Chapter Twenty-Eight (Newell)
The hospital was a sterile, cold place to me. Even with the furnace on and making the place nice and cozy, there was still an uncomfortably eerie air to the place. Everything was blindingly white and the sunlight shining through dozens and dozens of windows only made it worse.
If Xed hadn't been walking beside me, towering high and blocking out the sun from shining in my face, I'd of burnt to a crisp by now.
We walked through the hospital slowly, taking our time and trying to appear as casual as possible. We weren't just walking through the way we were on our way here, though. Claude and Kristophe had forced us to infiltrate in disguises. Xed was dressed as my older sibling with a v-neck black sweater and matching jeans, a cell phone sticking out of his pocket and a necklace with a cross on it. Meanwhile, they had forced me into a navy and gray striped shirt and jeans. The ruse was that I was suffering from amnesia and I was prone to seizures. I had no idea how I was going to fake that should the time come, but for now, our focus was to find Misha.
Which would be easier considering the hospital was overflowing with children. They walked with parents or siblings, a few in groups or pairs. Some were giggling and chattering away, others silent and staring at the floor as if trying to process their own lives. Nurses shuffled from room to room and doctors came in and out of rooms with grim expressions.
Despite the sunlight and the occasional children's drawing on the wall, the place seemed a bit dead today. We were informed that Misha would be volunteering today, however. It was just a matter of finding him.
"Excuse me, can I help you?" A woman's voice asked. We turned to see a nurse approaching us, wearing aqua green scrubs with pictures of Winnie the Pooh on them. Her auburn hair was tied up tight in a ponytail, making her widow's peak more pronounced. Her grey-blue eyes were behind a pair of thick, dark blue glasses.
"We're looking for Mr. Misha?" I asked sweetly. The nurse smiled warmly, hugging her clipboard tight to her chest as she looked down at me. I prepared myself as she looked at me the way adults always looked at children.
"Is that so? Aren't you just the cutest? What's your name, hun?" She asked. I almost responded with my real name, then caught myself in case the woman wasn't who she pretended to be.
"Nicholas." I replied shyly, taking a step back beside Xed, who took my hand as a response. The nurse beamed at that, her cheeks pinkening as if she were restraining herself from squealing in delight.
"Oh, that's a nice name. Have you checked in, sweetheart? You look new. Is this your friend?" She asked, looking at Xed, who just stared at her blankly.
"My big brother," I answered politely, then frowned, "But he can't talk." The nurse's expression became sad as she glanced at Xed, then at me.
"How come?" She asked.
"He's broken." I said. The nurse nibbled her lower lip, then nodded before gesturing for us to follow her.
"My name's Macy," She explained as she wrote things down on a clipboard and led us down the hallway, "I can show you to where he does his shows. After that, we can get you all registered. Is that okay?" She looked at Xed, who just nodded. She smiled at that, then continued down the hallway until we reached the elevators. We stepped inside along with two other children, a nurse, and a man in a business suit. She hit the seventh floor button and we waited as dull elevator music began to play.
I frowned after a moment, however. I smelled something odd, aside from old perfume and rubber. It wasn't sulfur either, thank goodness. The last thing I needed was the yakuza actually leaving New York to find me. But it was still an odd scent and I didn't have a chance to pinpoint it as the elevator stopped at our floor and we got off. This floor was obnoxiously painted with multiple different flowers and cartoon characters, several of which I recognized from Starling's favorite cartoons.
Macy led us away from the elevators and past the nurses station where she waved at a few of the fellow nurses before bringing us into the main lobby. Dozens of children were already gathered, sharing seats and sitting on the floor. Some of the older kids were holding the younger kids in their laps, others leaning on each other. A few parents were also gathered, chattering amongst themselves.
"He doesn't seem to be here yet," Macy mused, then smiled down at me, "But don't worry, he'll be here. I'll give your brother some papers to fill out. Do you think you can help them?"
Considering I had spent a lifetime filling out hospital records, stealing hospital records, and destroying them, yes. I don't think it'd be a problem.
"Uh huh." I answered. Macy beamed before she left to get the papers. I watched her go, then averted my eyes as I gave Xed's hand a tug. He looked at me curiously before crouching down beside me. I leaned close to him, so only he could hear me.
"Did you smell something strange in the elevator? Something out of the ordinary?" I asked. Xed paused at that, frowning before nodding slowly. I looked away thoughtfully.
"Figures. Looks like we're not the only ones hunting Misha." I muttered. Xed frowned at that and stood up straight, stepping closer to me, his eyes scanning the people that were in the room. He seemed so alert to any danger that could put our mission in jeopardy.
Or he's just protecting you.
Shut up, brain. We're here to do business, not pleasure. Not that pleasure came easy to me, which made sense as to why I enjoyed Xed's rough treatment in my dreams. I shook the thought from my head as Macy came over with the clipboard of papers. She handed it to Xed and gave us a seat amongst the other children, but I sat beside Xed in silence, watching the other children interact.
Beside me was a burn victim. He was smaller, much smaller than myself with the entire left half of his face scorched, some places hidden by bandages. He wore a loose sitting white gown, and unlike the other children his age, he wasn't clutching a stuffed animal. He sat there and stared across the room with a single blue eye, his caramel hair brushed back out of his face, making the burns more prominent. There were more burns on his arms and legs as well as his upper torso.
It was pitiful.
Sitting on his other side was a teenager with a very smug look on her face. One leg was crossed over the other, her gown riding up to reveal her bruised thighs. Her black hair was cut incredibly short, making her look more like a boy, especially with her flat chest and narrowed green eyes. Judging from the bruises and black eye, she'd been beaten. Just another sad state that humans found themselves in.
And sitting amongst them made me sick to my stomach. There was enough misery emitting from the two beside me. The rest of the hospital was just a breeding ground for depression and woe.
Instead of sitting there and looking like I was waiting to be talked to, I turned to Xed and instructed him how to fill out the papers with false information. I faked our names and medical history, watching Xed frown in frustration as he put checks in the boxes. He skipped anything that involved writing, so I took over for him in that area. I was surprised to see him upset that he couldn't write anything in English, or read any of the questions either.
Maybe I should be teaching Xed too, I thought with a frown as I wrote down Vladimir's insurance agency on the line. I quickly pushed the papers back to Xed as soon as I was finished. Macy returned for the papers, smiling and assuring us that Misha was in the building and on his way. I pretended to be excited until she turned and left.
"I'm never doing this again." I told Xed, who smirked at me.
"Hello." Someone said, making me snap my head to see a tiny girl holding a very ugly, terrifying doll in her arms that looked something like a demented gothic ragdoll. Her brown eyes were big and sad, like an abandoned puppy's. Her blonde hair was tied back into pigtails that fell over her shoulders and she wore a pale gown that nearly matched her skin. However, I noticed upon a closer look that her hair was very thin and falling out. I said nothing in response to her, just stared at her in hopes of her going away before she cocked her head. She looked from me to Xed, then back again.
"I'm Mia," She said, making me frown, "I'm turning six next week. What about you?" I stiffened and wanted to tell her to go away, but for some reason, I saw a picture of Starling's face in my mind, lower lip quivering and eyes welling with tears. I resisted the urge to grimace. I couldn't fake it for a child. They always picked up on my acting, which irritated me when I was trying to kill parents. Not that I purposely chose parents. They just conveniently had children.
"Newell," I told her flatly, "And I'm turning eighty two this month." Mia's eyes glowed excitedly as she stepped closer and I tensed at her proximity.
"Ohh! Cool! Cool! My birthday is on the fourth! When's yours?" She asked eagerly. I scowled.
"The fourth as well. Don't you have any friends?" I asked in irritation. Mia shook her head, smiling at me.
"No. The other kids in my ward are either sick or don't want to be friends with me," She admitted, making me grimace as a shred of guilt crept into my chest, "But that's okay. I know why. They're scared I'll leave them like the other kids, but they don't know I'm gonna get better."
"Oh?" I asked uncomfortably. I hated children. I really did. There was something about them that made me hate them, but at the same time, it made me feel guilty. I wasn't guilty about killing their parents or killing anyone else, but it was the way children looked at you with complete and utter honesty.
How odd. I hated the people who were honest with me and worked with the ones who lied to me.
I suppose it was easier to face the reality of what they'd become some day. This child could be as honest as she wanted, but some day, she'd realize lying was easier. If she lived that long anyway.
"Uh huh," Mia said, and without even asking for permission, climbed up into the seat with me and scooted me closer toward Xed, making me frown at her while Xed just watched with a flicker of amusement in his eyes, "Mama told me God will make me better if I pray hard every night." I scoffed at that.
"How ridiculous. That doesn't make sense. Praying is just like talking to a wall." I replied. Mia pouted.
"How do you know? Have you ever done it?"
"I used to." I muttered, earning a curious stare from Xed. I pretended not to notice as Mia pouted further, placing her ugly doll in her lap as she folded her arms over her chest.
"It's cuz you stopped. That's why you're sick."
"I am not sick."
"Yeah huh," Mia said, poking me in the arm and making me twitch in irritation, "You look sick."
"Thanks a lot." I deadpanned. Mia giggled at that and started to play with her doll's strands of hair that were just yellow dyed ropes hanging from her head. I tried not to look at it too long because the doll was honestly the ugliest thing I'd ever come in contact with.
"Leave him alone, Mia," The boy beside us said suddenly, making me frown at his bitter tone, "You're so annoying." Mia glared at him, tightening her grip on her doll.
"No one was talking to you, Taylor." She snapped, making the boy roll his eye. He looked away, folding his arms tightly over his chest and muttering under his breath.
"God, you're so annoying. Why can't you just go back to your room?" He grunted. Mia's eyes welled with tears, but to her credit, she didn't cry and just glared at Taylor.
"At least I'm being nice. You're so mean no one wants to be friends with you."
"And nobody wants to be friends with you either."
"You're mean!" Mia looked away angrily, pulling at her doll's hair angrily. I sighed, trying to block out their childish arguing as a headache throbbed in my temple.
"Both of you shut up," The teenager snapped at them suddenly from her seat, curling her lip at them, "Nobody wants to be friends with you because you're both gonna die anyway, so it doesn't matter." Mia went silent and looked down at her lap, her tears falling this time. Even Taylor looked hurt as he dropped his gaze to the floor again. I frowned now, then looked at the teenager, and before I could stop myself, I was speaking.
"Why don't you shut up," I told her dryly, making her frown at me, "You sit there trying to appear all nonchalant and smug, but you're just afraid of dying as the rest of the children here. And at least Mia is making an attempt to live instead of sitting there making everyone else miserable." The teenager blushed hard, her eyes flaring.
"And what the fuck do you know about it, you little brat?" She sneered. Mia jerked her head up angrily, clenching her fists.
"Don't say bad words! And he's not a brat! He's gonna be eighty somethin' on my birthday!" She announced, gesturing a thumb to her chest. The teenager scoffed.
"Oh, please. It's just something he holds onto to make himself feel better when he's probably just gonna die like the rest of us." She answered snarkily. Taylor flinched at that and started to paw at his hair, trying to hide his face behind it while Mia sniffled and tried not to cry anymore. I "tsked".
"At least I'm not afraid of death. You, on the other hand, are terrified of it," I told her, watching her green eyes darken, "You tremble every time the doctor comes in because you're afraid he's going to tell you that your abuser is back to finish the job. You tense every time someone passes by you and you try to look people in the eye to try and scare them away, but it doesn't work and you panic inside. Your heart is racing right now because you're both scared and angry, because you know I'm right. Don't try and argue with an adult, you ignorant child. You think that your life is as bad as it gets? Oh, trust me, it'll get worse and worse the longer you live the way you live."
The teenager was boiling mad now. I could hear her heart racing from here, the hot blood flowing through her veins and making my mouth water, fangs throbbing in my gums. Her cheeks were hot with rage and I think Xed was the only thing keeping her from lunging at me because he was eyeing her closely with a warning on his face. She gave up with a frustrated snarl and shot to her feet, storming away from us.
"Wow," Mia gasped, "I've never seen Maria so mad before." Taylor snorted, folding his arms tightly over his chest, grimacing a little in pain at the movement as he scrunched himself into his seat as if to hide.
"It's because she was schooled by a little kid." He muttered. Mia scowled.
"Newell's not a little kid. He's an adult."
"Then why is he as tall as you?"
"Because he's probably an angel," Mia declared, making me stare at her for her ludicrous statement, "My mommy told me God sends angels to make sure we're okay and being good so God doesn't put us in the time out place in heaven." Taylor actually laughed at that, covering his mouth.
"That's so stupid," He laughed, "A time out in heaven? And why would an angel do that? Aren't angels supposed to be super badass guys that fight demons? Like on that one TV show?" Mia scowled.
"Well, that's just dumb. Angels are good people, not bad people." She replied, but Taylor was still laughing and I fought the urge to laugh with him. She was sorely mistaken and would soon learn that if whoever was hunting Misha attacked. I'd go from being seen as an angel to being seen as a monster in no time. Part of me wanted something to happen soon, that way the girl didn't have to live in ignorance for long. They said ignorance was bliss, but ignroance killed and it was hard to be blissful when you were dead.
Our conversation ended, however, as children began to cheer and clap. I looked up, frowning as Misha came toward the group of children with a wide, friendly smile on his face. His dark hair was mostly held back by a black headband, his dark eyes ringed with black eyeliner that made him appear oddly attractive. He wore a silky black shirt that showed plenty of collarbone and matching jeans.
"Hey, guys," He greeted, making me raise an eyebrow at his incredibly deep voice, "Didja miss me?" The kids cheered and Mia bounced up and down, bumping me and making me roll my eyes in irritation. I watched as Misha came to stand on the other side of the room from the kids, making sure to keep some distance. He scanned the room, a warm smile on his face.
"Looks like we got some new people. Welcome! I'm Misha Greene. I'm a magician and I visit every Sunday and Monday, so don't forget to come see me," He said, pointing a finger at a few of the kids, who giggled, "Now, let's start off with some of the older tricks." I raised an eyebrow, hardly amused as I sat back and watched him withdraw a few cards. He played a few eye tricks on the children, then moved onto something else. He approached one of the children, another burn victim. He asked her a few questions, then pulled a quarter from behind her ear and gave it to her, telling her to buy herself a candy bar at the vending machine.
He played a few more regular magic tricks, nothing out of the ordinary for someone like him. I frowned, glancing at Xed with an expression that asked if this was truly the guy who'd levitated the teddy bear.
"Misha, Misha," Mia sang over the cheers of children, holding her doll up, "Make Missy fly like you did with Leanne's bear!" I glanced at her, then over at Misha, who laughed.
"Your wish is my command." He replied cheerfully and all he did was wave his hand. The doll gently left Mia's fingers and went into the air. Children shrieked with joy, clapping and shouting. Taylor remained silent, scowling as he watched Mia's doll float around. Misha directed the doll with his hand the entire time, a smile on his face.
And from here, I could definitely tell this vampire was not normal.
He had the same telekinetic powers as Vladimir. However, his were still underdeveloped. They were at the stage mine had gotten to before mine vanished.
We waited as Misha entertained the children with flying objects before he returned them to their places. He stayed for a while longer, telling jokes and stories and when it was time for him to leave, Xed and I didn't hesitate to approach him as he made his way toward the elevators. We stayed at a safe distance as Misha waved at the nurses at the nurse station, all of whom smiled flirtatiously.
"See you guys tomorrow!" He said cheerfully, making them giggle. Xed and I shared looks before moving down the hallway with him. He walked into an elevator and Xed went in first, bringing me with him. The doors closed and Misha took out his cell phone, typing a few things onto the screen before shutting it just as I nodded Xed his cue. He hit the stop button on the elevator and it clunked to an abrupt halt, almost knocking us over. Misha yelped, then turned to protest before his eyes widened at Xed's height and he dropped his cell phone.
"Holy crap," He managed, "You're huge."
"And he's hungry," I added, making Misha look at me in confusion, "So unless you want him to devour you right down to every last tooth, I recommend you come with us in peace." Misha frowned, his brow furrowing in concentration before his eyes widened and he pointed an accusing finger at me.
"You're that guy!"
"Wow. You're so observant." I deadpanned. Misha scowled, but backed himself up against the wall, still giving me that wary stare.
"Newell," He said at last, "That's your name. The one everyone is after."
"I'm a very popular person."
"But not for a good reason," Misha snapped, making me raise an eyebrow at his sudden anger, "You're a murderer! You use the gift that God gave us to kill innocent people." I almost spat at that as I folded my arms over my chest.
"You've got to be kidding me. We're vampires. Killing is a natural part of our instincts." I responded, but Misha shook his head vigorously. He eyed us both warily, pressed against the wall of the elevator. He obviously didn't want to be around us, but it's not like it mattered because either way he was coming with us. I just found it strange that he didn't attack us with his powers. Was he that much of a pacifist?
"Look," I said more calmly, "We need you to come with us. It's imperative. You could help us through one of the biggest scientific break throughs in the history of the world." Misha glared at me, folding his arms tightly over his chest, glancing quickly at the buttons on the elevator as if tempted to just quickly hit it, but he would never be faster than Xed.
"I'm not a lab rat," He responded heatedly, "I'm--"
"An employee at Best Buy. I know." I deadpanned. Misha blushed.
"I do that by choice," He snapped, making me raise an eyebrow, "I left that whole bickering vampire vendetta thing. I don't care who's in charge and I don't care what weapons you guys want to kill each other. I'm tired of it. I just want to be left alone."
"Fine," I agreed, "We'll leave you alone, after you submit to several tests. Then we'll bring you right back here with no problems." Misha glared.
"I don't want to go."
"Well, it's not a matter of wanting to go now. It's a matter of you wanting to do this the easy way or the hard way, because no matter what you say, you're coming with us."
"And what makes you think I will?" Misha demanded, fingers twitching as if ready to attack, but I knew matter. The more I watched and studied Misha, the more I realized how pacifistic he was. He would never attack us.
"You're not stupid and you're not violent," I told Misha, watching him grimace, "You don't like hurting people. You're the type to drink out of blood bags and drink animal blood. You're basically the vampire version of a vegetarian. And not to mention, when you look at me, no matter how hard you try to see a killer, you see a child." Misha stiffened, but he didn't argue because he knew I was right.
"Now," I said after a moment of silence, "We need to move out of here quickly. We're not the only ones hunting you and my money's on Zephyra." Misha paled.
"You're joking. I have two terrorists after me? I'm just--"
"An employee at Best Buy."
"I was going to say innocent, but whatever." Misha snorted. I shook my head, then nodded to Xed, who hit the button for the elevator to continue going down.
"We're going to step out once we reach the bottom," I informed Misha, "You can make it easy by following us and gaining our protection, or you can try to run away and I can have Xed grab you and we can run and make a scene and ruin your reputation at the hospital, which means you'd never be able to see the children here." Misha was silent at that before he dropped his gaze to the floor in defeat. Pleased with his decision, we waited as the elevator came to a halt, but not at the right floor.
I frowned, suspicious as I hit the elevator number, but there was no reaction from the elevator. I glanced at Xed, who frowned and tilted his head up.
"What's going on?" Misha asked, voice heightened with fear.
There was a loud crack from above us. Misha and I jerked our heads up to stare at the ceiling. We all stared in silence for the longest time before there was another crack and the elevator shuddered harshly enough to knock us to the floor. I winced, my face hitting the floor before I managed to push myself up onto my hands and knees, only to find Xed leaning over top of me, already on his hands and knees like a shield over me. I glanced back at him pointedly for the proximity, then frowned as I looked over at Misha, who was struggling to get up.
"Xed, you need to protect Misha first," I ordered, watching the immediate displeasure on his face, "Misha is far more important. He has the powers we need to know about. If something happens to me, forget it and go on, take him to Vladimir, do you understand?" Xed shook his head vigorously. I glared at him and shoved him hard, but he didn't budge.
"Xed, do what I say right now!" I snapped. Xed glared at me, then gave his head a quick shake. Instead, he grabbed me up in his arms, making me gasp at the sudden contact. He went over to Misha, using his free hand to grab him by the back of his shirt and jerk him up to his feet. Misha squirmed a little, uncomfortable to be so close to someone as Xed.
But he wasn't the one being carried like a child. Xed was holding me with one arm, resting against his hip to keep me there. His other hand was still holding onto Misha's shirt, his eyes darting around.
"Goddamn it, why is this the one time you listen to me?" I demanded.
"Don't say the Lord's name in vain, it bothers me." Misha snapped.
"I don't even believe in your God," I snapped at him, making him scowl, before I looked at Xed, "If you're not going to listen to me, you're just going to complicate things. You can't protect us both if it's Zephyra." Xed shook his head. I frowned at that.
"What do you mean no? No what?" I asked. Xed just shook his head, then pointed up at the ceiling just as it cracked open. We leapt back to make way for the person who dove in. A large, buff figure dressed in enough black to almost have him blending in with the shadows. His hair was pitch black and cut shorter than the last time I had seen it, but his eyes were still black. And now, a huge scar cut right down the center of his right eye, from the top of his face to the bottom.
"You've got to be joking." I deadpanned. He lifted a gun and pointed it at Xed, who narrowed his eyes, hardly intimidated.
"Give me the brat or I'm going to kill all three of you right here." Drake threatened coldly, black eyes narrowed. Xed just stared right at the gun, then looked at Drake, eyes flickering dangerously, but Drake didn't pay any attention. He was looking at me.
How cliche could you get?
Because I ruined his life, he and his psychotic boyfriend were here for revenge. Oh please.
"And just what do you think you can to do us?" I asked, pinching Xed in the arm as an indication to put me down. He seemed very reluctant, but did it anyway, knowing very well that I wasn't fond of the contact. Drake's eyes followed me, cold and hard like black glass marbles.
"I don't care about the other two," Drake admitted, then curled his lip, "You're the one I want to kick the crap out of. Not only did you ruin my pack and my leadership, but you led Zephyra straight through our camp." I stared at him flatly.
"Why do I care?"
"They killed everyone," Drake snarled, moving the gun from Xed to me, but I didn't flinch, not like Misha and Xed, "They slaughtered every member of our pack because we had contact with you! They killed men, women, and children!"
"That doesn't matter to me," I told him honestly, folding my arms over my chest, "Your pack did a great deal of damage to me."
"No, they didn't!"
"You're right; You and Vini did, but now your pack is paying for your crimes. If it's anyone's fault they're dead, it's yours." I replied. Drake gave a scream of frustration and came forward. Xed went to grab me, but I slapped his hand away. Drake grabbed me by the front of my shirt, jerking me hard so my feet almost left the floor for a moment. He placed the gun's cold barrel against my temple, teeth bared in my face. Xed was tense. I could see him twitching, wanting so badly to snap Drake's neck, but I didn't want him to kill Drake. Not yet anyway.
"Listen here, you little shit," Drake sneered at me, "They died because of you. Everything was ruined because of you! If it weren't for you, things would have continued to go smoothly."
"Right, with your psychotic boyfriend killing your pack members. How is that different from what happened to them now?"
"That wasn't Vini's fault," Drake snapped, making me raise an eyebrow in disbelief at his words, "If they hadn't of threatened our relationship, Vini never would have killed them."
"And Vini never would have killed them if you hadn't of traumatized him."
"I didn't traumatize him! He wanted it!"
"No, he didn't. Do you even know the definition of rape, or should I quote it for you?" I asked. Drake's face mottled red and he slammed my head hard into the side of the elevator. Pain exploded in my skull and I hit the floor, breathing hard as blood dripped between my lips and onto the floor. I looked up as Xed made a move toward Drake, but Drake slammed his foot down on my throat. I choked, but remained still on the floor as Drake ground his foot down on my windpipe, cutting off my air.
"Come any closer and I'll crush his windpipe," Drake threatened, aiming a gun at Xed, not that it would do much use to him, "No, I can do more than that. If I add enough pressure, his head will pop right off like a soda cap and there'll be no healing after that. So if I were you, I'd stay over there. I want you to get out on this floor. Get out, wait until the doors are closed, then leave the hospital. Vini's watching you on the security cameras and if you don't do what I say, I'll kill the brat right here, right now." Xed gritted his teeth together and I could tell he was debating whether to make an attempt on Drake's life or not, but I knew Drake and he'd not only kill me, but he'd shoot at Misha too.
And Misha looked a bit pathetic standing in the corner of the elevator, shaking and hugging his bag close to his side. Part of me wanted to snarl at him and tell him to use his powers to do something, but he was still underdeveloped. He'd have to use his hands and one movement from him could make Drake kill both of us. Not to mention, I don't think Misha would be quick to save me given the fact that I was trying to kidnap before Drake interrupted.
"Xed," I managed to choke, wincing past Drake's foot, "Jus go!" Xed glared at me, clenching his fists, still not budging for the doors. Drake pushed his foot down harder and I wheezed, trying to suck air into my lungs. I could feel pressure building up in my head, making me ache.
"Go!" I shouted, then went back to struggling for air. Xed twitched. I could see the pain etched onto his face for once. It wasn't just his eyes now. His expression twisted in agony. He didn't want to leave me. He didn't want me to be alone with Drake. But he didn't want me to die either.
Xed finally stepped back, grabbed Misha's arm and jerked him toward the doors. Seconds later, the doors opened and they stepped out. Xed glanced back at me one last time before the doors closed and his expression made me want to laugh.
Because his expression said I'll be right back.