Page 125 of Ramshackle
I move to Reid’s side and grip the open bracelet, which is more like a handcuff, in one hand, and hold his shoulder with the other.
“Oh, I have. There’re orders to kill you on sight, but I think you and I can work something out.”
“I think we’ve proven neither of us can be trusted.”
“Now!” Aiden orders.
I barely have time to bend my knees before Reid transports us to the meeting location. He does a double jump. Once to assess everyone’s positions and then again to put us at Thorne’s back. My fingers dig into his shoulder to hold on as I fight the wave of nausea at the extreme disorientation.
We land behind him while he’s focused on the others who’ve now joined Jack to act as a distraction. My body threatens to fall forward, but I take a step and use it to launch myself at him. I grab the arm he’s raised to attack and choke when his stench hits me.
“Ah, fuck!”
My already uneasy stomach clenches.
“Get off!” Thorne growls, jerking his arm and moving me with it.
My hand clings to his arm as tight as I can. I hold my breath, for whatever good it’ll do now, and scramble to reach the open bracelet. The psycho apparently has the same idea because he cuts off my oxygen.
That’s fine. I didn’t want to breathe near him anyway.
I snap the bracelet around his wrist so we’re now linked together with the other ring around me. The others are fighting him at his front, forcing him to defend himself rather than attack me, and it gives me the time to concentrate on my gift. A soft white glow encompasses my hand as my gift activates and I press my power over his, smothering it like a lid over a fire to cut off its oxygen.
Air rushes back into my lungs, and I curse at the foul smell. I keep pushing my gift until his is completely muted, then hold it there. “It’s done!” I yell.
The others rush at him, but I’m too preoccupied keeping my grip on him as he fights to get me off to pay them any attention.
“Let go, you little shit!” Thorne bellows.
I plant my feet and lean back as he tries to pull his arm free from me. Even if it does slip, the bracelet won’t let me get far, and I’ll just grab him again.
“It’s on. Get his other wrist,” Aiden directs.
Thorne curses and fights against us, but his strength lies in his gift, not his rotting body. With six of us against him, it doesn’t take long for us to restrain him.
Kellan grabs the arm I’m holding and brings it forward to click the other cuff to his wrist. I undo the bracelet on him as soon as that’s done, ready to put some distance between me and this fucking corpse.
I’m going to need a scalding hot shower after I get back just to cleanse the odor from my lungs.
Thorne’s voice raises to a higher pitch just before Reid teleports us to the butcher shop Jackson and Aiden had prepared. “—die!” He stops and licks his bloodless lips, hunched over and heaving deep breaths as he acclimatizes from the jump. His one good eye seeks out Jackson and he grabs him by the front of his hoodie.
“You have to let me go. If I don’t check in, if he thinks I’ve been compromised—”
Jack holds a blade to his wrist. “Let go, or I’ll cut off your hands.”
Thorne’s lips stretch to a creepy smirk. “Do it.”
Fucker.
I grab his upper arm and cover his gift with mine. I hate that I have to touch him again, but if we have to move the cuff to his ankle just so Jackson can make a point, then let’s get it over with. “You asked for it.”
Thorne grabs for the knife, but Jackson flips it just out of reach. The zombie curses and glares at me. I raise my eyebrows at him. I’m not fucking excited to have any contact with him, either.
“Oh, shit!” Raegan exclaims.
My attention snaps to her to see what I missed. She’s staring at Thorne’s chest. Where Jackson’s embedded his knife in to its hilt.
“Fuck! What did you do?!” We haven’t asked himanythingyet! I shove Jack back, and he takes the knife with him with a smirk.
