✓ | DALLIANCE → madwheeler

nine

FUGACIOUS  ( adjective. )
tending to disappear, fleeting.

"YOU'RE WITH THEM." Max said. It wasn't a question- it was a statement.

She couldn't believe this. Mike. Her Mike was with the angels- or, Fallen Angels, she supposed. And all this time she had been convinced he was on her side, that he was truly looking out for her. And it was all a lie.

"No," Mike groaned, the blood from his coughs trickling down his lip. "No, Angel-"

"Shut up." Jack snapped, his eyes still trained on Max who looked away, bile rising in her throat.

Ethan laughed, surveying the scene before him as he met Max's eyes. "You really thought he cared about you?"

"I-" Max shook her head, lapsing into silence. Her heart hurt so much she thought it was going to break completely in half.

"I told you from the beginning." Ace said with relish. "Mike Wheeler is trash."

"I don't want any advice of yours, Ace Casper." Max said fiercely, her eyes burning. "I believed you. I trusted you, Ace-"

"And who's fault is that?" He smiled, leaning against the wall as if he were bored. "Poor, misunderstood baby. Sucks it had to go down like this."

His smile stretched. "I'm quite looking forward to having my way with you."

"Casper," Ethan said evenly, shooting him a dark look. Ace pressed his lips together, his face hardening before he turned away.

Ethan focused on Max. "We'll leave you both here. Maybe you can find some sort of words to say to each other before. . ."

He trailed off, but Max knew what the unfilled sentence was ringing about clearly in her own head.

"Don't try anything, or you will regret it." Ethan warned before motioning for Ace to follow him, Jack on their heels. The door closed behind him, and she heard the click of the lock as it shut. There was no getting out for them now.

Slowly, she sank against the wall, sitting along the freezing floor. She tucked her knees up to her chest, and unable to stop herself, glanced over at Mike.

He had managed to sit up, wiping his mouth with his hand and leaving a streak of red on the backside of his wrist before setting it down again, breathing hard. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back against the wall.

It was quiet for a moment before he said, "I suppose you want an explanation."

Max tore her eyes away. "I have nothing to say to you."

He laughed lowly, the same laugh he had given her when they had met for the first time and become partners for the English project. The moment seemed ages ago, considering where they were now, and it infuriated Max.

"Don't you dare laugh at me." She hissed at him. "You're the one who-who lied about every single thing you ever told me!"

His eyes snapped open and he raised his head, his brown eyes flashing angrily. "If I was lying, Mayfield, why am I now taken captive just like you? Why not have screwed you over long ago? Huh?"

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. He sat back again. "That's what I thought."

"But-" She stammered. "Your wings-"

He gave another harsh laugh. "My wings are practically gone now. Look at them." He gave them a weak shudder, and another feather fell off, the black setting against his hair and making his skin look even paler than it already was.