Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

We ate breakfast in the dining hall the next morning. I just needed to get through this and we’d be gone. We weren’t even going to stay long enough to see his father, and I wasn’t saying boo about it. This place was pure toxicity for the soul. I now knew why Kicks never discussed them. Other than Aunt Elara, I wouldn’t have either.

The place wasn’t near as filled this morning, only twenty-five people or so. We were keeping our distance from Varic, who was at the other end of the room. The plan was to fuel up the bike, ride as far away from here as we could, and then wait out Death somewhere more comfortable, like a cave or a hut.

Kicks stiffened beside me, and I looked up, searching for the source of his tension.

An older man walked in, immediately getting the entire room’s attention. Several people got to their feet to greet him. Even if there had been any doubt, the resemblance between father and sons was uncanny.

He scanned the room, pausing on Kicks. His expression froze, and I couldn’t get a read on whether he was happy, annoyed, or just shocked to see his son.

“Dad,” Varic said, walking over and patting him on his arm, breaking the attention off Kicks.

Him, Death said. I jerked toward her voice, not realizing she’d appeared.

She was pointing at Kicks’ father.

No. She couldn’t mean that.

But it made sense. She knew if Kicks came with me, and she didn’t provide any answers, we’d end up here.

I looked at Kicks, frozen.

Him, Death said.

I wasn’t budging, even as she stared at me, glaring, pointing in his direction.

No. Not Kicks’ father. I couldn’t be the person that killed him, no matter what he’d done.

Death moved to stand over Kicks. You either kill the father, or I take the son. He lives or dies depending upon what you do. Decide.

Kicks turned from watching his father to stare at me. “Pips, are you all right? What’s wrong?”

Choose, Death said.

There was no choice to ponder. It wasn’t going to be Kicks. Never. Not him, even if I had to hurt him to save him. If I had to make him hate me to save him, I didn’t care. No one touched him. I’d bargained for his life, and now it was time to pay the debt.

I looked at Kicks’ father and then back to Death, nodded, then stood. “I’m sorry,” I said to Kicks.

He was immediately on his feet. “Pips, what are you talking about? What’s going on?”

I walked, trying to put space between us, but he followed. Even with his father’s arrival drawing a lot of attention, heads were beginning to turn to us.

“Pips, what’s going on?” Kicks grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop.

He jerked and then fell, as if he’d grabbed a live wire. He was thrown, landing a few feet away, out cold.

I turned to Death.

He’s alive, and will remain that way as long as you hold up your end of the bargain, she said.

There was already yelling as people ran toward Kicks, trying to figure out what had just happened. They’d be coming for me in seconds, as soon as the shock cleared.

I used the confusion to get to Kicks’ father.

I stopped for a moment, realizing how bad this would be. Kicks was never going to forgive me for this. Never . But he’d be alive. That was all that mattered.

My eyes locked on to the man before me. He looked as if he were trying to place me, like he thought he should know me because of the brazen way I’d approached him. I grabbed his arm. I could’ve tried to kill him from afar, but I needed to make sure he died and no one else. Too much was riding on it.

What are you doing? Death screeched in my ear.

It was bad enough I had to kill this man. I wasn’t turning his death into the sideshow she wanted. I wasn’t dragging it out, having him plead for his life in front of his pack. I’d kill him, but I was doing it swiftly.

I could feel my power swell the second I laid hands on him. His eyes widened in shock, his body convulsing as the life left him. He crumpled to the ground, a sickly gray. It was over. There was no turning back now unless someone had the power to raise the dead, and I didn’t believe that was in Death’s wheelhouse.

The room fell silent, except for Death, who let out a scream. It shattered the glass on the table, even though I was pretty certain I was the only one who heard her.

People shifted from Kicks to hover over his father. It didn’t take more than a glimpse to realize these were two vastly different situations.

“He’s dead,” one man said, no one daring to touch him.

Another pointed at me. “She grabbed him. She killed him right after she knocked out Kicks.”

Varic, who was kneeling by his father, stood and pointed at me. “How did you kill him? How did you knock out my brother? What are you?”

I took one more glance at Kicks. He looked like the other injured party. I’d rather he be standing when I left, but I’d already lingered too long. I had to get out of here before they tried to kill me and Death let them because she was so furious. I’d figure everything else out later.

Death disappeared. It wasn’t surprising that she’d leave me on my own. This hadn’t exactly gone down the way she’d dictated, and she was a fickle bitch even when things were to her liking.

I edged backward, trying to watch everyone and everything all at once. I sensed movement behind me and turned to see several men advancing quickly. I raised my hands, prepared to fend them off however I needed, but they didn’t touch me. I inched my way toward the door, but it was blocked by men with both guns and swords. Too many to get past. I didn’t want to kill anyone else.

“Don’t kill her!” Varic yelled. “I want her alive.”

“Let me leave or I’ll kill you,” I said to the men in front of the door.

“Don’t budge,” Varic said to them.

There was fear in their eyes as I took a few steps forward, but they stood their ground, swords and guns pointed at me.

“Please, I don’t want to kill you.”

They didn’t move. I flicked my hand toward one of them. It didn’t do anything other than catch their attention. I did it again, and nothing. I didn’t even feel the surge of power flowing through me. There was still a chance I could kill by touch, but I’d have to get past their guns and swords in order to do it.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Varic said as he came closer but stayed well out of reach.

Unfortunately, it looked as if he was correct.

I was stuck.