Revelation | ✓

Chapter 36

I force myself to stand and slowly drag my feet into the room. My head is foggy and pounding, and the lights seem to bright, but I push it away.

I move for the keypad when I hear the safety of a gun click off. I freeze.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." David wheels his wheelchair forward- he'd been paralyzed after the break-in attempt- and keeps his gun trained on me. "Although in all honesty, I was expecting it to be your mother rather than you."

I reach for my own gun, but I only have a knife tucked away in my boot. Dammit. Didn't Dad always tell me that the one time I forgot my gun would be the one time I needed it the most?

Sometimes it freaks me out how he does that.

Ugh, stupid death serum- it might not have killed me, but it's screwing with my head.

"When did you inoculate yourself against the death serum?" He demands. "I'm the only one with access to it."

"Wh-what are you talking about? I wasn't inoculated." I squint at him, confused. I see no way out of this. At least, not one that ends happily.

He rests his finger over the trigger. "Oh, I think you know very well what I'm talking about. And I also think that you know what I'm going to do with this gun."

I'm sick of this guy bullying me. "Well, I'm hoping you shove it up your ass, along with your moronic ideas." It doesn't sound as cool as I was hoping.

He points it at my chest. "If you think you can steal the memory serum, you're wrong. You won't leave here alive."

I laugh outright at this. How can I not? He seriously thinks that I'm going to steal it? Wow. What an idiot.

"You know, David. You should really never become a crime investigator for two reasons- one, you're too biased. And two...you're not too good at figuring out someone's master plans." I fling myself at the keypad.

Bang.

Pain slices through my body. I punch in the numbers with shaking fingers.

Bang. Bang.

My body slides towards the floor, and I smack my hand down on the button.

I hear a hissing sound, hear a gunshot. Shouting. The sound of a gun hitting the floor.

Something warm and sticky soaks into my jacket sleeve, rubs itself against my hand. "Vae." Someone grips the front of my jacket. My vision spins. But I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Ryde." I croak, but I don't think he hears me.

"God dammit, Vae! I told you not to do anything stupid!" Is it just me, or does he sound ready to cry?

"'S fine. Just grazed me..." Over his shoulder, I see a bright white light.

"Vae. Vae stay with me." It sounds like he's talking to me through water.

The blinding light surrounds me, pulls me in.

I'm gone.