Page 104 of Tethered Fates

“Rurik…you.” Apollo is on his knees, covered in wounds. His one eye that isn’t swollen shut is full of something too big to articulate. I doubt even my paint could capture it. “You’re here.”

The man—Rurik—crouches to gently cup Apollo’s face.

I’ve never seen anyone look at Apollo that way. To Rurik, he isn’t a menace or ridiculous; he looks at Apollo like there is no one on this earth more precious. “You needed me.”

Something shifts behind me. I jump, expecting to find the zombies moving again, but it’s just Kai helping Golden up.

Kai checks Golden over for damage. “You alright, mate?”

“Yeah,” Golden releases a drained exhale, having to hang onto my brother for support. “You, dude?”

Kai nods. “Teagan.” He motions for me. “Over here.”

I drop my chair to stumble to my brother so he can wrap an arm around me.

“It’s okay. We’re okay,” he whispers, which is when I notice I’m still shaking.

“I kinda wish I had that helmet Dad got me,” I half-joke.

“What the fuck!” Jerome shouts.

“Is everyone alright?” Kate asks, though it sounds like an order.

“Are we alright?!” Ryan shouts back sarcastically. “Are you serious?! We were just attacked by…by—”

Tired, Kate turns to us. “Are you guys holding up okay?”

I step away from Kai, but stay close, and run my hands through my hair. Having to swallow back vomit when I pull away a flap of grey skin. “I think so.”

“Kate!” Ryan shouts. “You better tell us what is happening, right now!”

More of the officers shout, object, panic. Kate tries to calm them, but that doesn’t work; if anything, they grow louder, angrier, and now we’re boxed in by another crowd.

“Nothing.” Golden’s compulsion waves out of him.

It’s soft, kind, a lie when you need it most, and all the officers, bar Kate, zone in on him. Hooked, captivated.

It’s shocking to be on the other side, to see a strange beauty roll out of Golden that enthrals the police, who stare at him as if he’s some ethereal supernatural creature.

But then again, I guess he is.

“You’re going to lock yourself behind that metal door. You won’t remember what happened. But when you’re free, you’ll delete all video footage. Because nothing happened.”

They nod as one, adoring Golden as they follow his orders, lumbering behind a metal door and swinging it shut with a metallic clang.

After a beat, Golden’s shoulders slump. “Holy shit, that worked.”

Apollo staggers toward us, one hand pressed over his wounded chest. “Lads, we gotta get outta here.”

“Shouldn’t you be healing…?” I whisper.

Apollo shoots me a wry smile, but the effort is lost when he winces. “Don’t worry about me.”

I worry anyway.

“And go where, exactly?” Kate throws her arms up at the scene. “If they don’t care about your rules against exposure, then Summer could pop up anywhere. In more populated areas to cause more danger.”

“You’ve been working on compulsion, Golden?” Rurik comes closer, and I notice Apollo purposefully move further away from him, brow drawn like he’s having to stop himself from looking at the Russian vampire. “Talented to compel that many people.”