“Everyone, stop.” The voice is commanding, calm, and collected.
Barfred shoves past my parents, past Julian and Atlas. I didn’t hear him coming; I didn’t know he was here this late.
“Continue,” I hiss, glaring at Cameron as he trembles.
But he doesn’t speak. He looks to Barfred like the man will save him, his entire body taut and strained.
Barfred walks into the center of the room, completely composed as he levels me with a steady stare.
“Atticus,” he calls out. “It’s time to wake up.”
Is he… he is talking tome?
“Leave,maga,”I snap. But I can feel it: the fear and the anxiety now coating the pleasure I was just feeling.
It’s… the demon in control of mefearsBarfred.
“Wake up,” Barfred continues calmly. “Or I will force you.”
“You will die tonight,” I tell him. “I will rip you apart.”
Barfred does not respond, as if it’s below him, as if he’s unafraid. And for a moment, a brief second of relief, I feel hope.
And then it is gone.
I’m across the room in a flash, my hand wrapped around Atlas’s throat as I rip him from my father’s grip, lifting his feet from the ground.
He sputters, kicking out at me and clawing at my hand as his big blue eyes drill into mine—wide, wet, and terrified.
“Stop,”Julian screams. He rushes me, landing a hard punch on my cheek.
I don’t even budge, only gripping his black hair with my other hand, slinging him across the room and into the bookcase. I can feel the strength pulsing through me, the anger, and the desire to kill.
To end themall.
My father comes at me next, his eyes full of guilt and agony as he tries to tackle me to the ground. Only he doesn’t make it close enough to actually try.
My hand shoves into his chest, cracking open his sternum until I can feel the beat of his heart against my fingertips. And then I pull it straight from his chest, watching his blood drip from my hand and his body slump to the ground, lifeless.
Mother falls to her knees, crawling down the steps to hold him, sobbing.
I scream. I scream so fucking loudly it hurts, but nobody can hear me. Nobody can see the struggle beneath my skin, the one in which I’m killing everyone I love and can’t stop.
Can’t fight.
Father is dead; Julian isn’t moving.
Atlas squirms, his face purple as he cries, lips moving as if he’s trying to beg, to scream, to apologize.
And then hestopsmoving, his body dangling lifeless in my hand. I watch the life leave his innocent eyes, turning them into nothing I recognize.
And then I drop him to the ground.
Fog curls around my feet, making my brain feel disoriented as I turn back to Cameron, who stands behind the podium, pale and immobilized as he stares at the carnage.
And then his eyes find mine.
“Say it.Now,” I demand, taking a step over Atlas’s body as I near him.
