“If I let her go, you’re choosing us,” Big G told him. “Is that what you want?”
A beat passed before Big G screamed, “IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?”
“I… I…” Marcus’ voice wavered.
The vamp holding Kallie must’ve pressed the shiv deeper into her neck to pressure Marcus, because she whimpered again. It was at that moment that something broke within Marcus.
“I want you to go to hell,” Marcus growled.
“What did you just—?” Big G started.
“Charlie, Ava, get behind a tree! Now!” Marcus shouted.
We didn’t have to question it. Ava jumped behind one tree with Oberi, and I leapt behind another with Rishi.
Boom!
An explosion sounded, making my ears ring. Air whooshed by me so strong that I would’ve been knocked over if I didn’t have the tree for protection. Magic sizzled in the air, and my ears rang.
As my hearing returned, I noticed that the forest was silent. Slowly, Ava and I stepped out from behind our trees, and she gasped.
He’s killed them. All of them,Oberi said, sounding shocked.Including Kallie.
My stomach bottomed out. The story of what he’d done to get sentenced here came back to me. Marcus had lost control of his powers and killed a bunch of people, including his girlfriend.
It happened again. Except this time, he’d killed his mate.
Ava took a cautious step forward. “Are they…?”
Marcus must’ve had a moment to absorb the shock, because he was rushing across the forest a second later. I heard him drop to his knees beside where I thought Kallie had been.
“No, not dead,” he said quickly. “I only used enough power to knock them out. Unfortunately, I had to knock Kallie out to save her. Come help me.”
Oberi shifted into a unicorn and hurried over. I helped him hoist Kallie onto Oberi’s back. Rishi meowed softly, like he was worried.
“Get her out of here, Oberi,” Marcus demanded. “I don’t want her anywhere near these guys.”
On it, Oberi said, even though Marcus couldn’t hear her.
“I’m coming with you,” Ava said immediately. “I can heal any damage the blast might’ve caused.”
“Go, before they come around,” Marcus instructed.
The girls left with Oberi. I turned back to the guys lying on the ground. “What about them? Do we kill them?”
“Kill them?” Marcus balked.
“This is our chance to get you out of the gang,” I insisted. I had no second thoughts about it. Any hesitation I had to take the lives of these dickheads had flown out the window once they’d put a blade to Kallie’s neck.
Marcus blew a breath. “The gang iswaybigger than this. If I kill them, the Dead Men Walking will murder us all for certain. Besides, how would we cover this up from the Warden?”
I gave a heavy huff. “You’re right, but we have to dosomething. They’re going to have to come after you either way.”
“I know what to do.” Marcus shoved a glass vial into my hand that he must’ve just conjured. “Quickly, we have to give them these while they’re still passed out.”
“What is it?” I asked, popping the cork and giving it a good sniff.
Marcus was already on the ground, pouring liquid down Big G’s throat. “Bones had me lift some memory-wiping potion from Captain’s stash. I can get him more after we use this up.”
