Page 119 of Handsome Devil

“He can have a heart attack and die.” My voice was so shaky and fragile I wanted to punch my own face.

“Hmm.” Andrin stroked his chin. “Better get on with your task before he does then.”

Anger swirled inside me. I was sick with it. It grew and festered within me like wildfire. I thought I might combust. But I bit my tongue. For Apollo.

“Your time starts now.” Andrin smacked the clock on my desk, and it started ticking down the seconds.

I grabbed the pencil and started working.

The clock ticked in an uneven rhythm, I noticed.

Two, six, two.

Two, six, two.

Two, six, two.

It was broken. It was slightly late. That afforded me, I calculated, forty extra seconds. Almost an entire minute.

I threw everything into the problem. This was the last fucking time. That was why he came here. To get his pound of flesh before I was gone. To encourage myself, I tapped the side of my leg, reminding myself I had all the time in the world to get things right.

Two, six, two.

Two, six, two.

Two, six, two.

And then I got it. I got the answer.

“Here.” I looked up and handed him the paper. The clock said I had thirty seconds left. Which meant the broken clock had saved me. Saved Apollo. “Integers a, b, and c can’t exist for n greater than two. Anyone who understands elliptic curves and modular forms can crack this,” I said excitedly. My new father was due to be here in a couple hours, and I really wanted to see him for the first time while not going through a massive meltdown. “Now let Apollo go.”

Andrin picked up the paper, his pupils running over the solved problem. His lips rubbed together agitatedly. “Where was that brain of yours when I paraded you through mathcompetitions?” He slammed the paper on my desk, causing me to flinch.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to anger him. Not because of me—I was used to the pain. Because of Apollo.

“Speak, Boy.” He banged his fist over my desk.

I didn’t move.

He was screaming. Not being careful. This was a first.

“You can hit me. You can drag me through the woods. You can…I don’t know, do whatever you want with the rest of the time I have here,” I said quietly. “But let me take Apollo back to the shelter first.”

“No.” He used the hand that held his gun to wipe his forehead.

“Andrin, I—”

He angled himself fully to the window, raised his arm, and released a bullet. Apollo’s anguished running and yanking ceased at once. He collapsed backward, his pristine white fur painted red.

My vision went white. My ears rang.

No, no, no, no.

I leapt from my seat, jumping out the broken window and falling flat on my face. I didn’t care.

I scrambled up and started running to the rabbit. He was dead. Lying on the ground, still, eyes open, horrified, shocked, and…human. So human.

A scream ripped from my throat.