“You cock-sucking piece of shit!” Sparks yelled as he picked up a slab of brick, raised it above his head, ready to smash her face in.
“Sparks!” Caleb’s voice. A warning.
Sparks turned just in time to see an axe swinging towards his neck. He threw himself to the side and it passed just in front of his face. He leapt to his feet and dropped into a defensive stance. The militia attacked again, bringing the axe down in an over-arm swing. Sparks caught it by the handle, then drove his other hand – still clutching the brick – into his opponent’s face. Both brick and skull shattered.
Breathing in frantic gasps, Sparks turned to face the two dozen militia that stood around him in a semi-circle, cornering him against the wall. His senses came back to him in a rush. Oh fucking hell.
Too late to change his mind now.
He looked across to Caleb. “Get out of here,” he shouted.
A crossbow bolt flew towards him and he ducked to avoid it. Another grazed his leg as he darted to the side, searching for Juliette. Where did she go? Only a couple drops of blood marked the spot where she been a moment before.
He didn’t have any more time to look. Another crossbow quarrel narrowly missed his shoulder. The militia closed in around him.
Roman couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. He was vaguely aware of Sparks fighting the militia, of the shouting, of all the chaos around him. But the only thing he truly saw was Tan’s body, and the arrow sticking from it. Tan’s eyes were open, staring at the sky. His shirt was rapidly turning dark red.
Tan wasn’t smiling anymore.
He can’t be dead. He just can’t be.
The part of Roman’s mind that was still working screamed for him to run, to get the hell away from here. But his legs couldn’t move. His chest felt like it was being crushed. Someone next to him shouted something. It sounded miles away. A hand grabbed him by the arm, pulling him backwards. His legs still didn’t work and he nearly fell over, but somehow his feet remembered what they were meant to do and he let himself be led away from the militia.
From Tan.
“Think later.” A gruff voice. Caleb. “But right now, we’ve got to get out of here.”
Roman shook his head as if that could possibly clear the turmoil of emotions running through it. Caleb was leading him towards the nearest alley.
Candle… We’ve got to get him to Gavin. To save Ruby. The thought of Ruby kick-started him back into awareness. She was still at the Haven, and if they couldn’t get Candle there, she would die. Just like Tan.
Roman sucked in air through clenched teeth. Caleb was right, he couldn’t think about it. Not now. But as they ran down the alley, Roman’s brain wouldn’t stop repeating the image of Tan collapsing to the ground.
Then Sparks had come out of nowhere.
Sparks saved them.
A jolt of pain shot through Sparks’ leg. He cried out, falling to one knee. A steel spike stuck out of his thigh. Just like the one that had deactivated him earlier. He had to run. Had to get out of here.
But to escape, he had to go through the militia.
Sparks threw himself into their midst, tearing the spike out of his leg and brandishing it like a knife. Ignoring the pain stabbing through him, he spun through their ranks, darting under knives and past crossbow bolts, plunging the spike into his opponent’s necks. With each strike, he showered himself with more blood.
His heart pounded an enraged tempo, driving him on.
Then it stopped.
His light vanished.
Caleb halted abruptly.
Roman nearly ran straight into him. “What’s going on?”
Caleb lifted Candle off his shoulders and offered him to Roman. “Take him. You’ll be able to make it out from here. I’m going back.”
“What? You can’t.”
“Sparks saved us, Roman. I’m not leaving him.”
Roman saw the look in Caleb’s eyes. He was serious. “The boy gave us a chance to get out of here, are you going to throw that away? You can’t do anything to help him. Not against that many militia.”
“I told Sparks that I would have his back, whatever happens. And I meant it.”
Roman swore. He refused to lose both Tan and Caleb. “Why do you care about him?”
Caleb dropped Candle to the ground. “You wouldn’t understand.” He turned and sprinted back towards the fighting.
Scowling, Roman picked up Candle and continued to flee. Half of him cursed Caleb for heading back, the other half felt guilty for not following him. Sparks had saved them; he didn’t deserve to be killed. Not by Juliette, at least. But Roman couldn’t go back. He had to save Ruby.
“Hey!”
Roman stumbled to a halt. He looked up at where the voice had come from. An Adrenalite watched him from the nearest roof, his blue glow covered his entire body.
Just my luck…
Sparks stopped, surrounded by militia, blood dripping from the spike in his hand, and he panicked. He stumbled backwards, ducking under a swinging axe. He turned left, then right. No way out. He was surrounded.
What was I thinking? he thought as he side-stepped a militia, stabbing him in ribs as he darted past. He’d rushed in to save Caleb. Why? He didn’t want to kill Caleb, sure, but didn’t want to die for him. That wasn’t worth it, was it?
He dove to the ground, rolling under a swinging machete. A crossbow bolt flew past his head. Spinning back onto his feet, he dodged past another militia. He felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe he could escape.
A flash of pain in the back of his leg. He tumbled onto his knees, the concrete skinning his shins.
Something slammed into the back of his head and he passed out.
Roman gave up. He didn’t have the energy for another fight. Letting Candle fall to the ground, he just stared at the Adrenalite. This is it. I’ve failed.
The next moment, the Adrenalite fell forward, toppling over the edge of the roof. An arrow stuck out of its chest.
Roman stared, too stunned to react. That was a perfect shot. There’s no way that could be—
Then he heard her. Calling his name.
“Ruby!” he shouted back.
She stepped into view, standing right where the Adrenalite had been a second ago. Roman couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t possible. But there she was, jumping down to the ground, an arrow in one bandaged hand, her bow in the other.
She grinned. “Did you miss me?”
Roman couldn’t help himself: he rushed forward and embraced her.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
He didn’t want to let her go. Not now. Not ever again. But he pushed away his storm of emotions and forced himself to step back. They weren’t safe yet. “How?” he asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
He looked her up and down. She was favouring her left leg and kept her bandaged hand tucked against her chest. She looked exhausted, and something more… something he couldn’t define.
She looked past him. “Who is that?”
“Candle.”
“You got him? You actually did it?”
Roman hung his head. What could he say? Even though he had captured Candle, it felt like he had failed. What was the point in capturing Candle if Ruby was safe anyway? It had all been pointless.
Ruby’s expression dropped. “Roman,” she began slowly, “what’s wrong? Where is—”