Page 118 of Fragile Facade

I keep Soren at my back, sinking deeper and deeper into my new persona the more shit I hear about him. How fucking dare they turn on him? He saved this goddamn town from Reaper Corp the night they attacked Misfit Hall, and he saved them again when we went to their city down south.

“Why isn’t he in the gang anymore then?” Sadie, Cain’s girlfriend screams, a blade clutched in her hand.

“Watch your mouth, woman,” Menace snarls at her. “Or I’ll rip your jaw open and?—”

Monster touches Menace’s shoulder, shutting him up.

“Get him!”

A surge of hysterical idiots head our way. They’re our people, but they’re turning on us like we’re nothing. Like Yates holds all the power.

“Stay the fuck away from him or you won’t see sunrise,” I warn, and there must be something in my voice because everyone stops advancing. “Want him? Get through me.”

“Stop.” Krypt rushes up, getting in my face. “Fucking stop.”

“They’re turning on him.”

“They’re scared, and Yates is winning. Fucking stop.”

I look past my brother, who is never the level-headed one. Yates is still hanging from the lamp post, Ransom standing guard next to him with Remi nearby, not obvious enough to be considered together. Lock is in the crowd, fighting alongside Glitch and Seven. Fuck! Fuck this whole situation. After everything we did to bring this town together, Yates blew it up with a few words, and now I don’t know what to do.

I always know what to do! I am the master manipulator, for fuck’s sake.

All I need to do is fight. Stop anyone and everyone from getting tomy sweetheart. He’s all I give a shit about, and the angry mob glaring at him from behind the wall of unmasked Vile Boys is setting my teeth to chattering in a rage so strong it’s about to burst out of me.

“Soren,” Krypt says, and then Soren’s hands grip me around the middle. “Get him out of here before he kills our own people.”

Soren starts to pull me away, and I get a second’s reprieve because I let him. But then a rock flies, hitting Soren in the side of the head, and it’s all over from there.

I black out. Give in. Lose myself to my new mask. I’ve created riots before, but this is one for the record books because I’m attacking the very people I set out to protect. I am the fucking Riot of Moros. My fists fly, my shoulders barrel through, and my forehead clacks off noses. My knuckles are close to breaking, and my heart is seconds from beating out of my chest. There’s blood all over me—I don’t know whose it is. I don’t care, as long as it isn’t Soren’s.

“Moros!” Ransom’s authoritative, modulated voice distracts the crowd. “We will find the traitors, I promise you that. But I know for a fact it isn’t Soren Sauder. This is not the time to turn on one another!”

I’m yanked backwards, my fist rising. Soren grabs it to stop my hit, dropping it just as fast to press his hands to the sides of my head, forcing me to look at him and only him.

“Killian.” He swallows, blue eyes on mine, blond hair all sweaty and blood-soaked. “I need the ninety seconds.”

That shocks me, and I stumble back a step.

“With you. I need ninety secondswith you.”

Oh.I look straight into his eyes, trying to understand. The ninety seconds have always been a safe reprieve… from each other. A way for us to settle so we don’t kill each other. But now… am I his safe reprieve?

My chest thumps and my lungs heave, but I grab Soren’s hand and let him lead me out of the cemetery. Ransom has the crowd somewhat listening when we make it to the edge, but my nerves won’t settle and this new mask won’t fall away. I can’t shake it. I’ve wrapped myself in a hundred charming personas, worn even more murderous masks, and perfected the art of acting and morphing to twist my surroundings to meet my needs. But this one is different. I don’t have any control over it, and it’s the strongest one I’ve ever worn.

“Look at me.” Soren stops us on the edge of the woods, hand on my chest to settle my heartbeat. “I’m fine.”

I breathe.

“I’m right here.”

I exhale.

“They’re our people.”

I vibrate.

“They’re wrong, but they have a point. Yates got in their already messed up heads and made everyone doubt each other. I took the brunt of it, but they’re still our people.”