Religious Nut jobs
Bel
“Cuz? As in cousin?” My head snaps toward Isla, “Please tell me he’s joking.”
“Oh, unfortunately for all of us, I am not.” He walks towards us, hands up in a falsely peaceful gesture before laughing again, gesturing to Isla, “Can’t you see the family resemblance?”
“Isla,” I plead, “Tell me what’s happening.”
Her eyes well up with tears, “I didn’t know, Bel, I swear! I mean, I suspected, but I hoped I was wrong! I don’t keep in touch with that side of the family. I hate my family, remember? Always have. Fucking religious nut jobs, I’ve always said.”
“I’m standing right here,” Alastor reminds us as if we didn’t fucking know that. “And I don’t appreciate being spoken about as if I’m not.”
“Oh, fuck off, Alastor,” Isla spouts while I wonder why we’re all just standing here instead of running or killing him. I pull on Fritz’s forearm in a silent plea todo something. He turns and looks down at me, fear filling his face. We all know that as much as Alastor looks like he’s alone, even his hubris wouldn’t let him approach all of us without backup.
This piece of shit is standing not five feet from us, no weapon in sight, and he looks as though he’s just won the fucking lottery. My only solace in this moment is that Fritz is sucking up my terror as quickly as my body can produce it.
Alastor leans to the side slightly, angling himself to get a better look at me, raising one brow in a taunt, “How’s your hand, Bel? All healed? I could have helped you with that had you just stayed a bit longer.” I bite back my retort, along with my rising nausea.
Caspian growls, a terrible sound nearly shaking the concrete and the decrepit brick on either side of us.
Barely sparing Caspian a glance, Alastor proceeds, “Here’s the thing, guys. They want you. All of you. So let’s just make this a peaceful surrender. I don’t want things to get ugly, but surely you know you can’t escape. I have men on both rooftops there.” He gestures up above us. “And more waiting at the end of the alley should you make it that far.”
“Fritz,” Caspian whispers. They exchange a stony glance, Fritz nodding at Caspian in some secret signal they don’t share with me. Caspian pulls something through theAetherand hands it to Isla, though I can’t see what it is. Caspian takes my hand in his, placing a gentle kiss on my palm, and it’s then that I realize it’s a goodbye.
Before I can launch myself to stop him, all hell breaks loose.
They both transform into their demon selves, Cas darting directly at Alastor and Fritz practically wrapping himself around me to lift me into his arms. As he bolts towards the car, I can’t see a fucking thing except the endless black of Fritz’s flesh.
All I hear is gunshots and the terrible thunk of it hitting its mark. I’m taken back to the first time I heard that noise, shaken by the familiar grunt of pain that follows as Caspian takes hit after hit.
“Car is unlocked!” Fritz yells at Isla, tossing his keys to her.
Isla screams, “Go! Get her in the back. Go, I’m right behind you.” Her words are peppered with more gunfire, though this one sounds closer and doesn’t seem to hit anything. I’m pushing as hard as I can against Fritz’s iron grip, fighting to get back to Caspian.
If I can just get free, I can get him.
I have to.
I have to get him out of here, too.
“Bel, you have to stop,” Fritz pleads. “Please don’t make me stop you.”
Someone somewhere is screaming like a banshee, though I barely hear it over the pained groans fading further and further into the distance. One of Fritz’s arms finally loosens as he tries to open the car door, and I’m on my feet, running toward Caspian before I can even think better of it.
“Bel, no!” Isla shouts. I turn to see she’s pointing her gun towards an advancing Alastor. He’s holding his shoulder as blood seeps between his fingers. “Next one goes between your eyes, Al. I mean it.”
Their stand-off distracts me just long enough for Fritz to get his hands on me again. With jarring force, he throws me into the car’s back seat, climbing in after me. The second Isla is in the driver’s seat, the engine flairs to life, and she peels out.
Sharp thuds bounce off the steel of the exterior, again and again and again. Tears are streaming down my face while I’m searching for Caspian. Even though I know it’s futile because he’s. Not. Fucking.Here.
“We can’t leave him. We can’t leave Caspian, Fritz. Wecan’t!” I plead, launching myself toward the back to try and open up the rear door. If I can just get it open, he’ll befine.He’ll jump in the car, and everything will be okay.
“I’m sorry, my Songbird. There’s nothing we can do.” He’s trying to comfort me, holding me tight and trying to soothe me simultaneously.
The more I shove and scratch at him, the harder he holds my struggling arms until he’s cradling me against his chest, whispering how sorry he is and how it was the only way. That Caspian was willing to pay that price for my freedom.
All I can do is shout no, no,no,fighting to get back to Caspian.
