Page 88 of Such a Feral Little Lamb
I rock back on my heels. “You called them every time?”
“Yes.”
“I—” I shake my head because that’s how we nearly died, that’s how Otto got bitten, that’s how Dane was almost attacked—AndI pause. I killed one last night. I killed one not far from here at all.
I killed onetrying to get here.
When I look at Mason again, he gives me the faintest of nods. I don’t think Dane even notices it.
“What about the rest of them?” I ask. “They know about you.”
“We don’t speak of it, but yes, I assume they all do. Nia does. The rest like the power the curse gave them, even if they would rather it all had never happened. It’s what has helped them survive after the Citadel abandoned us.”
“Abandoned?” Dane sputters. “They didn’t—”
“They did,” Mason says, words fierce. “They have. They always will. All they want is control, and they could not control what happened and they never have—and never will—control me.”
My heart hammers against my ribs. I believe him; of course I do. Even if Dane gets him out of here, even if he gets him on that train and behind those impenetrable walls, Mason will never be controlled.
“You can be controlled,” Dane says, and when he looks at me now, his eyes are cruel. “You both can be controlled. Very easily.”
“No,” Mason says, but it’s not a protest. The horror in his voice is thinly veiled and my stomach drops.
I look between Mason and Autumn and Dane. I don’t know what to do. We still have an hour or so before the train comes. Even if Rae has found Blake’s body by now, I don’t know that she’ll find us—and if she’s not prepared, Dane will kill her.
That doesn’t matter anyway. He has hostages. He has some way of controlling Mason, or at least his magic, and me—I can’t attack Dane, knowing Mason might die for it.
“You can’t kill all of us. Rae’s going to be at the station.” My eyes flick to Autumn. “Let her go. They can stay here together.”
Dane stares at me again. He does it for too long, and a chill runs up my spine when he doesn’t blink.
“Let’s solve that problem, then,” he says, and before I can move, the blade flashes and slides across Autumn’s throat.
She hardly even has time to look shocked. Blood spills from the wound, soaking her shirt, and she topples off the chair and onto the ground.
“No! Dane, you fuck—I’ll fucking kill you!”
“You won’t,” Dane growls. The blade is back at Mason’s throat. I haven’t even reached them.
He hauls Mason back, jostling him, and I want to throw up. My head is spinning, but there’s nothing I can do for Autumn now that the terrible choking sound is over.
“Come along, Isaac. It’s time for us to leave.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Idon’thaveachoice.I have to trust that Mason can handle himself, or at least that he can tell what I’m about to do.
When Dane comes towards me, I move.
So does Mason.
He jabs an elbow back at the same moment my bat connects with Dane’s leg. Dane shouts in surprise more than pain, and when he shoves Mason toward me, we both fall.
I’m back on my feet first. Mason’s hands are still bound, but I catch Dane around the middle and bring him down to the ground, narrowly missing one of the tables.
“Get off!” Dane punches me in the side, and fuck, I’ve already let go of my bat. I twist around, trying to reach my knife. Dane punches me again, in the chest this time.
All the breath rushes out of me. Mason’s still trying to get his hands free, wrists rubbed raw. I kick out at Dane, but he grabs me, using his bulk to keep me pinned.
