The Prison of Deviants

Chapter 42: Theo and the Feline Brothers

Soon after that heartfelt yet frightening talk, Dagur and I went back to sleep. I couldn't help thinking about how Knut came out to be so cuddly and kind, being brought up by a heartless man like Dagur. I understand all the frustration about his parents, but what did those innocent people do, whom he has so mercilessly burned only because they broke the prison laws? I cannot think of him the same way as I did, after that. I thought he had a heart. Now I realise I might've been wrong, after all. I guess, when so many people say a person is a monster, they indeed are one. No one would call someone "a monster" for no reason. "Kind monsters" are a bunch of crap that only exists in fairy tales.

The sun has risen. I look at Dagur. He's still sleeping, but his wounds seem to have healed a bit. He might still be hurting, though. Yet, there's nothing I can do. We must continue our way. I might've fooled Terry and his lapdogs last night, but it won't go on. I suspect some bat-vampires might've survived the fire too, even though they were put to sleep by Knut's drugs. Terry, Clara, and the other survivor inborn deviants would've saved them. If they engage in the search too, they will easily realise my trick of the unicorn blood and find our trails. We must leave as soon as possible.

I shake Dagur. He grunts and opens his scarred eyes, to glare at me. I return the same stern look. No matter he might be hurt, we have to go. His grumpiness can't scare me. I already know I'm precious to his brother so he won't lay a finger on me. I guess that's the only merit I have, in his eyes - that Knut cares about me.

Indeed, he gets up without a word, even if he seems upset. I grab the bottles of water and unicorn blood, wrap them in a giant leaf, and hang it on my back. Dagur stretches like a typical big cat and heads out of the shelter. I follow him.

The rain has made the forest even damper than before. The ground is muddy and the leaves contain fresh raindrops on them. Dagur takes a deep breath. The hideous grin forms on his scarred face:

"Now this I call a morning."

"It's already midday," I mutter.

"Hmph, upset that I didn't turn out as cuddly as you thought, huh?"

His smirk makes me as annoyed as it did before when I first met him. I avert my eyes from him.

"Let's just go."

I step forward. Dagur's limping a bit, but I don't care. I'm not giving him a hand. It's his fault he's been injured, not mine. He uses his firepower to burn everyone to bits even when it's not necessary. It's his problem.

"Theo, wait!"

"I'm not going to wait," I retort. "We have to leave. Move_"

"No, you don't understand."

His clawed hand grabs my shoulder and stops me. I glare back at him. He only puts a finger to his mouth, motioning me to keep quiet. He looks up and carefully eyes the trees. It seems he's also lent ears to the forest sounds. He even sniffs the area. I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this.

"What is it?" I ask.

Dagur freezes. He widens his eyes and dashes at me:

"Move!"

He throws me aside. A fire shot comes down from the trees and hits him instead of me.

"Dagur!"

He roars in pain and anguish - his entire body has caught fire.

"Dagur, no!"

I look up at the trees to find the source of the shot. Clara, Terry, and their canines land to the ground with the help of Ronald and his bat-vampires. The angels and the fairies follow after them. A crowd of over fifty inborn deviants encircles us. They're the survivors of the prison fire.