When I didn’t answer, she batted the bedding out of my hands.
“So when it’s finally time to do what you’re meant to do, you’re running from your destiny? I have news for you, Max: You don’t have a choice.”
Annnd, after approximately one hour of sweetness, Angel the Tyrant was back.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be such a drama queen. I’ll catch up with the flock. There’s just a place I need to stop by first.”
“The only place we need to go is Russia. All of us.”
I didn’t respond. She knew I was headed to Alaska.
“There’s no point.” Angel trailed me to my small pile of clothes. “I told you, he’s dead.”
“Stop it. Stop saying that.” I wrenched my hand away from her and closed my eyes, blocking out the words.
It’s a lie it’s a lie it’s a—
“It’s true. I don’t know how to make you believe it.”
I clamped my teeth together and started tossing dried food in a bag.
That’s why I’m going to Alaska. To see for myself.
“There’s nothing to see, Max. Fang faced his fate.” She paused and then said more loudly, “He wasn’t a coward.”
I glared daggers at her smug little face.
“Did you see him die?” I challenged. “You weren’t there, were you?”
“I told you, I’ve seen Fang die a thousand times!” Angel’s shout was half sob. “It doesn’t matter if I was there, because I can’t get the nightmare out of my head.”
“If you weren’t there, then you don’t know.” I turned away from her, scooping up the sleep sack from where it had fallen. “Not for sure.”
“I was there.”
Dylan was still crouched by the cooling embers. His face was in profile as he leaned forward, hands clasped over his knees, and his voice was so soft I wasn’t sure I’d heard right at first.
“What?” I managed to squeak, and he turned his head.
“I said I was there. I saw it.”
73
I HAD TO go, had to leave now.
“Max…” Dylan said, walking over.
It took everything in me not to run. I grabbed a handful of clothes and busied myself with layering for the cold flight ahead.
“Max, look at me. Please.”
I pulled my sweatshirt over my head slowly, losing myself in the fabric. When Dylan tugged it down, I started to turn away, but he held my shoulders firm, forcing me to face him.
“I was there.” He sighed heavily. “To warn him. To fake his death like I did with the others. But I guess the Remedy didn’t think I could handle Fang, and he sent reinforcements.”
“And you didn’t help him?” My voice sounded small, weak. I blinked hard, but my sore eyes burned with salt. “You didn’t save him?”
“I tried!” Dylan pressed his palm against the trunk of a tree and shook his head. “There were too many of them, and I lost consciousness…”