Page 120 of Till Death

“Of course, it is,” I cried, trying to push away from him. “I made that fucking deal. I did this.”

“No, Dey. Hollis made a choice.”

I shifted in Orin’s arms to look into the somber face of the Huntress. “What?”

She swiped at her tears. “Drexel called us all to his office and told us what would happen. He made us choose who would be the one.”

“It should have been me,” Orin growled.

Thea laid her head on his shoulder, her red hair nearly glowing in the lamp light, voice raw as she whispered. “Hollis volunteered before any of us could answer, but we all tried to take his place.”

I pushed out of Orin’s arms, standing. “And Quill? She’s fine?”

Paesha drew back, “Didn’t you see her?”

“Quill wasn’t in the cage when I went out.”

They exchanged wary glances before everyone was on their feet.

“Quill was never mentioned in the boss’s orders,” Thea said.

Paesha burrowed into her power without prompting. The sweet taste of her magic filled the space, as her lashes fell to damp cheeks.

Orin paced, broad shoulders stealing the width of the hall while so many emotions must have been flooding through him. “She was there when I performed. She kept her eyes covered the whole time.”

“Something happened when the lights went out, before my… before…” I couldn’t say his name. It sat like embers on my tongue, as if I had no right.

“We’ve gotta get out of this tunnel,” Paesha snarled. “It’s too hard to see above ground.”

“Should I go find Boo? Meet you guys back at the apartment?” Thea asked.

“Just be careful. Stay the hell away from Drexel. If he touches you, cut his fucking arm off, got it? Exchange no words. Not one. Swear it.”

“I swear.”

The darkness I’d been so used to rushed to the surface as Orin burrowed into his own anger. I would not begrudge him those feelings, though, nor would I step into his path as he shoved past us and took off running toward Ezra’s apartment building.

“Keep trying,” he roared at Paesha as we ran.

“What the hell do you think I’m doing?” she snapped back.

We soared through the tunnel. Paesha, still in a corset and lace skirts, didn’t miss a step or slow at all. The moment we were out of the tunnel and racing up the stairs, the door to the apartment flew open to Elowen standing there, apron on, twisting a rag in her hand with worry. Her eyes flashed to Orin’s wrist before she could likely comprehend our panic.

“What happened?” she asked, stepping to the side so we could slip in.

“Paesha?” Orin’s low-timbral voice was laced with an unhinged danger even Elowen didn’t balk at. Paesha coiled into her power once more.

“Please,” Orin’s mother whispered after several moments. “Just tell me what happened.”

Several of the other Syndicate members gathered around her, and I shifted until I was all the way to the back of the room. But Orin could not answer beyond his own panic, and Paesha was concentrating on searching for Quill. That left only me to speak the words that would slice her heart. Only me.

“We won and lost in the same moment,” I managed. “He made me…”

I couldn’t do it.

“Orin?” Elowen whispered, staring into her son’s dark eyes.

He moved to stand before his mother, softening, if only just a fraction, as he took her hands and brought them to his mouth. “You should sit down.”