Page 16 of Remnants
Shadows creep further into my vision. So much so that I’m not sure if I’m losing my eyesight or my lids are closing ontheir own.
The soft sound of footsteps on the hardwood floor beat and echo against my ear.
He’s coming.
“Rae,” Dane gasps in a painful voice.
A hand covers one of mine, squeezing when I don’t respond.
I try to, but my body refuses to listen.
“Stay with me. Don’t close your eyes.”
Dane’s face appears before me. He’s on his stomach, lying there like he crawled to me.
My eyes shutter, and I force them back open.
“That’s it. Don’t give in.”
My throat is parched, and when I swallow, it’s like sandpaper rubbing together. “Never,” I croak.
“I hope you don’t mind my borrowing of your knife,” Charles says politely above us. “I’d love to stay and play a bit longer, but I’m overdue for my work today. I’ll act as your father one last time by ending this quickly.”
Dane drags himself over me, his body molding to mine. “Don’t you fucking dare!” he snaps, his voice gravelly because of his own injuries. “Leave her alone, and I’ll do whatever you want.Heal her, and you can have my gift or whatever it is you want from me.”
Charles sighs. “You have me mistaken, Dane. I don’t negotiate. I apologize for your poor experience with my employee, Gordon, but that isn’t how Gifted Enterprise operates. She dies. You donate your gift to GE. That’s the only way we all move forward. Now, kindly remove yourself so I can make this quick, or I cannot guarantee her death won’t be messy.”
“You’re not going to fucking touch her!”
I can’t see anything beneath Dane except for small glimpses of light.
But I feel the force of him being struck above me.
“Aahhh…nnngh!” Dane cries out. He shifts only for a second from the impact before he’s right back on me.
“Dane!” I pant, and an agonizing sting swells in my chest.
Still, I try to move my hands. Even a twitch will do.
Move, dammit!
He’s hit again.
And again.
“Determined, aren’t you? If you won’t go by physical force, I’ll have to remove you another way. She’s the only one meant to die today.”
Dane!
The weight of his body lessens, but his hands cling desperately to mine.
“No!” he chokes, his voice a harsh mix of pain and gritted determination.
A loud slam echoes through the room.
Dane’s body drops onto mine. I cry out involuntarily at the blinding pain and then pass out.
Chapter six
