The Savage Grace
Page 59
Supposedly, Talbot was a whole new man now.
“Why did you stay with them? After what they did to you?”
“Because after you kill someone like that—especially someone you love—you feel like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. You know that you can’t just go back to your life again. But you’ve got this raging, screaming, selfish thing inside your head that doesn’t want to be alone. And that’s when Talbot and Caleb swoop in on you, telling you that you’ll never belong anywhere else. But if you’ll do what they want, then they can give you a home, and score after score, and a purpose. But really, I see it now, they just wanted me to be another foot soldier in Caleb’s terrible army.”
Deep down, I already suspected that each one of these lost boys we’d brought from Caleb’s pack—even Brent and young Ryan—had probably been through a similar experience as the one Slade had recounted. Which meant that at some point, each of the lost boys had either killed someone—or at least wanted to—or else they wouldn’t be full-blown werewolves.
But they’d each chosen to follow Daniel and me away from that warehouse, and to stay with us. Which meant they were each looking for a second chance.
And we could give it to them, just like the second chance we’d offered Jude.
I put my hand on Slade’s shoulder. “Caleb may have treated you boys like his foot soldiers, but I want our pack to be a family. I know you’ve been hesitant to truly accept Daniel as your alpha. But you’re welcome to be a part of this family, if that’s what you want. No harm will ever come to you by us.”
“Yes,” he said. “I want to be part of this family.”
“I truly believe we can learn to use our powers for good. Maybe you’re still destined to become the best damn firefighter anyone has ever seen. Imagine the good you could do with your speed and strength?”
“But I’d still be afraid of fire.”
“Talbot and the others were able to overcome their fear to help me. I think, deep down, you’ve got it in you to make a difference in this world—firefighter or not. And I want to help you. If you’ll let me.”
Slade was quiet for a moment. “Perhaps,” he said. “But before you do anything else for me … there’s one more thing I must tell you.”
“You can tell me anything.”
“I was stupid. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have let that Akh look me in the eyes. He read my mind. He knows where the other boys and I are staying. And I am afraid he may know where you live also. He got away, which means now Caleb knows. I would have told you sooner, but I thought…”
“Thought I might kill you?”
His nod looked more like a flinch. My stomach felt ill.
“Thank you for telling me. We’ll find another place for you boys to stay—and Daniel, too. And don’t worry about Caleb knowing where I live. He’s always known that. He used to live in the house next door.”
Slade’s eyes went wide. “But that makes no sense. Caleb doesn’t let anyone just leave the Shadow Kings. You should see the things he and Talbot made us do to guys who tried to run away.…”
I could believe, actually. The first demon I’d ever killed was a Gelal who’d left the Shadow Kings, and I’d been used as a pawn by Talbot to punish him.
“If Caleb knows exactly where to find us, then why hasn’t he attacked yet?” Slade asked. “What is he waiting for?”
“That’s a really good question,” I said.
And now I was the one waiting for the ax to fall.
FIVE MINUTES LATER
I didn’t have to wait long.
Only, the ax that fell wasn’t the one I’d been worried about.
I was headed to the front door with Jude’s warmed-up dinner, when a bright light filled the front window, making me shield my eyes with my hand. I heard Dad shout from the front yard. It almost sounded like he was saying my name, and then something like, “Run!”
“What the … ?”
The front door burst open. Strange light flooded the entryway as Mom, Jude, April, and Charity came into the house. Dad followed, shouting mine and Daniel’s names. When he saw me, he grabbed me so hard it knocked the plate of food from my hands. “They’re here! They’ve come for you. Get out of here. Run!”
Daniel rushed into the hall by way of the kitchen. Talbot and Ryan were right on his tail. The other boys who had been sleeping sprang to attention when they saw Daniel. No doubt Dad’s screams had awoken them.
“The Shadow Kings?” I asked.
“No.” Dad clenched my arm. “Sirhan and his pack. His entire pack is here, from the looks of it.”
“What?” Daniel bolted for the door to get a look outside. Dad tried to stop him.
“Don’t go out there. Take Grace and get as far away as you can.”
“And then what?” Daniel asked. “If they want to find us, they’ll find us.”
Daniel went through the front door. The boys followed after him like his sentinels and fanned out on the porch. My father tightened his near-death-grip hold on my arm, trying to prevent me from following.
“You can’t stop me, Daddy.”
His nostrils flared. “I’m just trying to protect you.”
“You can’t. Not anymore. Not in this world.”
Dad stared at me, the fear in his eyes moving from panic to sadness as he bowed his head. “I know. I’ve known for a long time the day would come when I couldn’t anymore.”
“Then let me go.”
Dad released my arm. I followed the boys out onto the porch and stood side by side with Daniel. My father followed and stood in the doorway behind us. Jude stood next to him.
In the piercing light, I made out the outline of what looked like at least ten black cars—probably SUVs, from the size of most of them—facing the front of the house, their brights shining in our faces.
I kept my hand level with my eyes, wishing my superhuman vision wasn’t quite so sensitive.
“They’re trying to put us at a disadvantage,” Ryan said, shielding his eyes.
“It’s working rather well,” Brent said.
Ryan punched him in the arm.
“I was just making a comment.” Brent punched him back.
“Cool it!” I snapped. Brent and Ryan stood at attention now, except for their hands guarding their eyes.
“Why did you stay with them? After what they did to you?”
“Because after you kill someone like that—especially someone you love—you feel like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. You know that you can’t just go back to your life again. But you’ve got this raging, screaming, selfish thing inside your head that doesn’t want to be alone. And that’s when Talbot and Caleb swoop in on you, telling you that you’ll never belong anywhere else. But if you’ll do what they want, then they can give you a home, and score after score, and a purpose. But really, I see it now, they just wanted me to be another foot soldier in Caleb’s terrible army.”
Deep down, I already suspected that each one of these lost boys we’d brought from Caleb’s pack—even Brent and young Ryan—had probably been through a similar experience as the one Slade had recounted. Which meant that at some point, each of the lost boys had either killed someone—or at least wanted to—or else they wouldn’t be full-blown werewolves.
But they’d each chosen to follow Daniel and me away from that warehouse, and to stay with us. Which meant they were each looking for a second chance.
And we could give it to them, just like the second chance we’d offered Jude.
I put my hand on Slade’s shoulder. “Caleb may have treated you boys like his foot soldiers, but I want our pack to be a family. I know you’ve been hesitant to truly accept Daniel as your alpha. But you’re welcome to be a part of this family, if that’s what you want. No harm will ever come to you by us.”
“Yes,” he said. “I want to be part of this family.”
“I truly believe we can learn to use our powers for good. Maybe you’re still destined to become the best damn firefighter anyone has ever seen. Imagine the good you could do with your speed and strength?”
“But I’d still be afraid of fire.”
“Talbot and the others were able to overcome their fear to help me. I think, deep down, you’ve got it in you to make a difference in this world—firefighter or not. And I want to help you. If you’ll let me.”
Slade was quiet for a moment. “Perhaps,” he said. “But before you do anything else for me … there’s one more thing I must tell you.”
“You can tell me anything.”
“I was stupid. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have let that Akh look me in the eyes. He read my mind. He knows where the other boys and I are staying. And I am afraid he may know where you live also. He got away, which means now Caleb knows. I would have told you sooner, but I thought…”
“Thought I might kill you?”
His nod looked more like a flinch. My stomach felt ill.
“Thank you for telling me. We’ll find another place for you boys to stay—and Daniel, too. And don’t worry about Caleb knowing where I live. He’s always known that. He used to live in the house next door.”
Slade’s eyes went wide. “But that makes no sense. Caleb doesn’t let anyone just leave the Shadow Kings. You should see the things he and Talbot made us do to guys who tried to run away.…”
I could believe, actually. The first demon I’d ever killed was a Gelal who’d left the Shadow Kings, and I’d been used as a pawn by Talbot to punish him.
“If Caleb knows exactly where to find us, then why hasn’t he attacked yet?” Slade asked. “What is he waiting for?”
“That’s a really good question,” I said.
And now I was the one waiting for the ax to fall.
FIVE MINUTES LATER
I didn’t have to wait long.
Only, the ax that fell wasn’t the one I’d been worried about.
I was headed to the front door with Jude’s warmed-up dinner, when a bright light filled the front window, making me shield my eyes with my hand. I heard Dad shout from the front yard. It almost sounded like he was saying my name, and then something like, “Run!”
“What the … ?”
The front door burst open. Strange light flooded the entryway as Mom, Jude, April, and Charity came into the house. Dad followed, shouting mine and Daniel’s names. When he saw me, he grabbed me so hard it knocked the plate of food from my hands. “They’re here! They’ve come for you. Get out of here. Run!”
Daniel rushed into the hall by way of the kitchen. Talbot and Ryan were right on his tail. The other boys who had been sleeping sprang to attention when they saw Daniel. No doubt Dad’s screams had awoken them.
“The Shadow Kings?” I asked.
“No.” Dad clenched my arm. “Sirhan and his pack. His entire pack is here, from the looks of it.”
“What?” Daniel bolted for the door to get a look outside. Dad tried to stop him.
“Don’t go out there. Take Grace and get as far away as you can.”
“And then what?” Daniel asked. “If they want to find us, they’ll find us.”
Daniel went through the front door. The boys followed after him like his sentinels and fanned out on the porch. My father tightened his near-death-grip hold on my arm, trying to prevent me from following.
“You can’t stop me, Daddy.”
His nostrils flared. “I’m just trying to protect you.”
“You can’t. Not anymore. Not in this world.”
Dad stared at me, the fear in his eyes moving from panic to sadness as he bowed his head. “I know. I’ve known for a long time the day would come when I couldn’t anymore.”
“Then let me go.”
Dad released my arm. I followed the boys out onto the porch and stood side by side with Daniel. My father followed and stood in the doorway behind us. Jude stood next to him.
In the piercing light, I made out the outline of what looked like at least ten black cars—probably SUVs, from the size of most of them—facing the front of the house, their brights shining in our faces.
I kept my hand level with my eyes, wishing my superhuman vision wasn’t quite so sensitive.
“They’re trying to put us at a disadvantage,” Ryan said, shielding his eyes.
“It’s working rather well,” Brent said.
Ryan punched him in the arm.
“I was just making a comment.” Brent punched him back.
“Cool it!” I snapped. Brent and Ryan stood at attention now, except for their hands guarding their eyes.
