Page 118 of Bitter Reign
“Every second.”
“Romantic. Foolish, but romantic.”
His gun hand wavers slightly.
“Drop the weapon,” I say.
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I shoot you and you bleed anyway, just takes longer.”
“Fair point.”
But he doesn’t lower the gun.
We’re at an impasse. From a distance, I can hear a weapon discharging.
“Sounds like your friend made his choice,” Edmund says. “Question is, can you make yours?”
I don’t take my eyes off him. “Jasper, you copy?”
Static.
“Jasper, report.”
Nothing.
Dammit. I need to know if Dredyn’s alive. If that shot was him killing James or James killing him.
“Go check on your friends. Your friend could be dead already.”
“You could be lying.”
“I could be, but you’ll never know unless you go look.” He lowers his gun slightly. Not dropping it, just pointing it at the ground instead of me. “Go, Talon Reed. Save your friends if you can.”
It’s a trap. It has to be. But that gunshot?—
“Jasper,” I say into the comms device. “Dredyn’s position. Now. Check on him.”
Finally, a response. “Copy. On my way.”
Thank fuck. Jasper can check on Dredyn; I can finish this.
I turn back to Edmund?—
He’s moving. Not running toward me, running away, toward one of the marked exits on the far wall.
I fire.
The shot goes wide and sparks off the wall six inches from his head.
I fire again—another miss. The shot hits the doorframe as he barrels through it.
“Shit!” I take off after him, legs heavy, lungs burning.
Through the door is another passage—narrower, darker. And ahead, Edmund’s silhouette disappears around a corner.
I push harder. Round the corner?—
