Page 290 of Fragments
By some flick of cosmic fate, I got a second chance. To laugh with my friends, to have areal lifeand experience love outside of that tomb that held me for so long.
And I refuse to let it slip through my fingers again.
I’ll savor every moment while I still can. Because life is too short, and freedom isn’t guaranteed.
“I’ll be right back,” I mutter to Cyrus, grabbing my phone and slinking up the hall.
I shuffle into the study and close the door, placing a call to Joy’s phone.
One last try… just to see.
It actuallyrings… My heart lurches up into my throat.
It’s ringing for the first time in weeks. Unfortunately, no one answers. And I hang up disappointed. I’m just about to leave the room when the phone starts ringing in my hand, startling me.
It’s Joy’s number.She’s calling me back.
I swipe so fast, I almost drop the phone. “Hello??” I don’t hear anything at first, so I check the screen. “Hello?? Joy??”
“Hello, Luthor…”
My spine stiffens.
It’s a male voice. Familiar… With a British accent.
“Why… why do you have Joy’s phone?” I stammer.
“Let’s not worry about that for right now,” Trevel sighs, smugly, causing my fists to clench. “Where are you and Ren? Far away, I’m sure…”
“Listen, I don’t want to do this with you right now.” I rub my eyes. “Can you just tell me if Byron is okay??”
“Of course he’s okay. He’s with me now,” he chirps.
My jaw strains.Okay… I’m gonna need to perfect teleporting so I can go knife this motherfucker real quick.
“What about everyone else…?” I ask, terrified of the answer.
“Boy, you two really ducked out just in time, hm?” He ignores my question and keeps blathering in that smug British tone that makes me all ragey and nervous. “It’s almost as if… youwantedthis to happen.”
“What?” I grunt. “That makes no sense.”
“Maybe not. But maybe that’s how it seems to some of us…”
My head is spinning like a top from his crazy.
Now he’s, what? Brainwashing Byron into thinking we blew the place up and left him for dead??
“What’s your game, Fenwick?” I hiss.
I just don’t understand what the hell he wants.Why is he trying so hard to turn Byron against us?
“You know, it’s actually very simple,” he hums. “I want revenge. I want to take everything away from the man who’s takeneverythingfrom me…”
Dr. Love?
I gulp, worry coiling around my gut. I don’t know Dr. Love all that well, but he seemed okay to me. More importantly, he’s with Felix. So I’d say this asshole’s vendetta puts The Carver directly in the line of fire.
Felix Darcey can handle himself, of that, I’m sure. But something tells me this dude isn’t one for physical altercations.
