Page 228 of Fangs
“Are they dead?”
“Yes,” he said with no emotion.
I didn’t feel any either, simply nodding and shrugging on his jacket. Once I was ready, Sax led the way. I saw the pistol in his hand and couldn’t bring myself to care if he shot anyone with it. I grabbed Roe’s hand and held it tightly as we crept through the dark camp; my heart seized at every little sound, but we made it to the woods.
“C’mon,” Sax said, his gravelly voice low. “We gotta run. Try to put as much distance between?—”
“I knew you’d turn on us,” Zana said in a smug voice as she stepped into the moonlight, “you dumb fuck.”
Sax stepped in front of me and Roe. I couldn’t see any Voiceless, but the woods were so dark.
“You think I don’t know you’ve been messin’ with my head?” Sax growled.
I peeked at Zana from around Sax’s massive body and watched surprise flicker across her face.
“I know it’s been you makin’ me feel all this guilt,” Sax continued. “Thing is, I don’t fuckin’ care. This ain’t worth it, Zana.”
“Immortality isn’t worth it?” Zana sneered. “You’ve always been?—”
Sax moved fast for such a big man, lifting his pistol, and the gunshot deafened me. Roe flinched in my arms and let out a little cry, but I stared transfixed at the dark stain oozing through Zana’s jacket over her heart.
She looked down at it and then back up at Sax, betrayal, fury, and fear in her eyes, but Sax turned to me and Roe and roared, “Run!”
I didn’t hesitate. I took off, dragging Roe with me. Eventually, he got his feet under him, and we ran hand in hand through the dark woods. Behind us, shouts and angry cries rose. The Voiceless had discovered we were gone. More gunshots rang out, and I realized Sax wasn’t with us, but I didn’t stop.
Something flew past us, moving so fast I thought it was some sort of vehicle, but I skidded to a stop when a Voiceless appeared in our path. Roe stumbled, and I jerked him up, spinning to drag us in a different direction. Another Voiceless voice appeared. Roe started screaming, and I realized they were all around us, trapping us.
“No,” I panted.
“There is no escape, Goddess,” one of them said.
They moved forward, hemming us in until they were close enough to pull us apart. Roe and I both screamed and fought, but then a familiar prick and rush of ice-cold startled me. I caught a glimpse of a syringe, and my stomach dropped.
“No!” I shrieked over and over, but I could tell my voice was already slurring. Beside me, Roe had gone limp in the arms of another Voiceless.
I tried to claw toward him, but the world tilted and went black.
37
“Ember!”
I opened my eyes and stared at the face over me. Menace was crouched beside me, leaning over my body, blue eyes full of rage.
“Where are you?” he demanded.
“Are you the god of the Voiceless?” I rasped instead of answering.
He blinked, brow furrowing. “What? No.”
I stared hard at him, trying to discern whether he was telling the truth.
“I’m not their god,” he repeated, disgust clear in his voice. “Why?”
“You’re not the God of Death?” I pushed, my voice hoarse but fierce.
His jaw muscles tensed, and my heart leapt into overdrive.
“Oh my gods, youare.”Furious tears started rolling down my face.
