Page 48 of Fangs
Oh fuck, Clarity. I started to raise my eyes to his, intending to ask how his sister was doing, but my gaze caught on his chest. He hadn’t buttoned his shirt back up, and it was gaping on the opposite side, revealing a scar. I could only see part of it, but it looked like aword.I tried to tell myself it was just a tattoo, but I’d seen enough injuries to immediately know it wasn’t.
“What’s on your chest?” I tried to keep my voice calm, but it shook slightly.
He glanced down at his shirt and muttered a curse, yanking his shirt closed in a move that was painfully familiar. I slowly reached out and curled my hand around his wrist.
“Mac, please. Can I see?” I asked steadily.
He closed his eyes, and I watched his throat work as he swallowed. To my surprise, when he met my gaze again, he only paused briefly before pulling his shirt open. Horror dropped into my stomach like a stone.
Silvery pink scars on the skin above his heart formed the word “TRAITOR.”
I instinctively reached out and touched the scars but jerked back when he sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m so sorry,” I said, horrified at my intrusiveness. “I should’ve?—”
He caught my hand and lifted it, pressing my fingers against the bare skin of his chest again. I had to resist the urge to shiver—an odd reaction since his skin was so warm beneath my cold fingers.
“It’s ok,” he said, the words gruff as he released my hand. “Just startled me.”
I hesitated but then ran my fingers over the raised scar tissue. It was healed, but it wasnew.This hadn’t been there when I healed him from the fever.
“Did Madame do this ’cause Trey and I left?” I whispered, looking up at his face.
His expression was carefully blank, but pain flashed through his eyes. “It’s not your fault, Bones.”
“Mac—” My voice broke. I looked back at the silvery lines, my heart aching.
“This is nothin’ new.”
“You’re not a traitor.” I gently smoothed my thumb over the word, wishing I could erase it with my powers.
“I was to her, and that’s a badge I’ll wear with honor.”
“What else did she do to you?” I doubted Madame stopped there.
“I’m ok, Bones,” he murmured, but he wasn’t quite meeting my eyes.
I dropped my hand to my lap, forcing myself to be patient. “Mac, what else?”
He stared at the wall for a few breaths before relenting. “She put it on my back, too.”
“Can I see? Please?”
His throat bobbed as he met my eyes. We stared at each other for another long moment, but then he unbuttoned his shirt the rest of the way and shrugged it off, twisting to show me his back. My breath caught. The word “TRAITOR” wasall overhis back, but that wasn’t even the worst part. Most of them wereold,with layers and layers of scars.
This is nothin’ new.
He’d meant that literally. Madame had been carving this word into him foryears.
9
“Did Trey know?” I finally managed to whisper, staring at the mass of scars on Mac’s back.
“He knew about the older ones,” he muttered. “He didn’t know she was still doin’ it.”
“Is it ok if I touch you?” I remembered to ask.
He nodded, then said, “Guess I’m gettin’ a taste of my own medicine.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I ran my fingers across the scars, scrutinizing them.
