“In a way, continuing my father’s work.”
I stared at him, unconsciously moving away and glancing around for possible weapons. “Dylan, come on,” I said, keeping my tone even. “What are you talking about?”
“This.” Dylan turned and went through a door on the other side of the lab. I instantly sprang over and grabbed a scalpel, though what I would do with it, I had no idea… Dylan was much stronger than me now. Hiding the scalpel behind my back, I waited, and in just a minute Dylan came back—pushing a hospital bed.
Someone was lying on that bed, covered by a sheet.
I saw just a bit of black hair spilling out from beneath the white cloth and almost screamed. My breath came shallowly as I stared at the bed, and then at Dylan.
“What… what in the world have you been doing?” My voice was high and squeaky. “Wh-who… who is that?”
“You know who it is,” Dylan said softly, and pulled back the sheet. “It’s Fang.”
And… that was when my pregnant self fainted like a schoolgirl, right onto the floor.
92
OR I WOULD have hit the floor, if Dylan hadn’t had enhanced reflexes and superhuman strength. My eyes fluttered open just seconds later to see him looking down at me in concern.
He was holding me in his arms as if I weighed nothing, and now he gently lowered my feet to the floor. I grabbed hold of a lab table to steady myself and felt anger rising in me.
“I know what you’re trying to do,” I practically spat. “You know how I feel about clones. Your so-called dad was nuttier than a fruitcake, and you know it! Why would you do this? Why would you make a fake Fang?”
Dylan held up his hands, then pushed them through his dark blond hair in frustration, seeming to hold his head for a second. His jaw twitched and his teeth clamped together. Suddenly I realized I had dropped the scalpel when I fainted. Dylan must have seen it, must have known I’d picked it up as a weapon.
“Max,” he said tightly. “Everything I’ve ever done has been for you. It’s not like I’m a hero—we both know I was programmed to want to… be with you, above anyone else.” His eyes met mine. “You know how I feel, and how I would feel about you no matter what, whether I was programmed to love you or not.”
My cheeks heated and I swallowed, not knowing what to say. Why is he telling me this?
“I love you,” he said steadily. “I always have, and I always will. You know that.”
I looked away, not wanting him to humble himself this way.
“And I know you love Fang,” he went on more softly. “You always have, and you always will.”
Now I felt really bad.
“I—” I started, but he held up his hand to stop me.
“It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just how it is,” he said, and I felt a hormonal tear come to my eyes. “Once I hoped—I hoped maybe Fang was your first love, and I… I would be your last.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, feeling an ache in my throat that might never go away.
“It’s not your fault,” he said again, gently. “This hasn’t turned out the way I hoped, but then, what has? The world hasn’t turned out the way we hoped, either, right?”
I nodded, praying I wouldn’t start blubbering.
Dylan swallowed again and glanced at the hospital bed. “I pretended to kill the flock, so they would be safe. I had less control over what happened to Fang. The Horsemen were there—Jeb and the doctor were trying out a new upgrade—and there was only so much I could do. You saw how Fang dragged them all over the cliff with him. You saw how one of them… took off Fang’s wing.” The last words ended in a whisper.
I nodded and wiped away a single tear, feeling like the most ancient fifteen-year-old in the world. What was left of it.
“I… waited until everyone was gone, and then… I flew down into the canyon.”
My eyes widened. No. I knew Fang was dead. Angel knew Fang was dead—she had felt it.
Dylan shrugged. “The doctor had labs all over the place. I found Fang at the bottom of the canyon, just as he was about to die. In fact, he might have actually been dead. At any rate, by the time I got him to one of the doctor’s labs, he was dead.”
My eyes narrowed. “Okay. And the point is…”