pull Ethan to me on one side, Mage on the other. Clay scoots up behind me, his body a taut wire. Rayburn balls up like a hedgehog.
Kemuel stalks through the play area, his gun out, arm extended. His cheeks puff in and out with panting breaths. A chair scrapes and he aims at it.
“Where is he?!” he screams, flecks of spit raining from his mouth. “Where's the Messiah?”
No one answers. Somewhere a child wails. My eyes flick toward the exits. We're right in the center of the room. If we bolted, we'd be a target for sure.
“No?” Kemuel screams, veering our way. “The coward won't face me? Then give me his daughter.” Beside me, Mage stiffens. I rub my hand up and down her bare shoulder. “Where's Mage?!”
Stephen stands, unfolding his bulk from under a table. He holds out his hands, smiling. “Kemuel, my boy, why don't you just put the gun down and we'll go talk to the Messiah. I'll get him to reinstate you, brother. Just put down the pistol.”
Kemuel aims at Stephen, the gun barrel bobbing around. Silent tears trace down his pale cheeks. “You made me scrub out pig pens with my bare hands.”
Stephen holds his hands up, still smiling, though it's fading fast. “Listen, little brother, it was all in good fun. We do that to all the boys before they're Named.”
Kemuel wipes a sleeve across his eyes. “You rubbed it on my face. That wasn't fun !” Kemuel fires.
The gunshot cracks through the food court. Stephen's mouth drops open and he turns, but too late. The bullet burrows into his chest, spinning him, arms wide like a dancer. A spray of blood flies from his chest, then his back. He falls and lands hard and heavy. There's the slow patter of blood as it dribbles on to the concrete. One foot twitches. Then he is still.
I stare at his body, blinking. Dead. He has to be.
People scream. Someone bolts toward the exit. Kemuel moves like a man stuck in molasses. He shakes his head, murmuring, the gun loose in his hands. He stares at the man he just killed. Before we can bolt, he turns. His eyes land on Mage beside me.
“Go!” I scream, pushing them away. Kemuel runs at a full clip. Ethan scrambles forward, bumping into Rayburn, who's unrolling. I push Mage from behind, but she's stuck too. Tears stream down her face, her limbs move like noodles. I shove her. “Go! Now!”
A hand grabs my collar. I'm yanked back. A chair skitters and smacks into the concrete. Above me stands Kemuel. He aims the gun. The dark round barrel centers between my eyes, a hungry black void in the center. I throw my arms over my face.
He shoves me away. I wheel through space until my back and then my head bang against the concrete with twin thuds. Stars burst in my vision. Above, the ceiling blurs.
The sound of a scuffle. I push myself up, my head swimming. He's got Mage by the arm. He hauls her upright and presses the gun to her temple.
The table flies forward as someone explodes from beneath it. Clay. He dives at Kemuel and tackles him. Mage falls back, skidding across the concrete. Clay lands on Kemuel, his hands around the boy's throat. Kemuel aims his gun at Clay's head.
“No!” I scream. I stagger toward them, hands out.
Clay slams his head into Kemuel's, their foreheads cracking with a sound like two eggs smashed in a bowl. The gun flops. Clay pins Kemuel to the concrete, teeth flashing, veins pulsing as he drops his forearm on the boy's neck.
The sound of thudding feet brings me out of my daze. Men latch onto Kemuel, pin him, and tie his hands. Another man grabs the gun. Clay staggers back and wipes blood out of his eyes, a bright red smear appearing across his forehead.
Behind the men, Andrew appears with the Messiah holding his arm. Mage runs to her father and jumps into his arms. Cradling her like a toddler, he strokes her golden curls as tears drip down his face. It's the first time I've ever seen the Messiah act like this…like a human being.
I stumble over to Clay. There’s a cut on his forehead that
Kemuel stalks through the play area, his gun out, arm extended. His cheeks puff in and out with panting breaths. A chair scrapes and he aims at it.
“Where is he?!” he screams, flecks of spit raining from his mouth. “Where's the Messiah?”
No one answers. Somewhere a child wails. My eyes flick toward the exits. We're right in the center of the room. If we bolted, we'd be a target for sure.
“No?” Kemuel screams, veering our way. “The coward won't face me? Then give me his daughter.” Beside me, Mage stiffens. I rub my hand up and down her bare shoulder. “Where's Mage?!”
Stephen stands, unfolding his bulk from under a table. He holds out his hands, smiling. “Kemuel, my boy, why don't you just put the gun down and we'll go talk to the Messiah. I'll get him to reinstate you, brother. Just put down the pistol.”
Kemuel aims at Stephen, the gun barrel bobbing around. Silent tears trace down his pale cheeks. “You made me scrub out pig pens with my bare hands.”
Stephen holds his hands up, still smiling, though it's fading fast. “Listen, little brother, it was all in good fun. We do that to all the boys before they're Named.”
Kemuel wipes a sleeve across his eyes. “You rubbed it on my face. That wasn't fun !” Kemuel fires.
The gunshot cracks through the food court. Stephen's mouth drops open and he turns, but too late. The bullet burrows into his chest, spinning him, arms wide like a dancer. A spray of blood flies from his chest, then his back. He falls and lands hard and heavy. There's the slow patter of blood as it dribbles on to the concrete. One foot twitches. Then he is still.
I stare at his body, blinking. Dead. He has to be.
People scream. Someone bolts toward the exit. Kemuel moves like a man stuck in molasses. He shakes his head, murmuring, the gun loose in his hands. He stares at the man he just killed. Before we can bolt, he turns. His eyes land on Mage beside me.
“Go!” I scream, pushing them away. Kemuel runs at a full clip. Ethan scrambles forward, bumping into Rayburn, who's unrolling. I push Mage from behind, but she's stuck too. Tears stream down her face, her limbs move like noodles. I shove her. “Go! Now!”
A hand grabs my collar. I'm yanked back. A chair skitters and smacks into the concrete. Above me stands Kemuel. He aims the gun. The dark round barrel centers between my eyes, a hungry black void in the center. I throw my arms over my face.
He shoves me away. I wheel through space until my back and then my head bang against the concrete with twin thuds. Stars burst in my vision. Above, the ceiling blurs.
The sound of a scuffle. I push myself up, my head swimming. He's got Mage by the arm. He hauls her upright and presses the gun to her temple.
The table flies forward as someone explodes from beneath it. Clay. He dives at Kemuel and tackles him. Mage falls back, skidding across the concrete. Clay lands on Kemuel, his hands around the boy's throat. Kemuel aims his gun at Clay's head.
“No!” I scream. I stagger toward them, hands out.
Clay slams his head into Kemuel's, their foreheads cracking with a sound like two eggs smashed in a bowl. The gun flops. Clay pins Kemuel to the concrete, teeth flashing, veins pulsing as he drops his forearm on the boy's neck.
The sound of thudding feet brings me out of my daze. Men latch onto Kemuel, pin him, and tie his hands. Another man grabs the gun. Clay staggers back and wipes blood out of his eyes, a bright red smear appearing across his forehead.
Behind the men, Andrew appears with the Messiah holding his arm. Mage runs to her father and jumps into his arms. Cradling her like a toddler, he strokes her golden curls as tears drip down his face. It's the first time I've ever seen the Messiah act like this…like a human being.
I stumble over to Clay. There’s a cut on his forehead that
Similar Books
