Page 229 of Fangs
“No,” he snapped. “I amnota part of the fucking Voiceless, But…” he hesitated briefly. “But I…I am the God of Death.”
“That doesn’t make any fucking sense!” I struggled to sit, but he grasped my arms and pulled me upright.
“Where the fuck are you?” his voice sharpened.
“With the Voiceless,” I choked out, and the shock and horror that filled his blue eyes lookedreal.
“What?” he snarled, his grip tightening on my arms. “How thefuckdid this happen?”
“They took me, and I can’t—” I broke down in sobs.
“Ember,” he growled, shaking me slightly. “I need to know where you are.”
“I don’t know where we are!” I cried.
“Listen to me,” he said, his voice urgent. “Can you focus?”
I tried to shake the cobwebs from my head and focus on him.
“This is important.” His severe tone made my skin break out in chills. “The god of the Voiceless is a fraud.”
The only word I could get out was, “What?”
“He is nothing, simply a man who uses tricks to fool his followers into believing he is a god. He wants you because then he will have a little bit of power and the potential to have childrenwithpowers.”
“So there isn’t a prophecy?”
He gave me a sharp, bitter smile. “No, thereisa prophecy.”
Horrible understanding crashed over me all at once. “But it’s about you, not him.”
He released me and stood without answering, but his silence and his rigid posture said everything.
“Oh my gods,” I whispered.
“There are powers at play here you know nothing about.”
Tears continued to roll down my face as I stared at him. All I could think about was all the times he told me Ibelongedto him.
“Have you reached the desert yet?”
“Why the fuck would I tell you?”
Anger filled his face. “What? We don’t have time?—”
“How are you any better?” I snarled through my tears. “You’ve lied to me, threatened me, told me over and over that Ibelongto you?—”
“So you’d rather go with the Voiceless?” His voice was ice-cold. “Go to their false god and let him fuck you until you’re with child over and over? Is that the life you want?”
I tried to stay fierce and angry, but sobs escaped, and terror made my legs weak. “So, what? I should letyoudo it?” I choked out.
“Ember!” He leaned down to grip my chin hard and forced me to meet his eyes. “Listen to me. If I had wanted youhere,if I had wanted to fulfill this godsdamned prophecy, I would have brought you here a long time ago. Now answer the question, have you reached the desert yet?”
I stared into his blue eyes, blazing with anger, and gave up. “N-no, we’re still in the mountains.”
“Ok, that’s good.” He released my chin and straightened. “He’s close, then.”
“Who?”
