Page 20 of The Puppet Master
“No.” Thorne gives his head an angry shake. “Aurelius wants it done now. Her purification ceremony is in a week.”
“That isn’t enough time.”
“It isn’t up to you,” Thorne spits back, knocking Sawyer’s shoulder as he barrels through him. I hold up my hands and slam my eyes shut as Thorne nears me, a squeak popping from my mouth.
“Stop!”
Thorne grips my arm and yanks me toward him while Sawyer protests at his side.
“Please, just give her some time.”
“There is no time!” Thorne booms. “We have three Seraphs coming within days of each other… Now get out of my way.”
Sawyer flies backward with a forceful shove from Thorne, knocking into the bed. My eyes find Sawyer’s as I’m dragged toward the exit.
“Sawyer,” I cry out because I don’t know what else to do.
One week.
Ceremony.
Purification.
So many words with little context given. Is that on purpose? Do they want me confused?
My mind stumbles, struggling to catch up. There’s so much on the line that for a moment, I feel overwhelmed and want nothing more than to click my heels together and disappear.
Then I remember that every move counts. Every response from here on out will add up to a future I’ll have to live with.
My mind clearing, I shift my focus to physical responses, my heels digging into tiled floor, my breaths coming in pants.
Thorne hauls me halfway out the doorway when Sawyer calls to our backs.
“I’ll do it.”
Thorne stops, my body tensing as his grip on my arm tightens. My eyes hold Sawyer’s as he looks at me with a regretful expression.
Thorne turns to stare down Sawyer. “You’lldo it? What the hell do you know about training a Seraph?”
“I’ll get it done. You have my word.” Sawyer stands straight, his chin raising with bone-chilling conviction.
“Your word…”
“Yes.”
Thorne releases me, but I don’t dare move. When he laughs, it’s menacing. “You actually think you could do it?”
Sawyer nods, his face appearing pained.
“Would you bet your life on it?” The intrigue in Thorne’s tone hints at sadistic humor.
Sawyer looks at me with a sad apology in his frown. It takes him seconds to speak like he wants to change his mind, but finally, he says, “Yes.”
Thorne laughs as he shoves me toward Sawyer. I stumble into his arms where he catches me and holds on with a hug I lean into.
“You’re an idiot,” Thorne says. “But I’m glad. I look forward to watching you fail.”
Sawyer doesn’t respond, but I can feel his uncertainty in the tense way he holds me. He seems genuinely afraid, which scares me even more. I don’t fully understand it until I realize what it meant when he said he’d bet his life.
