Unchained Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 5)

In the future. I don’t have to see it to know that much is true.

I land in the hole in the ground where Alton has been squatting, and my eyes drop to the corpse near the entrance. One eyebrow comes up, and I glance over to see Alton staring idly at the remains of the dead dark user.

“Is it time yet?” he asks me in a hushed whisper.

“Almost.”

“How much did you do to my mind?” he asks quieter. “I know you’ve done stuff, but I don’t know what.”

He weirdly seems to have more clarity today than he’s had. I can feel his mind functioning stronger through our remaining link.

“I’ve done far less to yours than you’ve done to mine,” I’m quick to point out.

He nods slowly.

“Is that a Trout?” I ask him, gesturing to the body.

“They were a variable you didn’t see. It’s not something you could have seen. It was an unchangeable future that they’d ever come after us without masks or discernable scents,” he says quietly. “I wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget it, because I always forget things, and then I can’t remember what I’m forgetting. But I’ve been having longer moments to remember.”

“Because I’ve read my journal more,” I say as I open it in front of me, causing his eyes to drop to it.

“I assumed something similar,” he says, unsurprised. “Our link never really closed, did it?”

“No. But it was also never as strong as you believed it was, so you’re not losing as much as you think.”

“I’ve already lost everything else I care about,” he states flatly, eyes on mine. “Now I know there was never anything I could do to save you.”

I slowly close the book. “But you’ll forget it soon. And when you die, you’ll die thinking you saved my life. Just like you, I make amends by giving you something you need, brother. Even when I hate you as much as you once hated me.”

Speaking the words aloud to each other is different from anyone else, because we share pieces of our minds. It’s like having a conversation with myself, able to forget all the important parts.

We just stare at each other as the memories slowly fade, until I forget what we’re even discussing.

He clears his throat. “Tell me when to arrive.”

“The second you see me close to Hannah. Just watch from a distance and stay safe until then. Siphoning the power before the last possible moment would be pointlessly suicidal.”

“Understood,” he says. “After I do this, will I earn your forgiveness?” he asks me.

I hesitate, staring at him. Ella has made it so fucking hard to cling to the rage I need for just a little longer.

“I can’t ask more from you than your death in place of mine. If you fuck this up, I’ll never forgive you. But the second you show up, consider yourself forgiven. That way you have my forgiveness before your death,” I tell him as I turn and walk out, hearing him weep to my back like the sad, shattered man he is.

“I wish I’d been as strong as you,” he whispers to my back.

My fists clench as I dematerialize.

Chapter 36

ELLA

“I planted flowers today. I’ve officially reached a new low,” Zee grumbles, his eyes glancing over me twice before looking away.

“I killed a deer several times and robbed an immortal prison,” Kya tells him, causing my eyes to widen.

She sits up like she realizes her mistake, then clears her throat and looks around. Why doesn’t she start whistling and make it even more obvious, for fuck’s sake?

“I still win,” Zee says, alarmingly unsurprised. “We need to meet Kane at the rendezvous point in ten minutes.” His eyes flick to me and away again.