Page 43 of Can you take it?

“We are going to kill him,” Walter said, and Eletha nodded in agreement.

“You can’t kill him just for tying us up,” I said. “Why not?” Walter asked.

I could feel the thrum of adrenaline still pouring off the two of them. Anna was right; they could easily get stuck in this tier, and if Bexley didn’t play his cards right, it wasn’t going to work out very well for him.

“No, that’s enough violence,” I muttered under my breath. “Bexley, come here. I want to talk to you.”

“I’m really sorry you’re mixed up in this,” he said. “I just don’t really know you, and I don’t want you trying to hurt me. I know Walter’s your friend.” He wrung his hands together.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Bexley. I just want to talk to you. These two don’t need to be tied up. You should set them free. Set us all free. We’re not going to hurt you,” I said calmly.

“Yes, we are,” Walter interjected. “Fucking yes, we are,” growled Eletha.

I rolled my eyes. I was dealing with a bunch of violent toddlers.

“See?” Bexley said.

“Not helping,” I muttered to Walter. “Bexley, what do you plan on doing? Keep us tied up forever? That’s not going to get us out of here.”

“Yes, it is,” he said. “That’s the only way out of here. These two will fight forever. They are violence. Especially together.” I couldn’t argue with him there. “But look what you’ve done. They’re not fighting anymore. Everything’s okay. You helped them. He helped you guys.” I directed my voice to them. “You should be thanking him for the free couples therapy, not trying to kill him.”

Bexley started to walk off again.

“Wait.” I called him back over. “I noticed your wings.” “I’m so sorry,” he cut me off. “Don’t touch my wings. Stay away from my wings!” His face turned red. Suddenly, one of the sharp blades of the ax was under my throat.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said. “Okay, we won’t talk about your wings, crazy,” I muttered.

“I know you think I’m crazy. I am crazy. You’d be crazy too,” he said.

“I was just going to tell you that I had wings too once. I don’t anymore because they disappeared when my powers were stripped. But I’m sorry for what happened to you.” I looked him dead in the eyes; I meant every word I said.

“You don’t even know what happened to me,” he breathed heavily.

“You’re right, I don’t,” I said. “But I don’t have to. That shouldn’t happen to anybody.”

“My father lit them on fire multiple times to get rid of them.”

“I’m so sorry,” Walter mumbled next to me. “Oh my God,” said Eletha.

“Why don’t you untie us and we’ll all sit down and have a talk and then we’ll leave here. You’ve been here before, right? You’ve been through the tiers?” I asked Bexley in my calmest voice.

Suddenly he was riled up again. “We are leaving here. We’re leaving this tier. I can’t stand to be in this tier. I can’t stand the fighting. I don’t want to talk about my father and what he did to me.” Something seemed to have snapped in his mind. His hands grew shaky. “I don’t want to be here anymore. I don’t want to do any of this. I want out of here. I don’t belong anywhere. I don’t want to belong anywhere. I just want my drink and my dust, and I want out of here.” He rambled, and I felt the blade press harder into my skin. “You don’t want to be here either,” he said. “I know you don’t. This isn’t a place for you. This isn’t a place for us.”

“It’s okay, calm down, Bexley.” Anna’s silky voice came from next to Bexley and her gentle hand moved the blade away from my throat. “All right, just calm down.”

“Why does everyone keep telling me to calm down? I am calm,” he started.

“I would stop telling him to calm down,” I said.

She shot me a look. “Have a seat with me, could you please?” she asked him gently. Bexley nodded and they stepped back a few feet and sat down as if they were at a picnic instead of a hostage situation. “How many times are you going to go through these tiers, Bexley?” The softness seemed to be working for him, making him feel safe and calm. I couldn’t say I blamed him. With a voice like that, she was practically a siren.

“I’m helping,” he started, but seemed to think better of it. “Yeah, you’re helping. Because you don’t want to be here either, do you?” she asked, taking his hand, removing the last weapon, and throwing it to the ground. “I’m not going to hurt you, okay? I promise.”

“I’ve seen what you can do,” he said. “I’ve heard. You will hurt me. Maybe not right now.”

“No, I won’t hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anybody,” she said.

“You want to take over. You want to take Kaohs’s position,” he stuttered, still red-faced.