Page 90 of Light in Your Eyes

It looks like my words are a punch to his heart because he suddenly freezes.

I swallow. "He never wanted to be a part of Black Wings. He hated the people here. He hated the mission," I cry, remembering the words Marco said to me the last time I saw him. "He didn't want to kill—"

"Shut up," he barks. "You know nothing about my brother. Do not speak as if he had any problem before you happened."

Tears are rolling down my cheeks.

But it was the truth.

I only made it worse because I made him feel even more lonely than before. I was the only one who he thought would understand him. He thought that it would be two of us against the surrounding darkness.

Marco's words echo again inside my head, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

"We're the same, Layla. I see myself when I see you. We're not supposed to turn into them. We're better than them."

When I open my eyes, all I can see is his brother's rage again. Before I know it, he slaps me hard across my face. The blow is so painful that I can't help but curl myself on the floor.

I watch as he arches his spine. He sits on his knees and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath, as though he's trying to forget my words.

My vision becomes blurrier, not only because of my tears but also because of the smoke starting to fill the room. The fire has begun to spread, and my heart kicks up a notch.

With difficulty, I stand on my feet and drag my legs tothe balcony. Just when I touch the railing, I am pushed against it. He grabs a handful of my hair with his fist and forces me to turn around to face him. With his other hand, he grips my throat again.

I choke, unable to bear the pain. I haven't even recovered from his first attempt to choke me to death.

My feet are lifted from the ground, and my back arches to the point that I can fall over the balcony if he pushes me just a little bit.

I don't know which one will be a more painful way to die—choked to death or falling over the balcony.

I wish that somebody, anybody, would catch sight of us from down below and help me.

My thoughts are running wild inside my head. The reality that I may really die today forces my adrenaline to rush.

No. I can't die. Not now.

What about Kellan?

What about my family?

I struggle for my life, kicking and punching in every direction. I manage to knee him in the right spot, causing him to groan and lose his grip on me. I take that split second to free myself from his hold and rush back into the room, which is practically burning.

I can hear him curse behind me. Just when I glance back, the other bookshelf that has caught fire topples to the ground, falling over him. His painful scream rings in my ears as I stumble forward. I fall onto the floor and crawl with my elbows.

I glance back again. My eyes widen as I watch the fire consume him.

"No," I whisper in fear.

Although he can't hurt me anymore, it's still a horrible thing to watch someone dying before my very eyes.

The heat is killing me. The smoke is becoming worse. My eyes hurt.

The more seconds pass, the more it's getting harder to breathe inside the room. I don't know what I should do and where I should go. The fire has caught the door as well, and when I stare up at the ceiling, it seems like a part of it can collapse at any time.

I never felt so close to death.

Chapter 34

Kellan