Page 118 of Fangs
“So,” he said, suddenly serious, “some powerful mind reader is hunting you?”
The casual way he brought it up made my body break out in chills. I had to remind myself I already knew he knew, but it didn’t stop my body’s panicked response.
“Yeah.”
“That’s pretty fucked up.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you really think this Mental Menace will slaughter everyone if we don’t hand you over?”
It took me a moment to get the words out. “I don’t know.”
“You know we’d never do that, right?”
“Iwould.”
“Well, that’s—” he broke off, staring at me. “Wait, what do you meanyouwould?”
“Sam, if he comes here and threatens to kill everyone, I’m gonna hand myself over.”
He stared at me. “What? Weren’t you justfuriousthinking that’s what Nemo would do?”
“No,” the realization crashed over me as I spoke out loud, “It wasn’t about giving me to him. It was about using me like a…a game piece.” I swallowed hard. “You all made me feel like a p-person again, and I thought I was findin’ out it was a trick, that nobodyreallysaw me that way.”
He was quiet for several breaths. “I’m glad we made you feel like a person again ’cause that’s how we’ve always seen you.”
“I know,” I said, managing a watery smile.
“But can we go back to the part where you’re planning on handin’ yourself over to the Mental Menace?”
“I’m notplanningon it, but I’m not gonna just sit here and hide if he threatens to hurt people.”
“There’s no fuckin?—”
“Sam,” I interrupted fiercely, “I will dowhateverit takes to keep him from killin’ anyone here.”
He glared at me, but I saw the flash of fear in his eyes. “Alright, let’s make a deal,” he said, his voice rough.
I eyed him warily. “What?”
“If it comes to that, and you’re gonna hand yourself over, take me with you.”
“I can’t?—”
“No, Emmy, listen. I keep tryin’ to build my strength back up, but it doesn’t seem to work. I get tired so easily, I can’t fight in hand-to-hand combat, and my hands shake too much to shoot accurately.” His voice broke slightly. “Do you know how much it killed me that I couldn’t go with them to get you back? I had to sit here andwait.”
This guilt was going to eat me alive. “I’m so sorry, Sam, I?—”
He grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. “I don’t regret it. I’d do it again, even knowin’ the outcome. But at the same time, it kills me howuselessI am.”
“You’re not useless,” I whispered.
“I’m useless as a Safeguard, and that’s just a fact.” His eyes held mine with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. “I can’t go on missions ’cause I’m a liability, but I can find new ways to help. And if you’re gonna just sacrifice yourself, I can at least come with you so you don’t have to do it alone.”
My eyes overflowed. “He might hurt you. He mightkillyou.”
“I’m willing to take that risk.”
