Page 13 of Lower World

Page List

Font Size:

His gaze rolled over me from head to toe when he stepped into our little hiding place, checking if I’d keel over probably. Everything Alice said was swooshing in my head, and I wished that she’d kept it to herself. I didn’t want to look at the shifter with different eyes. To think he genuinely cared, not because he was simply stuck with me but because he saw something in me that told him I wasn’t like the rest of the Syndicate. Because deep down, no matter how much I wanted to exterminate them all, I was exactly like the rest of my kind. A ruthless killer.

“The humans are gone, and we still have a couple of hours to waste until the train goes back.” His attention was on Johnathan, who was dumped like a trash bag in one corner, his limbs twisted awkwardly. “We should wake him up.”

That was a subject I was more than happy discussing. Anything to take my mind away from feelings and other ridiculous daydreaming. So I pushed off the crate and stumbled over to the Atua. His shoulders were already in my hands when I paused to look at Dominic. There was no way around it.

“I won’t be able to restrain him right now.” It chipped on my pride, but if I lied it could cost us one or all of our lives. Johnathan had proven many times that the only thing he cared about was himself.

“I know, that’s why I brought this.” My gaze dropped to his hand, and my eyebrows crawled up to my hairline. I fully missed the three-fingers thick metal chain wrapped around his hand and forearm.

That was what happened when you stadrt thinking about feelings.

You missed important stuff.

“What can I do?” Alice scrambled on her feet as I gave the shifter a sharp nod.

“Step between the crates, Alice. Best if he doesn’t see you when he wakes because I know him. He will use you to provoke us into killing him.”

I could see she wanted to argue, but she only grumbled something and ducked between two rows of the stacked-up crates. I prayed she’d stay there, but I was prepared for anything knowing my human friend. Every situation was unpredictable with her around. Dominic didn’t waste time wrapping the metal chain around Jonathan until the Atua resembled a mummy again. It was still strange that he wouldn’t heal on his own, but I pushed that aside for now. As long as I could bring him back, I didn’t care why he stayed down in the meantime.

When the shifter pulled on the chain to assure himself he had a good hold on it, I took a deep breath. To focus, not because the t-shirt Dominic was wearing was stretched thin across his wide chest outlining every muscle of his washboard abs like it was painted on him. Or because of his dark hair that was mussed like he’d been running his fingers through it. It wasn’t because of any of it.

That was what I told myself, at least.

I almost lost my arm when the pendant glowed as soon as I made skin contact with Johnathan, and he snapped his jaws at me like a feral shark. Jerking back, I frowned at the reaction, especially when his anger turned into confusion as he looked around the space. The raw reaction betrayed his panic before he managed to school his features, and he turned a murderous glare my way, fully ignoring Dominic as if the shifter wasn’t present.

“Ready to talk?” Keeping my face relaxed, I watched him evenly.

“I have nothing to say.” It was said almost offhandedly because his gaze was locked on my bleeding arm, confusion twisting his face. “What game are you playing, Brooklyn?”

Dominic gave me a barely-there nod from the side.

“I have a few questions, and you will answer then truthfully.” Johnathan’s eyes widened comically when I used my power on him. For the first time, fear crept up in his irises. With it came incredulity mixed with disgust, but I plowed on. “Did you know that the pendants can be removed?”

His jaw clenched so tight I heard his molars crack and grind. Capillaries burst in the whites of his eyes while he fought the compulsion to answer me. Face reddening, the Atua struggled in the metal chain, and when blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, I threw myself at him, prying his jaw open. Good timing too, or he would’ve bitten his own tongue off. My body flinched when Dominic punched him on the side of the head.

“Go ahead, bite it off you stupid fuck,” the shifter snarled in Johnathan’s face. “I’ll make sure you write down every single word you know like a fucking confession. Or are you planning to bite your hands off, too?”

The Atua spat a glob of blood in his face, but Dominic only grinned like some psycho. I knew if I left them to it they’d just do the same thing until one of them died. Most probably Johnathan. But he had the information I needed, so I grabbed his shoulders to turn him my way.

“Answer my question.” This time I caught him by surprise since he was too busy glaring at the shifter.

“Yes, they were always able to come off.” His mouth audibly snapped shut.

“Why weren’t we able to take them off?” I had his full attention.

“They are spelled with magic.” A muscle was jumping on one side of his face.

“Is my father dead?”

“Yes,” the asshole gloated in my face.

“Is my mother dead?” I had no idea why I asked. She’d been dead since I was born.

“No.” I jerked back like I’d been electrocuted, and Johnathan’s eyes almost popped out of his skull. All the blood drained from his face.

“My mother is alive?” The question passed through numb lips. “Answer me,” I screamed in his face when it took too long.

“Yes.” The defeated sound reminded me of a dead male walking, but I didn’t care. Too many things were whirling through my mind.