Page 127 of Poisoned Promise
Felix surges forward again and kisses me so hard that pain flares across my bottom lip, but it’s a good pain and my heart surges.
“So that’s a yes?” I gasp as we break apart.
“Yes,” Felix grumbles. “Although I’m not happy about this. Here.” He hands me his weapon, then ducks and grabs Reese’s discarded one from the floor. “Let’s go kill a Queen.”
As we rush from the cells, Felix reaches out to Bree to see if anyone has eyes on Caterina. “Bree!”
“Felix?” Bree’s voice crackles with static.
“Anyone seen Caterina?”
“Let me check. You find Dove?”
“I’ve got her.”
“Good. Get her out of there!”
Felix glances at me as we make it to the top of the steps. “Caterina,” he says back. “Where is she?”
A long silence drags on from the call as he linger in the hallway, debating the best use of our time.
Splitting up won’t help anyone but we can’t just hang around in a burning building.
By the time Bree’s voice reaches us one again, soft curls of smoke stretch along the ceiling.
“Saw her maybe twenty minutes ago on the third floor,” Bree yells. “But we had a helicopter land maybe five?”
Felix and I lock eyes. “The roof!”
Of course Caterina will do everything she can to get out of here.
She’s not the kind of woman who will stand and fight with her people.
Not like Felix. Even now, as we rush up stairs two at a time and race down hallways flooded with smoke, Felix doesn’t waver.
He’s right by my side and I know he’d be by the side of anyone he cared about when they needed help.
He wouldn’t flee and leave those most loyal to him to die.
A cool, stone stairwell becomes our path up to the roof thanks to Felix remembering how often he and Nico would have picnics up there as a kid.
A soft, sweet memory now tainted by the horror of a man that Nico became.
I promise myself I’ll make it up to him as he charges through the last door and stumbles onto the roof, only to be tackled by one of the few men Caterina brought up with her.
“Felix!” I cry out and Toph darts past me just in time to shoulder the blow from another guard.
“Go!” Felix yells, his voice strained as he wrestles with the guard, determined to plunge a knife into his chest. “Don’t let her get away!”
“We got… this!” Toph goes down from a hard punch just as he says those words but he rolls, scrambles back up and tackles the guard back onto the ground with him.
Love begs me to stay and help, but the slow, weak beat of propellers fills the air, and the helicopter at the end of the roof is moments away from taking off.
If Caterina leaves, there’s no telling when I’ll see her again and I’m done running.
I’m done living in fear of ghosts.
“Caterina!” I bellow her name at the top of my lungs and sprint across the roof.
