Page 84 of Worse Fates

“We’ll grab your sketch pad while we’re here,” I say.

“That would be great—” Kai begins.

Then we go over a pothole, the car jolting.

Kai’s every muscle, every bone and hair, goes stock still. A sharp cry stuck in his throat. Eyes, the colour of cloudy jade, squeezing shut, as if waiting for impact.

“Lucero,” I rush out, never once taking my hands off Kai. “Please drive carefully.”

“Of course, my apologies,” Lucero replies softly. He doesn’t direct it to anyone, but it feels gently packaged for Kai. I’m grateful to my vampire when my friend visibly relaxes, if only a little. However, when his eyes blink open, unshed tears glimmer.

Fuck Rurik, what a bastard. He has sex with Kai when he was at his lowest, then in one move smashes what little comfort he had like the window Lucero tossed his ass through.

I wish he’d keep on bleeding. Glowering, I project my thoughts onto the giant bellend.

Soon, we arrive atKings, Lucero parking illegally as Rurik jumps out. The door slamming shut behind him. The rest of us climb out, my hand still in Kai’s as we hurry into the tattoo parlour.

“—and I don’t know who the fuck you are, but chill the fuck out!” Summer shouts.

“Hey, Summer!” I call out. “He’s with us.”

Summer, who is all of 5 '3, stands in front of the much taller Luuk. Her white hot stare attempting to melt Rurik’s face off. But when she spots us, her eyes widen.

“Shit. Kai, Golden, get over here,” she orders.

“Tell me where Apollo is!” Rurik roars.

“And you gotta back off!” Luuk barks.

“For fuck sakes, Rurik, stop already and think,” Lucero snaps.

“Let them help us, brother.” Ramy’s voice tries to soothe Rurik’s sharper edge. “They can’t do that with all your shouting.”

Luuk ducks behind the counter and shoots back up with a wooden bat covered in punk band stickers. “You gotta fuckin’ leave.” And he points his weapon at Rurik.

“I’m not leaving,” Rurik’s volume increases until he’s shouting. “UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHERE APOLLO IS!”

“And I said…” Summer’s voice drops, all the lights flickering, her black ringed fingers seeming to vibrate. “Get the fuck outta here, bitch.”

Rurik, who has not learned a fucking thing, darts forward, Lucero on his tail. But before my soulmate can reach him—something happens.

The air crackles.

The sudden scent of ozone heavy, the walls seeming to expand like a pair of lungs.

And Summer’s hazel eyes deepen into a glowing black—like the moon drifting in front of the sun in an eclipse.

Every light in the shop blinks out of existence and in the gloom that follows, a ball of total darkness—deep as a black hole—grows in Summer’s outstretched ring hand.

It all happens in a matter of seconds, and Rurik’s momentum can’t slow him down as the dark ball in Summer’s hand implodes.

Silence, the moment before glass shatters.

Then an incredible wave of force blasts out in every direction. Rurik, for the second time that night, is thrown off his feet and slams into the wall.

A loudbonkechoes in the studio.

Lucero speeds over and shields me with his body, Ramy doing the same with Kai, as the wave blasts over us. My ears pop from the force, the air in my lungs knocked out. Clinging toLucero, I expect another blast, but when none happens, I glance over his shoulder.