Chapter 27 #3
Lyra turned at the door, color leeching from her cheeks. “Why? You monster.”
“Everyone in this room would be better off dead. I’m doing the world a favor.”
Jonah put his arm around her shoulder and frowned. “What is it?”
I coughed from the smoke, the room hazy enough to obscure us. Connall’s laugh cracked through the room as Lyra whispered. The television screens flickered and blared with jangled sounds.
“He’s geo-locked the override to my phone. It has to be manually overridden.”
Connall coughed and slumped on the ground. His eyes narrowed as he spat out his final words. “People like my sister, the innocent, are always the one’s being hurt. We’re all monsters and the world will be brighter without us in it.”
Connall was right. I wasn’t a good person. I was selfish, vain and spoiled. But I’d survived worse monsters than Connall, my papa being one of them. He’d strung me up at nineteen to beat my rebellion out of me. I’d only come out more determined to live my life how I chose.
Lyra had breathed life into my numb lungs and shown me what it meant to sacrifice yourself for others. We might be monsters, but Connall was wrong in assuming he could destroy us.
I moved blindly, snatching the phone from Lyra’s hand and placing my thumb where hers had been. It was still warm, and that settled my twisted nerve. I hope I looked like a fucking hero right now.
“Take her.” I swiveled my head between Jonah and Beck.
“No.” Lyra reached for me. “Raimondo. Stop.”
I should have been frightened, but I wasn’t. My ribs cracked open with a roar of light, of warmth and rightness. How many years had I wondered if I had any use except for causing trouble? Speeding down narrow roads. Burning my throat with liquor.
“This works out great for my reputation. Taillight Ray went out with a bang.” The smoke made my throat raw, and my eyes pricked with tears.
Beck grabbed Lyra’s arm and dragged her to the door. “You sure, Spare?”
Jonah choked what little breath I had left from my lungs. I yearned to tell him everything. About how he’d burrowed into my heart and become more than a brother. But all I could manage was a strangled grunt.
“B-big guy. Please go.”
He wasn’t a man of words, but as his lips pressed against mine, I knew what he was thinking. We wasted precious seconds on the kiss, but I was going to be a little greedy with the short remainder of my life. I planted my hands on Lyra’s face and took her lips.
“Remember me as the most handsome brother-boyfriend, won’t you?” I swiped my eyes. “You want one?” I made a kissy face in Beck’s direction.
“They say I’m the insane one.” Beck’s voice was raw. “You’ve always been the best-looking man I’ve ever seen.”
Lyra was still protesting when Beck pulled her over his shoulder and ran through the smoke. Ash coated my tongue. Jonah’s fingers gripped my arm as he followed, grabbing Lyra as she escaped from Beck and came charging back through the smoke.
“I love you, mia volpe.”
Her glassy eyes were red-rimmed and wild with terror. I wonder what I looked like? Still terribly handsome, I’m sure. I sank to my ass, my knees wobbling underneath me. Connall was a shadow in the smoke, unmoving.
The warehouse was not suitable for Connall’s plans. The metal groaned, and sweat poured down my face. My finger slipped on the phone screen, and I jammed it back.
“Just until they can get out and into the water.”
I thought about Tony, Carol, and Jenny as I slumped against the wall. Lyra would think of something heroic to tell them, like I saved some kids from a burning house. My heart squeezed at the idea of them having Sunday roast without me.
Metal screamed above me. Concrete rumbled, and I picked myself up. Everyone had enough time to get out. I wasn’t going to die a martyr in this place. I tossed the phone backward, and it shattered.
“Run, you bastard,” I swore to myself as my legs buckled.
I scraped my knee falling up the stairs. My lungs quit on me, content to burn like Connall. But I dragged them, and myself, until a lick of fresh air washed out the smoke. Burned flesh cooked my nostrils. My vision wavered with heat waves, and as I fell through the door, black dots swarmed it.
Salt mingled with smoke. If I get out of this, I’m taking everyone somewhere amazing.
No beaches, and no campfires.
A cascade of flames rolled toward me with a fiery roar.
It punched between my shoulder blades, and pain screamed over my face.
My head cracked on the ground as blistering pain anointed me.
Was I burning to death? I couldn’t tell.
A scorching laugh mingled with smoke in my lungs.
Did I think it would be any different? It was always going to end in flames for me.
Pain seared across my temple and cheek. I lifted my fingers, and they came away wet.
Please, if there were any gods, let everyone else be safe.
I blinked into fathomless black as my consciousness tore from my weak, fleshy shell. My scream erupted from my throat, swelling until pain consumed me.