Chapter 19: Cade

This must be Cade. I try to speak, but my throat is tight and I only end up gurgling. He glares suddenly at one of the boys who watches, smirking.

"How much did you give her?"

The grinning one stills, suddenly fearful. "Just the usual," he says, his anxiety clear in his voice. It makes me want to laugh. "I swear."

Cade's scowl is as handsome as his smile. "If you've damaged her, I'll kill you myself."

The kid backs off, head dropping. Somehow the threat doesn't sound empty.

I take the opportunity to look around, eyes wandering from corner to corner. We're inside some kind of stadium and my memory flickers to the past. I can hear the roar of a crowd, see masses of people, flashes from cameras going off, hear the crack of a ball on a bat, see fireworks overhead. I've been to a place like this before. With the woman. She sat beside me the whole time. Shared her popcorn.

So much for that happy memory.

Whoever is holding me suddenly lets go and I fall to the ground. But I'm happy to find I can support myself when my hands automatically reach out and catch myself. The grass is soft under my touch, almost wet. I feel it dampening my jeans, the cold of the dirt beneath it sinking into my right hip. I manage to look up again, see the crowd of people surrounding me.

I'd thought Genki had a large group. Cade has an army, it seems.

Cade comes to stand before me, crouching, eyes at my level. "Trio," he says. "Right? That's what they're calling you?"

I blink, bob a nod that threatens my balance. "Cade." I'm able to speak. It's a phlegmy whisper. I clear my throat, speak again. "You're Cade."

He grins, winks. "You've heard of me."

If I had the strength to roll my eyes, I would have. "Yes," I say instead. "I'm Trio."

"So tell me, Trio," he says, "what exactly do the Crawlers want with you?"

His curiosity is a front. I can feel him vibrating in the small distance between us. For some reason he thinks I'm important. And for all I know, I am.

But I only have the truth to tell him and I'm certain it's not going to be enough. "I don't know," I say. "I don't remember anything."

His expression tightens, but his good nature remains. "So I've been told." He stands abruptly, hands going in his pockets, a smile on his lips. "But I've also been told you're figuring out some things." Cade snaps his fingers and a boy scuttles forward. I know this kid. He's one of Genki's people. Seems he's changed sides.

"Tell me again," Cade says to the kid, "what you saw."

The boy is a mess, shaking, hugging himself like I'm a demon here to devour his soul. "She killed Menzel," he says. "Touched him, just pushed him back. And Menzel died of the Sick. Just like that." He snaps his fingers as he repeats the phrase. "Just like that."

I want to throw up at the memory, can still see the boy dissolving. I did it. But I have no idea how. And that's not going to satisfy Cade. I can see it in his face, in his crystal green eyes which never leave mine as the boy talks, tells them all what a monster I am. I can't look away. Cade needs to know I've told him everything.

"How?" He gently nudges me with one boot, smile small and tight, eyes glittering with need. "Tell me how you did it."

"I don't know." I watch his patience wearing out, the false smile sliding further and further. "Honestly. It just happened."

Cade stares at me, silent. The toe of his right foot taps softly against the ground, the crowd so quiet I hear the sound of the grass whispering under his boots.

When he shrugs, I think he's accepted my answer and allow myself a brief glimmer of hope. That hope dies when he grabs the kid beside him, the very one who has just told him everything, and shoves the boy toward me. Terror shines in the kid's eyes, mouth gaping. He struggles against Cade's grasp, but the boy is small and skinny. His feet slide out from under him, shirt up under his chin as the larger guy heaves him forward and drops him in front of me. The kid sobs, scrambles back, but Cade is there holding him in place.

"Show me." Cade cocks his head to the side, gaze still on me, ignoring the panicked whimpers of the kid at his feet.

I am able to shrug. It's an ineffectual gesture at the best of times and does little for my case now. I reach out, take the boy's hand. He stiffens, the front of his already dirty cargo pants darkening at the crotch. The stain spreads, runs down his legs to pool at both knees. The scent of urine is strong, strong enough Cade backs off with a muttered curse, finally letting the boy go.

My hand falls away as the kid collapses in a heap, choking on his tears. I feel terrible for him, but there's nothing I can do. I look up at Cade again. "Like I said, I don't know how I did it. It happened once, when I was threatened." When we were all threatened. I was so angry. I remember. But I'm not telling Cade . Not when I'm sure he's capable of anything.

"Cade." I glance to the side, see a tall, dark haired and dark eyed boy standing just to the left. Cade meets his eyes. He's spoken up, so he must be important.

"Brick." Cade's perfect eyebrow arches. "Suggestion?"

Brick's empty brown eyes meet mine. "Threaten her."

Cade grins. "Just what I was thinking. Only better. Threaten someone she cares about." He turns to me again and laughs like he just said something funny. My blood runs cold, whole body sheathed in goosebumps. If I had the strength I'd be on my feet and I'd kill him where he stands.

Then he'd know how it works, wouldn't he?

But I'm still weak, it's hard to focus my thoughts.

"First one," Cade says softly, almost to himself, "then the other, I think." He pulls out a knife, handing it to one of the boys from the school. "Kill her."

The kid shakes his head, backing off a half step, but Brick is right there behind him. I see the fear in the boy's face, watching as he calculates his chances and can only assume he chooses with his fear of Cade being the greater of the two because he squares himself and comes toward me.

I stumble to my feet, swaying. My limbs are heavy, still full of the drug. The moment I rise, the boy looks like he may have changed his mind, but I don't allow him time to act. I have to trust my abilities despite my weakness. Before he can lunge at me I strike, hand coming down on his wrist, the knife falling from his grip and to the turf with a snick as it embeds in the ground by the tip.

Cade's eyes light up, but he just gestures to Brick without a word. Brick hands the boy a new knife.

I'm not sure I can do it again. But I'll have to. And again. And again, it seems, until Cade gets what he wants. Or he kills me.

If I don't kill him first.

The boy seems more afraid, hand trembling as he comes at me, but he puts his whole weight behind his attack and I'm caught off guard, stumbling backward to avoid him even as my elbow comes down between his shoulder blades, sending him sprawling. I meet Cade's eyes.

"It didn't happen this way," I say. "I wasn't afraid." So much for keeping it to myself. But my anger is rising and, as it does, the drug seems to burn away faster. Perfect. Anger it is then. And the calm. Is that the key?

"Well then," Cade says with a grin, "we try the other."

It's only then I remember Brick's suggestion led Cade to a different idea. My heart thuds in my chest as I wonder who they have captive. Beckett? Poppy? If it's Nico, I won't lift a finger to save her. At least I tell myself this.

But it's none of those. Snarling, snapping and barking, the dog is dragged out of a bunker deep in the stadium and led toward us. Immediately my fury flares, the calm threading through it and I'm free of the drug at last.

They've harmed him. I can see blood on his golden coat, the pain in how he moves, but he is defiant and furious and I will kill anyone who harms him further before hunting down those who delivered the first blows and kill them too. Cade looks excited as he strides off, closing the distance between him and the dog. He stops. Draws back a boot as the dog approaches.

Swings his foot forward.

Catches the dog in the ribs.

The crunching sound of splintered bone drives a spike of incoherency through my brain and I'm moving without thinking, striding toward Cade. There are those who try to stop me, but I'm striking out, left and right, terrified faces falling away as I take one last leap, almost there, on top of Cade, who thrusts a kid before him. My eyes fall to the dog as my hands grasp the kid he's using as a shield and I see my friend there, dying, lying in his own blood.

I've never known such fury. I'm blank from it. Everything is gray. Silent. My hands tingle, my body surges with it. The boy in my grip dissolves, melting before me and I

Don't.

Feel.

Anything.

***