“Has it occurred to you that I don’t get to have powers like Sam does?” He holds up the hand with the knife to stop me before I say anything. “I know, I know. My own fault because I tripped him. But it doesn’t mean I don’t want what he has.” Costa’s look is hungry and heartbroken and frightening.
I don’t know which of the three is stronger.
“Sam is being stupid, Stella. He has a gift. And with you? I mean, we didn’t know for sure until today that there were people who could power-augment, and you sure as hell do that for him. And he wants nothing to do with it? Or with death tripping even? We’ve started to figure out what else might be possible, and Sam’s ready to just bag this all and pretend that we aren’t who we are? That’s bullshit.” He points at me. “And you know it’s bullshit, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Why not? You’re in this now. You’re part of us.”
“I’m part ofSam,” I correct him.
“Really? Then, prove it.” Costa wipes his knife on his shorts and stands in front of me, much too close.
Inside my head, I scream for Sam.
Glass breaks inside, and he’s on the deck. He’s fast, but he’s just not fast enough.
Costa has positioned himself behind me with an arm around my neck, his back to Sam, while he faces me toward the ocean.
Stay where you are, Sam, I plead.Don’t move.
“Stella, it’s going to be okay.” Sam’s voice shakes, and I can tell that he’s trying desperately to sound calm. “What’s going on, Costa?”
When Costa turns us around, it hurts me to see the fear overtaking Sam’s face.
Sam puts his hands on his head, and his knees start to buckle. “Oh God, no, Costa. No, no, no. Don’t.”
The knife at my neck hasn’t broken the skin yet, but it’s pressed hard enough so that I know this is serious. “Sam…” I start.
Costa’s hand is steady, his grip on me solid, but his entire body is relaxed. “Here’s the thing, Sam. You and Stella—there’s too much potential in death tripping for us to ignore this power-augmenter piece. We need her.Youneed her. I think we both know that this has to happen.”
Sam keeps shaking his head. “Please don’t. Anything else. I’ll give you anything else that you want!”
When he takes a step toward us, Costa pushes the blade a bit more. Now, I feel blood.
“No!” Sam stops in his tracks.
Costa continues, “We have to see what Stella can do. That’s the only option here. Both of you need to try to be happy about this. It’ll make it all easier.” He moves his lips to my ear. “It’s not going to hurt. You think it will, but it won’t, so don’t be scared. Then, you’ll come back and be just like us.”
“Please don’t do this to me.” I can only whisper now, “We’re friends, Costa. We are. You don’t want to do this.”
“Yes, I do. I have to.”
Stop him. Don’t let this happen. Oh God, Sam, I’m scared. You can stop him.
Sam lets out a sob. “Baby, I can’t stop him. You know I would. He’s too fast. I can’t. Goddamn it, Costa!” He’s helpless, and he’s fully aware of that.
“Sam is correct. He can’t stop this. So, you both need to accept what’s going to happen.”
I might die. Forever. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to disappear.
“You’re not going to die, got it? I won’t let that happen.”
Sam is determined, but I don’t know that he can guarantee anything.
Costa hugs me and puts the side of his face against my hair. “Sam and I have done this hundreds of times, and we’re just fine. You will be, too.”
Tell Costa that he’ll lose you for good.
