Page 416 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘Don’t you fucking dare, Riley! You don’t get to just—’

‘I’m tired.’

‘We’re all tired.’

‘I can’t reverse it.’

Kade’s throat thickens.

‘You and me… we’re magical beings, Riley. We can do anything, especially now we know what we are.’

‘What you are, what Céliane is, even Tanner… it’s all so beautiful to me,’ Riley tells him. ‘I love it so much, but that’s not what I am.’

‘What are you then?’

‘A monster.’

‘Then we’re all monsters together, and this is our big, fuck-off-sized monster Tower that no one’s ever getting inside! You’re my brother.’

‘Being your brother was the best part of my life.’

Kade’s warm tears mix with the icy, unforgiving rain. ‘Don’t do this.’

‘Break the Knot, save Tanner, bring Julian back. You’re right. It’s not enough to make it even, but we work with what we’re given.’

‘Don’t you dare quote that piece of shit whose jacket you’re wearing!’

‘He was right about everything.’

‘Riley, get away from the fucking edge!’

‘I never saw the sea or an animal that wasn’t a mouse,’ Riley says, looking out at the blurred mess of the city. ‘I never got to put my feet on sand or even dance to a song. I don’t know what it feels like.’

‘We’ll go dancing tomorrow. We can get a cat.’

Riley laughs, looks almost happy. ‘What would we call it?’

‘Whatever you want. We’ll get two brothers, so they won’t be alone.’

‘That sounds good.’ He racks the MP7. ‘Do that for me, yeah?’

‘We’ll do it together.’

‘I love you so much.’

‘Don’t you dare leave me like this!’

‘I’m sorry I wasn’t a better man.’

Riley pulls the trigger.

Click.

Nothing.

Kade doesn’t wait around to find out what went wrong.

He throws himself at Riley, drives him backwards. The MP7 flies from his grip. Riley claws for it, silent and frantic, but Kade grabs it and throws it over the edge of the Tower.