AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How do we know?” said Nick. “It’s not like you don’t spend every waking moment consumed by hate. God, for all we know, you could have been behind the fire at Seth Ramsey’s—”
Nick broke off and stopped short. “Holy shit.”
The fire at Seth Ramsey’s. Five years ago. It had killed Seth’s parents.
And Nick’s.
“Shut up!” Tyler yelled. His eyes were wide and panicked, his expression fierce. “Shut the f**k up, Merrick. I didn’t start that fire.”
Nick almost couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t even identify this emotion. Rage. Bewilderment. Shock. Sorrow, all over again. “It was you. You started it. Not Gabriel.”
“Wrong,” said Tyler. He was shaking his head fiercely.
“Wrong.”
“I’m not wrong. It was you.”
“It was both of us,” he cried. “Don’t you get it? Just like last night. It was both.”
Nick stared at him.
Tyler climbed down from the risers. He headed for the door.
Quinn and Adam had gone still in the middle of the dance floor. Nick had no idea how long they’d been watching.
Quinn glanced between Nick and Tyler, and finally ran after Tyler. The front door to the studio slammed.
It left Nick reeling, unsure where his emotions wanted to settle.
He was very aware of Adam’s eyes still on him.
Nick looked at him. He couldn’t speak. He wasn’t sure what he would say.
“So,” Adam said. His expression was some amalgamation of curiosity, pity, and resignation. “More secrets, huh?”
CHAPTER 29
Quinn caught up to Tyler in the parking lot. There were only two vehicles left: his truck, and a black sedan across the lot that some parent must have left here to come back for later. She grabbed Tyler’s arm before he could jump in his truck and take off.
She expected him to spin in a rage and shove her away, but he didn’t. He just stopped. He didn’t look at her.
“Are you okay?” she said softly.
“No.” His voice sounded thick.
“Is what he said true?” she said. “The fire that killed his parents—did you—”
“I don’t know.” He turned to look at her, and where she expected to find rage and fury, his expression only offered torment. “I don’t know, Quinn. I was sixteen years old. My sister was dead. I hated Michael Merrick with everything. I don’t—”
His voice broke, but he caught it. “Gabriel Merrick hated us, too. They all did. I don’t know for sure which one of us started it. But I know I wasn’t the only one. I didn’t have that kind of power, the way the whole house went up in a flash. Not then.”
“But . . . but you’ve called the Guides against the Merricks.
You’ve tried to have them killed. You stood in your kitchen and told me you’ve never hurt anyone with your power. What was that about?”
Now she got the fury. “What was I supposed to do?” he snapped. “My parents wanted to kill them for what they’d done to Emily. Was I supposed to stand up and say, ‘Guess what, guys. I’m one, too! Let’s get cake.’ Do you have any idea what it was like for me, knowing what I was, knowing my parents were calling the Guides to come to town to kill off the true Elementals? Knowing I might have played a part in killing my best friend’s parents? Do you have any idea?”
“No.” She wet her lips. “I don’t.” She paused. “But you kept hurting them. You kept going after them. You went after Becca!
