James appeared beside him, slapping and stomping the curtains and Nate’s clothes. “Get everyone away from the windows. They’re outside!” he yelled.
It was too late.
Another glass bottle shattered on the wall behind him, tossed through the open window. It didn’t light like the first had, but the noxious smell of gasolex got worse. Angry shouting erupted outside.
“The Breakers. Jamie! The girls,” Ivy was trying to lift Alden. “The little ones. They’re GEMs too.”
Nate inched back from the window, shaking. He darted a look at Ivy, surprised that she knew.
Alden’s head lolled to the side.
“Ivy—he’s gone. Help the others.”
She gave him a long look and nodded, setting Alden down with painful gentleness before dashing out of the room.
Nate stared at his hands. One was red and angry, and the other—the other was blistering up and throbbing with agony.
He retched, unable to move. James tugged him toward the hallway. “I need to hide your friends.”
“But everyone else. . .”
“I know,” James said grimly. “We’ll figure something out.”
No.
No one else was going to get hurt because of Nate. He gripped James and stood, ignoring the searing throb of his hands.
Two men climbed through the window, one holding a pipe and the other, a stun gun. The man with the pipe had a wild shock of white hair and tattoos all over his neck. He charged at James, and Nate dropped his shoulder and launched himself at him, realizing too late that he’d aimed with his sore shoulder.
His vision erupted with black fire as he rolled with the man, sending them both to the floor in a heap. Nate couldn’t move. Couldn’t help. All he’d done was delay the attack.
He was useless.
“Stay there,” the man growled. He kicked Nate’s ribs and continued in the direction Ivy had gone.
James grappled with the other man in the hallway. Nate rolled onto his side in time to see a flash of red hair and Brick tackling the man with the pipe. Reed followed, coming behind the man with the stun gun and jumping onto his back to put him in a choke hold. The stun gun sang, blue-white light zipping through the air, narrowly missing Brick.
The fight moved down the hall, out of Nate’s line of sight. He wrestled his way to his hands and knees and cried out when his skin stuck to the floor. His arms buckled, and he crashed back down, sobbing with frustration. Clutching his hands against his middle, he tried to roll again, using his shoulder for leverage.
“Oh dear.” A gentle hand took him by his good shoulder and eased him to sit up. “You’re in a bad way.”
Nate blinked through his tears and went very still.
Agatha propped him against the couch and crouched in front of him. She jerked her head toward where Alden’s body lay. “So you’ve seen what happens when someone crosses me.”
A snarl tore from his throat.
She laughed. “He took the beating well. Didn’t beg. Not at first. But you—you’re already crying.” Her skin gleamed with sweat, and she breathed hard, like she’d been running. “If I’d known you’d have been this much trouble, I would never have opened my doors to you. There are really no words for the damage you’ve caused. No possible way you could repay me.”
This time, there was no getting away. She held a knife as long as Nate’s forearm.
Nate grit his teeth. “I’m not sorry.”
Her eyes flashed with rage that didn’t touch the smooth contours of her face. “Know this, boy. You didn’tsaveanyone. You delayed me. I’ll have another still up and running before your friends have sunk to the bottom of the sludge.”
“Remedy,” Nate croaked.
“I’m not as stupid as you think I am. I’ve got more than enough to keep me alive until I can make more. If the others die. . .well, there are always more to come. Pixel isn’t the only unripe GEM in the Withers.”
