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And it reminded me that no matter what happened, no matter what I went through, I could never let myself turn into that. I couldn’t let my own anger consume me.
I released him, letting him collapse to the ground like the trash he was as I took a step backward. While I had more confidence with my powers, I wasn’t stupid enough to let him too close. I’d learned my lesson with how much damage a knife could do the hard way.
He fell to his knees, bracing himself forward as he coughed. It seemed I might have pressed a bit hard on his chest.
No guilt assailed me at that. It seemed I’d changed quite a bit.
He lifted his gaze to mine, his lips curling into a cruel smirk just as the sound of gravel crunching behind me made me realize I might have made a mistake.
Sure enough, when I twisted, I found another group of men, this time a few in police uniforms.
The first man let out a rough, confident laugh. “You think I’m on my own? I’m not the only one who knows how the world really works.”
I twisted, finding myself just as trapped as the girl had been.It doesn’t seem like I helped things that much.
The flimsy wall of the abandoned building beside the men caught my attention, and I recalled the way I’d dealt with the soldier on the bridge.
I kept the girl behind me, away from the eyes of the advancing men. I pushed her down, to press her into the space behind a dumpster, the small, protected area that should keep her safe from any falling debris.
As soon as she was there, I met the gaze of the men before me, feeling like even if I was outside of Larkwood, I faced the same problems, the same violence. It had been so easy to think that Larkwood was this terrible island, that the hatred existed only inside those walls, but this reminded me that the same danger existed everywhere, that I couldn’t escape it, that hoping it would all go away once I had escaped was foolish.
I took a deep breath, wishing I had a better idea, a plan I felt confident would let me return to Knox, Brax and Wade, but I was where I was. None of them would blame me for valuing a kid’s life over my own.
Well, maybe they would, but that’s fine. I’m not sorry about it.
I listened for the sounds others couldn’t hear, the scurrying of rats in the abandoned building, of traffic, of voices blocks over. The building was empty—perfect.I took all those sounds and lifted my hands, yanking them toward me.
The men twisted their heads toward the abandoned building, but they were far too late. The deafening crack as the wall gave way, as the sounds caused it to topple toward us, said they had nothing they could do to stop it.
The man who had spoken, the one who had chased the girl, turned his eyes to mine.
And me? I grinned. I flashed him my best smile, wanting him toknowthat I’d done this, that while he’d looked down on me, while he’d thought me incapable and pointless, I’d ended him.
No, more than that, I’d sacrificed myself to save a childfromhim. His death wasn’t some brave stand but embarrassingly incidental.
The wall collapsed, somehow managing to move slowly as I watched it tip, bricks falling away from the rest to come flying down first.
I didn’t close my eyes. I’d learned in Larkwood that closing my eyes and pretending the world was different from how it really was didn’t do a damned thing. Monsters would still take a bite whether or not I looked them in the eye, so I’d rather go while staring them down.
The men tried to scatter, but I didn’t move. I readied myself for that crushing sensation, hoping it took me out fast enough not to suffer. Sometimes that was all a person could hope for.
Except, that didn’t happen. Something struck me, but notnearlyas hard as it should have. It knocked me to the ground, and the crashing of the wall reached a thundering pitch.
To my side, I found the girl on her knees, her hands raised, a shimmering barrier between us and the falling debris. The barrier wasn’t perfect, and dust covered me, smaller pieces still falling through and striking me, as if her powers kept the brunt from hitting me but couldn’t resist all the force.
The world clouded over, and my eyelids became far too heavy. Before I knew it, unconsciousness took me, and I collapsed into the darkness.
* * * *
Deacon
I’d had years working at Larkwood, years of meeting with and talking to the Warden without caring. I didn’t like her, but I never figured I needed to.
Why was it that now, every word from her lips forced me to grapple with my temper?
Because of Hera.I snorted softly at the obvious answer. I’d seen firsthand the suffering the Warden caused, had watched her target someone more important to me than anything else in my life, so of course I struggled with my anger.
And the presence of Kit beside me said she didn’t plan a random, friendly conversation.
