Page 157 of Fangs
I believe everyone you healed in that room felt the same. They knew your pain and felt your comfort. You probably gave more people the strength to hold fast than you even realize.
Gods, I hoped that was true.
“Ember?”
I heard Sable jogging to catch up with me again and swore darkly under my breath.
“Based on your reaction, I’m guessin’ you were there for that.”
I didn’t answer, still speed-walking down the worn dirt path.
“It doesn’t seem like Neena blames you,” he added.
“She might not know,” I bit out.
“Do people not know?” he sounded surprised.
I shrugged. I had no idea who knew what. It wasn’t like I was going around asking.
“I would be willing to bet most peopledoknow,” Sable said. “Nemo has been pretty transparent about things from what I’ve seen.”
Great.
He didn’t say anything for a while, simply matching my fast pace. “You know, when I first met Wolf, he was consumed by guilt,” Sable suddenly said in a low voice. “Most of it was guilt over things he never had any control over, but he was allowing it to fester into something deadly.” He paused. “You remind me a lot of how he was then.”
I really fucking wished they would stop comparing me to my brother.
“Wolf and I were together for a while,” he added, andthatshocked me enough that I glanced at him. He smiled slightly at my expression. “We weren’t a good match, or maybe it was just the wrong time. He couldn’t get over his guilt, and I let my trauma get between us. It reached a point where we knew if we stayed together, it would ruin any chance of us staying friends.”
His voice was even, but I could feel the heaviness in him.
“I loved your brother—I’ll probably always love him—but he lost years to his guilt and trying to follow the teachings from your hold. Neither of us wants to see you take the same path.”
My lips twisted upward in a bitter mockery of a smile.
“What’s that look for?” he asked quietly.
I didn’t answer.
“Ember, we’re concerned about how you close yourself off to everyone?—”
My temper boiled over, and I came to a stop, the words pouring out of me. “I’m not my brother. I’m not even the girl he told you stories about. How many fucking times do I have to tell you all?Thatgirl is dead. I’m whatever broken pieces were left, and trust me,Idon’t like how I put myself back together, either!”
He held my gaze. The wind blew our hair around our faces. Somehow, it made him look even more beautiful while making me feel like a mess.
“You should hate me! Do you know how many people I watched Juck shove in those trailers? How many people I ignored when they begged me for help? How many people I watched Juck drag out and beat or cut their tongues out or…orworsebecause theyannoyedhim?”
“You were a child, Ember,” he said, his voice soft.
“I could’ve donesomething,” I hissed. “I only triedonce.I should’ve tried every damn time.”
“And what happened the one time you tried?”
I fought the surge of nausea at remembering Juck’s reaction and focused on Sable. His calmness enraged me. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I put my safety over hundreds of people…ofchildren.”
“If Juck hadn’t been there—if it was just you and you could freely choose, would you have still done nothing?”
“No,” I snapped, horrified.
