Page 45 of Hush, Little Baby

The guard says something.

Nikolaus reaches for something on the side table.

Oh god, no.

It’s a gun.

I make a sound so small I barely hear it myself.

His hand closes around the weapon, and the whole world tilts.

“N-no,” I choke. I don’t even know who I’m talking to because Nikolaus certainly doesn’t look back at me.

He raises the gun at the men, and I stop breathing entirely, bracing for a gunshot to ring out.

Then the suite door flies open again.

9

Charlie

Constantine rushes in wearing an untucked shirt and trousers like he dressed while running. His hair is messy, his expression wild, and he takes in the room in one sweeping glance.

Me, shaking behind Nikolaus.

The men.

And the gun pointed at them.

“Christ,” Constantine snaps. “Niko!”

Nikolaus does not lower the gun. Constantine moves anyway.

I don’t know how anyone can move toward Nikolaus when he looks like that, but Constantine does. He steps into the space between Nikolaus and the guards with both hands raised, not scared exactly, but careful. Very, very careful.

“Put it down,” he says.

Nikolaus answers, “Óchi. Íne ídi nekroí.” No. They’re already dead.

Constantine replies, fast and harsh, “Sképsou ton Charlie. Thélis na se dei na tous skotónis? Min to kánis, Niko. Sképsou kathará.” Think about Charlie. Do you want him to see you kill them? Don’t do it, Niko. Think clearly.

I don’t understand any of it. None of it. Their voices overlap, snapping back and forth, and I cower there behind Nikolaus, clutching the robe closed with both hands, shivering so hard my teeth chatter even though the suite is warm.

The guards do not move.

Nikolaus looks like he might shoot through Constantine to get to them.

Constantine seems aware of this and still does not step aside. “Niko,” he says again, this time in English, voice lower. “Look at him.”

Nikolaus’s shoulders rise and fall once.

“Look at Charlie,” Constantine tells him.

Something about hearing my name makes me flinch.

Nikolaus turns his head slightly, not enough to take his eyes entirely off the guards, but enough to see me.

I don’t know what my face looks like.