The Grave Shadows

56. The Princes

The rays of dawn glowed behind the stunning prince, glorifying the immensity of his grace. His legs were long and firm. His imperious posture solidified like an unbreakable, indestructible, timeless statue. In his fresh pair of black trousers and a blue shirt, Hector was magnificent than before, striking and whole, not weak and insane, but proud and decisive. His grin was elaborate and his eyes lavishly bright. Was he Hector or Crazy Hector? Danny and Timothy, the older cousins, were Hector's left and right, their eyes on David and nowhere else, with the Watts boy signature sneers craving destruction.

Everett's fingers pragmatically and correctly arranged around the pistol as Hector taught him. When you shoot something, you want to see it die—this was the Watts Clan's first shooting regimen.

Will, Simon, and Luke flew out of a room, armed. Angelica emerged and bolted the door behind her.

"Stay inside," said Angelica.

Grinning, Hector rolled his sleeves and thrust a thunderous bolt at Angelica. She crashed against the door. Astonishingly, the Watts Prince's one savage strike knocked her unconscious.

Danny and Timothy hurled fireballs at every door and window. The fire devoured the entire block, forcing Cyan and John out of the room. David clutched Everett's arm, preventing the latter from trying to be a hero, while Will and Simon pulled Cyan and John out of the acidic smoke. John swung back for Angelica, who lay still beside the fire. David, with one hand on Everett's arm, glared at Hector.

"You don't leave my side, Wolf," David instructed.

Hector or Cyan? Everett glanced at his terrified girlfriend and his beloved mad brother. He couldn't give up on any of them. He couldn't choose.

With Cyan behind them, Will and Simon fired away at the intruders, even at Hector. They had chosen. The 9mm ammo combusted and fell before Hector.

"Luke!" Everett shouted, picking Cyan.

Luke slid ahead with a malicious assault rifle, snarling bullets at Hector. But the shots blustered before the untouchable prince. Everett clenched the pistol; it would be useless to fire without a plan.

David released Everett's arm, and at that moment, Everett understood him like the other Watts boys. Even though David had been away, despite the fact that he missed the expressions during Bill Watts's summonses, he was one of them. David shuffled to Hector, casting a sheer glance at Everett, Will, Simon, and Luke.

Everett shook his head. David wanted everyone to get away, and he alone would hold the ground. While the rest of the Watts boys chose Cyan, David chose them. But like David preventing Everett from being a hero, Everett refused to let him be one.

David shot multiple golden bolts at Hector's chest. Hector fell on one knee, spitting blood through a gory sneer.

"Angelica!" David screamed.

The door was closing. The brothers should get Cyan away fast, but David was alone and drained. He needed Angelica's help, but she could be dead in John's arms.

Hector plowed toward Cyan while David's falling shield stretched to stop him. Salivating at the prospect of her blood, Hector licked his lips. Everett fired at Hector, the distraction for Will, Simon, Luke, and Cyan to run. But Hector didn't flinch, gliding to the ultimate target with bullets pattering behind him. Luke grabbed Cyan's arm, darting to the van, while Will and Simon bombarded Hector with shotguns.

Timothy leaped in front of the vehicle. Throwing his hands in the air, Danny stripped the shotguns from Will and Simon. Hector snapped his fingers, and a sudden force snatched the pistol from Everett. With a glance, Everett realized that Luke, too, was unarmed.