Page 62 of Worse Fates

When I decided Lucero and I were worth a try, I took that shit seriously and I refuse to let him become like Vidar; a half-formed thing who doesn’t give a shit. Lucero cares, damnit.

We might have to work on some things, but what couple doesn’t? And Lucero is going to learn just how stubborn I can be.

“When we get home, beautiful, we’ll talk,” Lucero’s low voice interrupts my thoughts.

I take my phone out of my pocket, grinning. “I’ll even add it to my cal—”

SLAM!

Something smashes into the car and we’re spinning out of control.

Glass explodes, coming at us like tossed diamonds. Someone’s screaming, and Lucero curses as he wrestles with the wheel, the stink of burnt tires acrid as the vehicle careens. I cling to the door handle, a yell trapped somewhere in my ribcage.

Before I can even form a thought, there's another incredible force and we’re airborne, my stomach lurches, and my phone is thrown from my hand.

For a second, time stops and I’m weightless—suspended like a comet against the black, shattered glass shining like stars and I can almost believe we’ll be okay. Then time snaps back and the roofSLAMSinto the earth with a screeching crunch. We grate across the road, orange sparks shooting off and all I can do is hold on as my body is tossed.

Stopping with a jerk, my seat belt cuts into my shoulder and torso, painful but keeping me suspended instead of splattered on the ceiling.

There’s smoke. So much of it. Thick and cloying, stinging my eyes and clogging up my throat. I try to make sense of what happened, but rushing blood pounds in my ears and my vision blurs.

A hand seizes my shoulder, and panic floods my system, my fists swings wildly before my mind can catch up.

“Golden!”

I halt to find startling blue eyes staring at me from beside my blown out window, and instinctively reach for him. “L-Lucero.”

“I have you.” With one hardtug, I’m ripped from my seatbelt, my fall softened by his waiting arms before he hauls me out the wreckage. “I have you. I have you, Golden—”

And then he doesn’t.

I’m dropped onto glass shards, crying out as pain flays open my flesh, followed by an awful crunch somewhere in the distance.

Sucking in a breath between clenched teeth, I jolt upright, terror for my vampire sharper than the broken glass cutting me.

“Lucero!” I cry, finding him hurled across the black expanse of the road. Too far to make out details, but close enough to see him moving. “Lucero…” I ignore my rolling stomach, and wheeze as I drag myself up. “I'll help you.”

A ringing buzzes in my ears like a fly, and I shake it away as I limp forward. Only to realise it’s coming from somewhere in the crush, and glance around to find my phone shattered, the stupid thing calling the voicemail.

Scoffing, I ignore it and keep going.

“Golden! Help me with Kai!” Ramy calls out.

“Kai?” I gasp, glancing over at Lucero who’s beginning to stand, then to where Ramy is behind the car.

Who do I go to?

“H-h-hey Goo-Goofball.” My heart stills. Jace? Is he here to help? “Did y-y-you lost yo-your phone again?”

Wait. No, that isn’t right. I ran away from Jace.

And it hits me with a start that his voice is coming from my phone—from the voicemails I saved.

Biting back a curse, I make up my mind and stumble around the car to Ramy. My steps falter, and I collapse onto the car for support—only to jerk back on a sharp hiss, the overheatedmetal burning blisters into my skin. Spitting out a pained breath, I dismiss the tenderness and keep hobbling until I’ve reached Ramy pulling Kai from the back seat.

“Kai?” I drop next to him. “Kai?” My voice breaks.

He’s not moving