Page 220 of Fangs
“Did you have any further questions?” Talmar asked.
“No,” I ground out. I wanted him to go away.
Thankfully, he bowed his head and slowed his horse, returning to where he’d been riding.
“Em?” Roe whispered, his voice full of anxiety.
I glanced at him, hating the fear that was pinching his little face.
“This is bad, isn’t it?”
I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah.”
“Are they gonna hurt you?”
“I’d rather they hurt me than you,” I muttered.
He fell silent for a few breaths. “I’m scared.”
“Me too,” I admitted.
He gripped my hands tightly, and I squeezed them back, and then we both fell silent. He fell asleep again soon after, but thankfully, my fear was enough to keep me awake. Time seemed to crawl by, and I couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. The Voiceless were moving quickly but weren’t rushing, which told me they didn’t believe anyone was pursuing them. I wondered where on earth the watchtower tunnel came out. It could be anywhere. How the fuck would Mac find?—
Wolf.
My breath caught. If anyone could find me, it would be my brother. My heart ached as I remembered how I’d thrown his own trauma in his face and the cruel last words I’d said to him.
How about we make this real easy and just never speak again.
I forcefully swallowed the bitter tears in my throat. Trying to be inconspicuous, I pulled some long hairs from my head, letting them drift into the bushes. I could, at the very least, try to leave him a trail.
36
We rode until the sun began to set in the sky.
I was exhausted, my entire body aching from sitting in the saddle for so long. Roe and I huddled together under guard as the Voiceless set up the camp. I was looking forward to food and sleep, but when Talmar approached, something in his expression made dread fill my stomach.
“I’m sure you must be exhausted,” he said, “but before we rest for the evening, we must begin the rite.”
“What?” I snapped, instinctively pulling Roe tighter against me.
“The rite of correction,” he explained patiently. “Do not fear for the child, Ember. This is just about you.”
That was weirdly relieving, but fear still made my hands tremble.
“Follow me, please,” Talmar instructed.
I forced myself to let go of Roe, but he clung to me.
“No!” he cried, panicked. “No, don’t take her!”
“She will return soon, my child,” Talmar said, motioning to one of the Voiceless who had been guarding us.
The Voiceless grabbed Roe with a familiar-looking metal hand. How many of these assholes had cybernetic parts?
“It’s ok, Roe,” I said, hoping I sounded confident. “I’ll be back, ok?”
He simply sobbed, weakly fighting against the hold. I followed Talmar into the trees, trying to breathe evenly. Soon, I heard running water, and we went down a steep embankment toward a wide river. As we reached the shore, I realized five of the Voiceless stood up to their waist in the water, watching us. Thank the gods, they still wore their white rags. Talmar stopped at the bank and turned to me.
