“You’re done,” I tell him. “Your reign of terror ends here. Now.”
“So hurry up and do it already,” he says, arcing his head back and offering his neck.
Evil Gabe Richter is begging to be delivered?
My knife stills in my hand.
Is this some kind of trick?
I follow his gaze to where the Bone Keeper directs her snakes to drag down another one of his cousins and begin the process of flaying flesh from bone while he’s still breathing.
The sight so disturbing, the agonized screams so wrenching, it’s all I can do to keep it together. I’ve seen some sick stuff in my time, but this is about as bad as it gets. No wonder Gabe prefers to die at my hand.
“You’re not going to kill me,” Gabe says, though the truth is, I can barely make out the words over the din of tormented screams—frenzied squealing and shrieking—the hum of snakes hissing and slithering—the slow, agonized rattle of death—accompanied by—the Bone Keeper screeching?
I whirl in her direction, watching in confusion as she casts a wide, silvery net over her bounty, calls to her snakes, and flees with her cache of bones rattling behind. Returning to Gabe just as he flips the knife from under his chin, ducks out of my grip, and moves to stand beside Dace.
REQUIEM
A seeker must learn to see in the dark, relying on what she knows in her heart.
PALOMA SANTOS
THIRTY-FIVE
DACE
The sight of Gabe racing toward me as though I’m some kind of savior is funny at best—misguided at worst.
He would’ve been better off taking his chances with the Bone Keeper.
Or even the Seeker.
Though I plan to enlighten him soon.
“Get her!” he shouts. “She’s right there—ripe for the killing!” He jabs a thumb toward Daire, as though I might’ve missed her.
As though my newly heightened senses aren’t capable of scenting her, tracking her, intuiting her every inhale and exhale.
Still, I don’t deny myself the chance to fill my eyes with the sight of her. Soaking in a beauty so radiant, so luminous, she appears lit from within.
“What the hell are you doing looking at her like some lovesick fool? She’s gonna get away if you don’t do something soon! Leandro warned me to leave her to you, but if you’re not gonna kill her then—”
“Then, what?” In an instant my hand circles his neck. “Tell me exactly what you plan to do to the Seeker.”
“What the hell are you doing?” he gasps, features distorted with outrage. “Let me go, you idiot. I’m on your side!”
“That may be.” I lift him into the air. Lift him so high his feet fumble for stability, his toes strain toward the ground, as his body jerks like a fish on a line. “Thing is, I’m not on yours.” He dangles from my hand—fighting, kicking, screaming bloody murder. Or rather, he would be screaming bloody murder if I hadn’t cut off his air supply.
I gave them all a head start.
Encouraged Leandro, Gabe, and Cade to get to Daire first, so she could have the pleasure of slaying them all.
Imagining how it might feel to watch Raven finally conquering Coyote after all this time.
It’s a sight I would like to have seen.
But, it seems plans, like destiny, are subject to change.