Page 124

A chill ran down Nick’s spine as he sat upright. “Then I’d say there’s ten of us. One of you. You can’t win against those odds.”

And Owen said, “Maybe not. But I can sure as hell try.”

He did. He tried. Shadows burst from his back, but they flickered angrily as they whipped around. One hurtled towardNick’s face but stopped inches from the tip of his nose. Nick didn’t move, didn’t blink, and when Seth’s arms wrapped around his chest, pulling him away, he didn’t try to fight it. Instead, he felt a strange sense of grief wash over him, knowing no matter what any of them did or said, it was already too late for Owen.

The shadows trembled as Owen clutched himself, face contorted. He brought his hands up to his head, gripping his hair, and thescreamhe let out would haunt Nick for years to come. It echoed across the ruins of the bridge. Seth breathed heavily in Nick’s ear, his grip around his chest tight. But Nick barely felt it. He barely felt it because of Owen’s legs. They weredim,translucent. Same with his hips. His chest. His arms. His face. Owen held out his hands in front of him, and his fingers began to fade, little wisps of shadows rising like smoke from the tips.

“What is this?” Owen whispered.

“The pills,” Dad said, appearing next to Nick and Seth. He looked exhausted, horrified. The lines on his face were deeper than Nick had ever seen them. “You took too many, Owen. There’s always a price to pay.”

Owen shook his head. “No.No.” He took a step toward them. And then another. And then another, but then he could walk no more because his lower legs turned to shadows, unable to support his weight. He fell to his knees, settling back on his haunches. Owen smiled at the night sky and spoke his last words.

He said, “I… am…Extraordinary.”

His face, his teeth and tongue, dissolved into shadows. The rest of him followed, and his body burst silently in a puff of black that swirled away, caught in a warm breeze that spread all that remained of Owen Burke, like ash over an ocean.

He was gone.

Seth let Nick go as he turned toward his father, grabbing him as tightly as he could. Nick felt something in him break, and he clutched at his father as tears fell.

Hands on his back. His hair. Words whispered from hisfriends, his family, familiar, sweet and soft. Dad whispered in his ear, “We’ve got you, kid. We’ve got you.”

Nick didn’t raise his head when the sounds of sirens filled the air, people approaching from either side of the bridge, calling out. He closed his eyes and held on for dear life.