Page 27 of The Shadow Sanctum

"May the worthy find their way home.”

The other Keepers start toward the ATVs while Luna stands rooted in place. Thorne’s heavy boots crunch on snow as he approaches her, and from the corner of my eye I watch him smooth his hand over her back in encouragement.

It should not hold my attention, but as an image flashes—the two of them together, in bed, his huge body on top of her delicate frame—that hand is all I can register. Beneath the harsh cold, my ears grow hot.

Finally, Luna moves. As they head to their ATVs, I turn my head to watch their backs. The pristine silence shatters as their engines roar to life, but Luna hesitates to turn the throttle. I sense the moment she decides to look back at me, and I turn away just in time.

The ATVs growl and fade into the distance, leaving nothing but silence and the occasional puff of wind through the trees. Angel and I stand alone in the clearing, fifteen feet of trampled snow between us.

My hands rise of their own accord, as if shielding me from the absolute unchecked rage pouring from a six-three frame. "Listen to me… I know you’re pissed, but let’s think about this for a⁠—"

Angel moves with startling speed. Four long strides eat the distance between us before I barely have time to consider taking more than a step back.

“Whoa. Hold⁠—”

My tongue pinches between my teeth as Angel’s fist crashes into my jaw. Pain rattles my skull before settling in my mouth.

Blood—a lot of it—rushes against the back of my teeth and slides down my throat as I stumble backward, tennis shoes slipping in the snow.

He follows. Throws another punch, this time aiming for my stomach. I twist and take it on the hip instead. Then scramble to put distance between us.

"Wait," the word gurgles on blood. I spit a mouthful onto the ground and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "Fuck, Angel. Just⁠—"

"I’m done waiting," he says, his voice calm and controlled despite the angry tremble of his fists. He circles me methodically, like a wolf eyeing up a lamb. "The biggest mistake I’ve ever made was letting you talk your way into living. I’m not making it again."

I dodge another strike, hands raised defensively. "Angel, Liberty’s alive. She’s⁠—"

He lunges again and catches me with a blow to the ribs that knocks the wind from my lungs. I double over with a wheeze as he drives his knee up toward my face. I barely twist away in time, falling sideways into the snow.

The cold bites through my clothes as I roll, but before I stand, Angel grabs my jacket. He hauls me upright and jerks me so I’m within an inch of his face.

Scotch. There’s not a chance he has it on his breath, but memory alone floods my senses. Scotch and cloves and an endless craving for retribution.

"I know,” he says. “Liberty is a survivor.”

Without a beat passing, he yanks the explosive collar down far enough to fit around my throat. My mouth opens, but all that exists is a strangled breath.

Fight.

Don’t fight.

It’s Angel—fighting only makes it worse. And he’s the last person in the world I want to hurt.

I grasp at the hem of my coat; blink my eyes in submission. Count to four.

Then drive my forehead into his nose with all the strength I have.

My lungs violently expand as he staggers backward, cupping his gushing nose. Stunned, for the moment. I don't waste the opportunity.

I tackle him around the waist and crash to the ground, snow crunching beneath his back.

He recovers quickly. Before I can rear a fist, he rolls me beneath him, his weight crushing the air from my lungs. I manage to turn my head as his fist comes down and take the blow on my cheek instead of my nose.

A flash of white explodes across my vision—first as a fiery burst, then ice-cold snow. I don’t remember the drugs they gave me until my head spins. My reactions are sluggish, my coordination off. Angel has no such handicap.

His next punch lands squarely on my jaw. More blood until I taste nothing but copper and snow. It sputters from my mouth in a sick stream that splatters with a second bomb on my cheek.

A sobering thought: he’s really going to kill me. Known information but impossible just the same. I didn’t realize how little I believed it.