiled when I made eye contact, his eyes crinkling, but I couldn’t read him, which made me more nervous.
“Well, if you’re not gonna eat something, you should at least drink something.”
He leaned forward, snagged a battered metal water bottle from the floor, and handed it to me. I took it and twisted off the lid, frowning at how my hands shook.
“How you gonna make another escape attempt if you don’t eat?”
“What are we waiting for?” I asked, my voice flat.
“You in a hurry to leave all of a sudden? Thought you didn’t want to go back to Carth.”
I didn’t miss that he kept dodging my actual question. I took a final drink of water and handed him the bottle before sliding down into my corner again and resting my head on the arm of the couch.
“That does not look comfortable,” Lee remarked.
I closed my eyes.
“You know, you are not what I expected.”
Don’t ask. Just ignore him. Don’t ? —
“I don’t even know what I was expecting. Someone a lot scarier looking? Meaner? Taller? A lot stabbier? Less pretty?”
I opened my eyes to see him grinning again. “Give me a knife, and I’d be happy to stab you,” I muttered darkly.
“Awww, you sound just like your brother.”
I glared, but before I could speak, the door abruptly opened, and Sable entered. He was wearing light tactical gear, and snowflakes clung to his long blond hair. His face was grave, and he was carrying a huge gun with a long scope.
“Got the signal,” he said.
All of Lee’s lightheartedness seemed to evaporate. “I’ll wake ’em.”
As he vanished down the hallway, I sat up and turned to Sable, trying to look like I wasn’t panicking. “What signal?”
He stared back at me, his face impassive. “You’ll have to ask your brother.”
“Why do you have that?” I asked, my eyes dropping to his gun. I knew it was a sniper rifle, but I thought he was a healer.
“I’m a marksman.”
“What, like a Ghostmark?” I asked, referring to the legendary group of snipers I’d often heard the Reapers talk about.
“I was a Ghostmark, so yes.” His expression didn’t change, but his voice had an edge.
I blinked in astonishment. The Reapers talked about the Ghostmarks like they were actual ghosts, and I hadn’t fully believed they even existed.
Wolf came striding out of the hallway, followed by Scar and Lee. My brother’s gaze found me first, scanning me before turning to Sable.
“How many?” Wolf asked.
“They split into three teams. This one’s got four or five scouting.”
“Time?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded, anxiety thrumming through me.
They all glanced at me and then at Wolf. Wolf studied me, his expression carefully schooled.
“I’ve got a few questions for Madame, so we’re expecting visitors.”
I felt my face pale. “What?”
“Lee’s in charge of you. Do what he says, and Ember, you try to run again, and I’m tyin’ you back up.”
“Wait, what… who’s comin’?” The panic in my voice was evident as I stood, clutching the blanket around me.
Lee appeared at my elbow, his eyes narrowed at me.
“Stay inside and listen to Lee,” Wolf snapped as he grabbed his jacket and a bulletproof vest.
“Wolf—”
“Stay inside,” he growled at me and turned to Scar. “You got enough ammo?”
“Madame’s dead!” I blurted out, and they all turned to me with predatory focus.
“Since when?” Lee asked sharply at my side, but I didn’t look away from Wolf.
“Since a couple months ago,” my voice trembled.
Scar made a series of gestures with her hands, and Wolf did some back like they were talking.
“Who’s in charge now?” Wolf asked.
“A man named Nemo.”
“How’d that happen?” Lee demanded.
“There was a r-rebellion.”
“Wolf?” Sable’s voice was low.
“Stick to the plan,” Wolf said.
“Who’s comin’?” I asked again, louder. I stepped toward Wolf, but Lee caught my elbow, preventing me from going further.
“Safeguard crew from the Vault,” Wolf answered after a pause.
Fuck. Please, please don’t be Mac. “Which one?”
Wolf gave me a funny look, “Mac’s.”
Panic spiked through me, and the room spun. I must have swayed slightly because Lee’s grip tightened on my elbow.
“Don’t hurt them!” I gasped out.
Wolf’s eyebrows raised as he studied me. Everyone was silent.
“Please,” I choked out, trying to breathe normally. “Please, Wolf, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll go to Carth, just don’t hurt them.”
My brother’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Please!” I begged.
I knew I was fucking this up, showing my whole hand, but I couldn’t come up with a clever plan with this terror thrumming through my veins. I couldn’t watch them get hurt or…or worse.
“Who killed Madame?” Wolf asked.
I hesitated, and Wolf’s gaze sharpened.
“Ember,” he snapped. “You want to protect your friends? Then start talkin’.”
“Me,” I whispered.
They all wore carefully blank expressions, and I couldn’t read them.
“ You killed Madame?” Wolf repeated.
“Yes.”
“How?”
I tried to block the memory of Madame’s blood spraying across my face. “They captured her during the revolt.”
“I didn’t ask how she got taken down. I’m askin’ how you killed her. Was it on someone’s orders?”
“No,” I whispered.
Wolf scanned me again, his eyes narrowing. “ How?”
My stomach clenched, but I couldn’t tell if I was offended he seemed to think I wasn’t capable or if it was the guilt and shame at what I’d done. My emotions pulled back like they wanted no part of this.
“I slit her throat.” My voice came out steady but so empty.
All three narrowed their eyes, and it felt like being studied by actual wolves. I had the panicked thought I wasn’t confessing this right. I always went numb. I didn’t know how to do it any other way. Was I supposed to cry?
“Those scars on your back, are those whip marks?” Lee asked from beside me.