Текст книги "Fable of Happiness book three"

Автор книги: Pepper winters

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CHAPTER TEN

I COUNTED FOUR TIMES where my concussion almost claimed me.

Four times while I was touching, kissing, and making love to Gem when I almost lost my grip on this reality and slipped into another. The whiteness lingered on my vision as I’d sunk inside her. The sickness had remained as I’d fought vertigo and a pounding headache as I’d clung to the woman I was in love with and orgasmed.

The sex between us had been different to anything I’d ever had.

It’d been fierce and intense but also languid and soft.

I felt both satisfied and complete instead of punished and empty.

Coming inside her had been the hardest part. The ricochet of pleasure had boomeranged back on me, making me blind. Images of my family came and went. Memories that no longer held me prisoner but chose that moment to show me just how different my life was now.

Just how lucky I was to have found happiness.

Fuck...in that rhythmic clenching of my release, I’d been happy for the first time in my life. I’d been blissful. I’d become addicted to it in a single second, fumbling to hold onto Gem as my ears rang, my head throbbed, and my body threatened to shut down like before.

But Gem’s sharp inhale, the tang of her fear as she waited for me to drop unconscious on top of her—possibly to wake up with no memory of this incredible milestone we’d shared—kept me awake.

I used everything I had.

I denied my headache.

I refused the nightmares.

And I stayed.

I...stayed.

Glancing down, I ran my fingers over my naked midriff. My fingers danced over silver scars and age-smoothed wounds, so fucking grateful that Jareth had found the key to Parable. Finally, it was off. Finally, Gemma was free, and...I’m free.

Truly free this time.

Free in my mind as well as my body.

Gemma interrupted my epiphanies as she tossed off the blankets and climbed out of bed. The flash of her naked skin, rosy nipples, and stunningly crafted body made me hard all over again.

“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered, dropping my hands to the blankets in my lap. My fingers itched to touch her and myself. Christ, I couldn’t describe how it’d felt touching myself. Skin to skin. Bringing pleasure instead of horror.

I’d tried to make myself come while looking down at her. I’d had full intentions of giving her a release, then granting her a pearl necklace, but the longer I kept stroking, the more I’d struggled to ignore the howls, screeches, and commands inside my head.

I’d gone as far as I could.

I still had a long way to go.

But tonight had been...good.

Gemma had been safe, I’d been happy, and Jareth...well, he’d been the reason I’d had the balls to do any of it.

Having him in the house allowed me to push the boundaries I’d put inside my head. I trusted him to keep me in line if I passed out and didn’t remember. I knew he’d protect Gem from me because he knew how much she meant to me.

Gem cleared her throat, her eyes drinking in my nakedness as I pushed away the blanket and stood, joining her on the other side of the bed. I glanced back at the same mattress where my blood had been smeared and my screams had been enjoyed, shuddering as ghosts came and went.

“That’s it, Kas, beg while we cut—”

Gritting my teeth, I pushed the memory away. I didn’t shut it down. I didn’t swallow it deep. I just...shoved it away. It might come back to haunt me at a different time. It was free to come and go as it wanted, but for now, it vanished and left me in peace.

“You okay?” she asked gently, touching my elbow with kind fingers.

I nodded. “I will be.”

She smiled. “Do you think we should go and make sure Jareth isn’t eating all our supplies?”

I grinned. “My thoughts exactly.”

She laughed under her breath. “Do you mind if I take a quick shower first?”

“Of course.” I took her hand. “I’ll join you.”

“Oh?” Her eyebrows rose, a glint sparkling in her gaze. “Round two?”

“As much as I want to take you up on that offer, I don’t know if I’d be able to stay with you a second time.”

She flinched a little in commiseration. “Was it hard? Fighting your body’s reaction to shut down?”

“It was.” I licked my bottom lip. “But it was also easy because I had you to focus on.”

“And the bourbon probably helped.”

I chuckled. “A few drinks probably helped me jerk off, but it was you who kept me present and not lost in my mind.”

“I hope you don’t find this condescending, but...I’m proud of you.” She blushed. “I’m beginning to think you were right. That all it takes is a choice.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s truly that simple, but for tonight...I feel like I’ve won against something I’ve been fighting against for a very long time. I didn’t have a reason to choose before, but now I do. I can’t promise I won’t have setbacks, and I’m almost positive I still have a shit ton of healing to do, but...no matter how bad it gets, I promise I will always choose to keep trying. I’m done being trapped. I no longer want to give up.”

“I’ll be there with you every step.”

“And that is the reason I’ll be okay...because I have you.” Raising her hand to my mouth, I kissed her knuckles as we stepped into the same bathroom where she’d gotten on her knees and begged me to leave her in privacy. Memories of that night came swift and thick. Of her jerking me off. Of her watching me with pity instead of fear.

Even then...even when I’d been the worst to her, she’d always seen the best in me.

Whipping her around, I dragged her into my arms. “I’ve done so much I can never take back.” I kissed her shoulder, inhaling her papaya-laced skin. “I’ll never forgive myself for doing to you what was done to me, but I need you to know I love you. I love you with every fucking piece of me, and I’m going to do my best to—”

“Hush.” Gem pulled back, cupping my cheeks with trembling hands. “We’re together now. We’re happy...at least, I am.” She searched my stare. “Are you? This isn’t too much? Too fast? Too—”

“It’s what has to happen. I’m ready to be pushed. I want to be. And in answer to your question...” I hoped she saw the truth in my eyes. The honesty that filled me up to the brim. “I am.” I smiled so big and true, it hurt my cheeks. It felt foreign and scary but also new and exciting. “I am happy. I’ve never been happier than I am right now, here with you.”

“Good.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me. “That makes two of us.”

I kissed her back, dragging her into the shower. “I’m also tired and hungry and sick of this damn headache, but for now...I’m basking in whatever magic you’ve cast over me.”

She grinned, gasping with shock as I turned on the icy spray. “Holy crap, that’s cold.”

“Wait till the pipes freeze. Then you’ll know what cold feels like. It’s so painful it burns.”

Her face fell a little as I ducked under the arctic rain and drenched my long hair. My chest constricted with the cold, but I forced myself to stay under, getting wet. Once sufficiently soaked, I stepped away and grabbed the soap bar. “Your turn.”

She nodded, but the pensive look on her face didn’t fade. Holding her breath with a tortured moan, she ducked under the spray, tipping her head back and getting thoroughly covered.

Joining me at the back of the large tiled shower, she waited while I lathered the soap over my body, her gaze lingering on my cock as bubbles formed and rinsed away what we’d done together.

“What?” I asked, foaming more bubbles in my hands and reaching out to cover her shoulders.

She flinched but then relaxed into my touch, turning around for me to massage down her spine, over her ass, and down her legs. Sighing, she murmured, “We don’t have to stay.”

I stiffened but swept back up her body, dragging the soap with me. Turning her around, I repeated down her front, fondling her breasts longer than necessary, cupping between her legs before ducking down to her toes.

I took my time answering.

Just because I finally saw a splinter of light in my perpetually dark world didn’t mean I was mentally ready for more. Jareth was here now. He’d stay until I was “cured” enough to deal with company.

“I know I literally just said I needed to be pushed, but...I can’t leave, Gem.” I swallowed, giving her something I didn’t think was possible. “Not yet at least.”

She froze, her gaze shooting to mine. “Wait. You’re saying...maybe? Sometime in the future, you’ll consider coming home with me?”

Anger flared. “This is your home now.” I tried to soften my words. “I mean...I wanted you to leave. Two nights ago, I was prepared to march you to the cliff myself.”

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Yes, but—”

“If you want to go...then you should go. I’ll walk you back to your Jeep and help you find your keys.” I squeezed the back of my neck. “But I can’t leave...not yet. I’m still not...stable.” I winced. “I know tonight might’ve given you false hope. Made you believe that I’ve taken the biggest step toward recovery, but...you’re right that the alcohol definitely helped. Jareth helped too. And of course, you are the most help of all, but I can’t promise I’ll be able to stay strong against my tendency to shut down if I don’t stay somewhere familiar.”

“You’re not giving yourself enough credit.”

“And you’re giving me too much.” I pushed her back under the water, helping her rinse. When she was clean and could breathe again, she ran her hands over her face, waiting for me to duck beneath the icy water.

Once all the soap was washed away, I turned off the tap and climbed out of the shower, tossing one towel to Gem and grabbing one for myself. She shivered with that reserved look still in her gaze.

Temper curled through my post-sex glow, making me a little pissed off. No matter how good tonight had been between us, she still didn’t want to stay.

But I’m not ready to go.

So where the fuck does that leave us?

I sniffed. “Look, let’s talk about this some other time.”

“Some other time being a year from now? A decade from now?” She wrapped her hair up in her towel, wringing out the water. The look on her face was tight and threatening. “We can’t hide here forever, Kas.”

My headache flared.

Whispers returned to my ears.

“You’re nothing, Kas. Nothing but a toy to be broken.”

I backed up.

The light inside me drowned beneath dark. The bourbon made me nauseous, and my gaze flickered with the beginnings of a black out.

I needed some space.

Rubbing my mouth with my hand, I muttered, “I’m tired. I can’t have this conversation right now.”

She nodded, her shoulders slumping. “Okay, I understand.”

Needing to fix what I’d ruined, I pushed past my body’s aches and pains, softening my voice with apology. “Before we go to sleep, let’s go find Jareth before we have no choice but to leave because he’s eaten all our food.”

She laughed sadly. “Sure.”

I marched from the bathroom before she could say anything else.

* * * * *

“I’m sorry,” I murmured as Gem appeared from the bedroom. “I didn’t mean to shut down and get pissy.” She’d dressed in black jeans and a heavy knit beige jumper, pilfering the guest wardrobe. “You look nice.”

She shrugged and smoothed the front of her sweater. “I didn’t have any clothes up here, and I didn’t feel like going downstairs in just a towel. Not with Jareth roaming about.”

I held out my hand, my heart skipping a beat when she took it. “If it makes you feel any better, he is honorable. He wouldn’t do anything, even if you were stark naked.”

She sniffed and squeezed my hand. “I know. I get that he’s loyal, and you guys trust each other with your lives, but...”

“But?”

“I can’t get a read on him.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Unlike you being able to read me from the moment we met?”

She laughed under her breath. “Exactly.”

“You took advantage of my lack of interaction and saw things I wasn’t even ready to see.”

“Perhaps.” She fell into step with me as I pulled her down the corridor toward the staircase. I’d never thought I’d willingly come up here and spend time in these bedrooms, but thanks to Gem, the curse of this place had lifted just a little further, giving me more than just rooms but layers upon layers of freedom.

“I’m sorry too, by the way. I got a little ahead of myself. You seem...better. And I grew impatient for everything.” She smiled softly. “Instead of being impatient, I’ll just be grateful for the progress you’ve made. If it’s okay with you...perhaps, I could figure out a way to let my mother and brother know I’m okay, and then I won’t have such a need to rush back.”

I stumbled on a step, halting us. “Of course, that’s okay. I’m not keeping you from them.”

Her eyebrow arched as if calling me out on my bullshit.

“Not anymore at least,” I growled.

“Good to know. Then I’ll try to give them peace of mind without leaving.”

“How? How could you do that?”

“I’m not sure. My PLB perhaps? That black piece of technology you broke on my first night? It’s a locator beacon. If I could figure out how to fix it then—”

“More people would arrive.”

“Yes, but they wouldn’t take me away if I told them I wanted to stay. They could relay a message.”

I snorted with scorn. “You honestly think they’d just turn around and leave you here, in a house of horrors with a guy who looks like me.” I ran my finger along her neck. “With bruises signaling to the world what I’ve done to you?”

She shivered as I dropped my touch. “You might have a point.”

Fresh anger spilled through me. “You’re free to leave at any moment, Gem. If you miss your family, then you should go. I want you to go. I was going to make you go—”

“But I want to stay.” She shook her head, tugging me the rest of the way down the stairs. “We’ll figure something out, Kas. I’m sure of it.”

I pursed my lips, mind racing, head throbbing. After everything she’d given me, I couldn’t stomach the thought that she still felt trapped. That she was still effectively my prisoner, even if we had fallen for each other.

But how the hell was I supposed to give her what she wanted? I wasn’t ready to face the outside world. If I was honest, I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready. The thought of men surrounding me? Women touching me?

Fuck me, it was enough for me to pass out cold in the foyer.

“By the way, you look nice too,” she added almost shyly as we reached the bottom of the stairs. Her attempt at switching the subject wasn’t lost on me.

I deliberated ignoring her and continuing with our argument, but what was the point?

There was no easy answer; not tonight at least.

“The choices are getting limited these days,” I said, glancing down at my latest wardrobe choice. “I used to wear something until it fell apart, but...it’s cold tonight, and my skin still burns from the icy shower, so I indulged.”

She nodded. “You look hot.”

I rolled my eyes, wincing as my head hurt. “I’m sure I still look exactly what I am. A heathen.”

I’d chosen a similar sweater to the one Gem wore, only mine was navy with dark jeans. I’d even put on boots for the first time in years, wanting to feel more human than animal, recognizing that only animals had feet worn enough to run in a forest without footwear.

She deserved a man, not a beast.

Eventually, I hoped to be that man.

Glancing around the foyer, my ears pricked for noise.

Nothing.

“Wonder where Jareth is?” I asked, pulling Gem forward to peek into the games room, dining room, and library.

All empty.

My stomach sank.

He wouldn’t...would he?

“He better not be in the fucking veggie garden.” Yanking Gem forward, I made a beeline for the kitchen, my heart racing with fear.

Our existence was already compromised in so many ways. I still wasn’t at full capacity. The thought of traipsing through cold forests trying to hunt filled me with dread, and the seedlings Gem and I planted wouldn’t yield anything edible for months—if they even sprouted.

Jareth had the power to kill us just by being reckless with whatever food we did have.

Walking past the small staff staircase heading toward the dormitory where I’d slept for most of my life, I stumbled to a halt.

The sounds of boots on bare floorboards came from above.

Gemma heard it too, her head tilting toward the landing. “He’s in the dorm?”

Letting her hand go, I bolted up the steps, bursting into the bedroom where sad, neat beds ringed the room, complete with gray blankets, gray sheets, and a book about fables left neatly on each pillow.

Jareth didn’t turn as I entered, his focus locked on a book open in his hands. I didn’t speak. I didn’t need to.

I knew that he read his own copy of The Fables by Stuart Page. Morals for all occasions. I knew that he’d chosen Fable of Monsters as his namesake, turning it into a premonition rather than just a name he’d been forced to take.

He’d read it aloud often enough for me to be as familiar with his fable as I was with mine. The moral was that love was the worst curse of all, destined to bring death to anyone foolish enough to claim it.

Once upon a time, a dragon named Jareth lived in a cave all by himself. He had no memory of family, friends, or company. Always alone. Forever unwanted. Scaled and horned, winged and feared, he was constantly hunted and tormented by the villagers who lived in the valley below.

For centuries, he survived alone. No other dragon. None of his kind to ease the unbearable loneliness of being a monster everyone hated.

As the years passed by and old age swept in, the villagers died one by one. A flood washed away their empty homes, erasing him from their history books.

Once again, he was forgotten.

A myth slowly turning to stone all alone.

But then...finally, on a rare summer’s day when the sun enticed the monster from his cave, he was caught sunning his wings by a woman with hair as red as the fire he could breathe and eyes as priceless as the gemstones inlaid in his scaley hide.

He tried to disappear.

But she saw him.

He waited for a spear or a lance, but she merely smiled and opened her hand in welcome. Instead of trying to kill him, she tried to touch him, stroke him, and offered him a fish she’d caught from her new home below.

They spent the afternoon together.

He fell in love as she snuggled into his side, protected from the twilight breeze by his wing, watching the sunset together.

But he couldn’t keep her.

And when she left, his heart broke in two, believing he’d never see her again.

But the next day, she returned.

And for two years, she visited every afternoon.

She became his everything.

The dragon slowly began to believe. He willingly and wholeheartedly did something only fated mates were permitted to do. He gave her his heart and sealed the bargain that would forever link her life to his by making her drink a thimble of his blood that he disguised as blackberry juice from a nearby bush.

The moment she drank, his life was hers, and hers was his.

It was meant to be the perfect beginning. She would be as immortal as he because she now shared the heart of a monster.

But she lied to him.

She wasn’t his to claim.

She was married to another, bound by vows, and taken in body and soul.

Jareth had committed an unforgivable act. One that demanded payment in the cruelest of ways. He’d taken her from another man. He’d bound her to him when she wasn’t free to be bound.

Therefore, the blood bond between monster and maiden took away what he coveted.

Her heart stopped.

She dropped dead at his feet.

And her bones adorned his lonely cave ever after.

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

I WAITED BEHIND KAS, afraid to step into the dorm.

Something wasn’t right.

The aura in the room was tight and tingling with rage.

Jareth growled under his breath as he slammed the book he was reading closed. His shoulders shuddered and the glint of the bourbon bottle, that he’d encouraged us all to drink in the games room, dangled from his fingers.

“I thought you said you were hungry,” Kas muttered, reaching to pat Jareth on the back. But his hand never connected.

In a lightning-fast move, Jareth shot toward one of the sad, single beds and threw the book down. It flopped open, its pages wide and taunting. His arm came up, his hand tipped over, and he poured a waterfall of alcohol all over it.

“Wait. What the fuck are you—?” Kas leaped forward just as Jareth pulled his lighter from his pocket. He punched the book with the flame dancing in his fingers, instantly igniting the pages with a whoosh of blue, bourbon fire.

“Holy shit.” I backed up, my mouth falling wide as fire billowed and roared.

Kas dashed to a bed next to the one currently smoking and curling with angry, desperate flames. Snatching the blankets off, he attacked the flame-chewed book, hitting it over and over again with the covers.

But it wasn’t any use.

The fire leaped from the book to the puddle of booze soaking into the mattress. It ate up every inch of fuel, switching from a book fire to a bed bonfire.

It happened so fast.

Too fast.

Terrifyingly fast.

Oh, God.

The roar and crackle amplified with every second. Black smoke began to curl, bringing with it the acrid, terrifying scent of danger. Baser instincts told me to run. To get away before it was too late.

“Motherfucker.” Kas kept fighting the fire, spreading the flames as it latched onto the blanket he was using to beat and smother.

“Do something!” I yelled at Jareth, pure fury pooling through me as he just backed up, taking a healthy pull of bourbon, his eyes glowing with flames as he watched his old bed burn. He didn’t answer me. His eyes were crowded with the past and demons. His face a twisted mask of vengeance.

Kas continued to hit, losing an unwinnable battle.

The smoke thickened, making my eyes sting and lungs cough. I dashed forward, only to dance away as his strikes became fast and desperate. “Kas...stop. You can’t—”

“Help me!” he bellowed at Jareth. “Help me put it out, for Christ’s sake!”

Jareth shook his head, taking another drink and moving to stand in the doorway. His lips twisted into a sick smirk. “I think I’ll just watch thanks.”

“It’ll burn the entire place down if we don’t stop it!” Kas continued to beat the disaster with a blanket now on fire, sending flames to the tatty curtains and other books just waiting to be eaten by the greedy flames.

Another book sparked, smoldered, ignited.

I coughed as the smoke turned black and thick on the ceiling.

“That’s true.” Jareth winked in my direction, utterly calm in the chaos he’d brought. “But would that be so bad? You said it yourself; you have no food.”

My heart galloped as I coughed again. “You can’t be serious.”

“Well...you want out, don’t you? Do you honestly want to spend an entire winter eating scraps and slowly dying beneath harsh frosts?” He drank straight from the bottle again, his throat working with a large swallow. “Because I sure as fuck don’t.”

“You don’t fucking live here!” Kas yelled, still trying to win. Not ready to accept defeat. The fire licked its way from Jareth’s bed to the one beside it, devouring another book, setting fire in a woosh of fresh fuel.

Kas spun to look at me, sweat poured down his face, and his eyes were afraid. More afraid than I’d ever seen. “Gem, go get some water!”

“Right!” I turned to fly down the stairs, but Jareth’s fingers latched around my wrist. “You have a choice here, Gemma.” His eyes narrowed with hate and historical hurt. “Let this place burn to ash. Erase the ghosts. Set the past free. Have an excuse to go home.”

I fought against his hold. “I’m not going anywhere without Kas.”

“He won’t have a choice but to go with you.” He leaned in, whispering into my ear, his breath rank with booze. “Let Fables burn, and he’s homeless. He’ll have to make another choice—seeing as he’s suddenly so fond of those. Either choose to die in a forest with nothing or go with you...the girl he’s in love with.”

I bared my teeth as I yanked my arm out of his tight grasp. His fingernails left track marks on my skin. “Unlike you,” I spat. “I don’t believe in getting my own way at the cost of other people’s happiness.”

He shrugged and drank again before giving me a lethal smile and tipping the rest on the floor, leaving a puddle of highly flammable fuel just ready to be found by the fire raging in front of us. “Suit yourself.”

“You’re an asshole.” I pushed past him.

I ran.

I bolted down the stairs and straight out the kitchen door. Racing to the hose I’d spotted the night Kas drew me an outdoor bath, I grabbed it and prayed the length would reach the dormitory.

Twisting on the tap, I ran back the way I came, spraying water everywhere, leaping over the threshold and drenching the kitchen as I moved as fast as possible.

I didn’t have time to think about Jareth’s intentions.

I couldn’t let myself think about what would happen if Fables burned tonight, if Kas shut down, if his mind went blank, if he died...

All I focused on was protecting Kas in the only way I could.

The hose slithered in my hands, water licking every surface as I reached the bottom of the dormitory stairs.

I took a step.

The hose ran out of length.

“No!” I slammed to a halt, raining water everywhere it wasn’t needed. “Fuck!” I left the hose running, sending rivers down the corridor, and bolted back to the kitchen. Grabbing as many pots and pans as I could, I skidded back and did my best to fill them.

Kas appeared at the top of the stairs stumbling against the wall, wheezing and coughing. Soot covered his hands, and ash decorated his long hair. His eyes locked onto mine, wide with worry and watery with smoke. He didn’t speak as he coughed and scaled the steps two at a time to me.

Snatching up a pan full of water, he raced back up the steps, bouncing off a wall as his headache and concussion stole his balance.

True panic filled me as the hiss and sizzle of fire came, followed by a massive plume of black smoke. Filling not just the dorm now but the corridor and snaking its way to the kitchen.

“No!” I angled the hose up the stairs and sprayed it as high as I could.

Fire licked its way to the puddle of bourbon Jareth had left at the top of the landing, catching it in a gust of blue and orange.

I looked for Jareth.

He wasn’t there.

Where the fuck is he?

The hose couldn’t reach high enough, its spray utterly useless as fire licked up the doorframe, blocking the way out. “Kas! Get out of there! It’s too late!”

Kas appeared, leaping through the fire and tripping down the steps, stopping his fall by grabbing the banister.

He coughed heavily, his eyes streaming with smoke-tears as he stumbled down the rest of the stairs. He looked back up to the nightmarish sight of fire creeping down the stairs, chewing through an age-old mansion as if it were kindling.

He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it. “I don’t know how to stop it.”

“We can’t.” Grabbing his hand, I pulled him toward the foyer. I abandoned the hose, letting water spill and river. Perhaps it would be enough to dampen the corridor and stop the fire from creeping deeper into the house.

“Wait. I—” Kas tried to go back.

“There’s no time!” I screamed, yanking him as hard as I could. “We have to go.”

“I can’t just give up. This is my home!” he yelled.

“Wrong. It’s your prison!” Jareth’s voice sailed back, hinting he was in one of the rooms up ahead.

“Get out here and help us!” I screamed. “You can’t just destroy everything and sit around drinking!”

Jareth didn’t reply.

My mind spun in circles. If we stood any chance of fighting this, we had to work fast. Maybe there was an option of fighting it from outside. Another hose we could spray. More buckets to pass. Dirt to throw. Anything to suffocate the fire.

However, my survival training kicked in.

This was a life-or-death situation.

Therefore, preparedness was key.

If Fables burned tonight, we had to be smart about what came next. We’d be shelterless on a cold autumn night. We’d need supplies. We’d need ways of staying alive.

Pulling Kas faster, I practically hauled him into the library where my newly packed backpack waited. I’d spent the time this morning to place my camera back inside after Kas saw the video of my brother. I’d stuffed all my climbing gear back in. There was also what was left of my first-aid kit, my lackluster clothing options, and a few muesli bars.

It was too valuable to be left behind.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kas coughed. “You need to get outside. I can’t risk you getting hurt. I’ll come back in and continue fighting—”

“We fight together.” I let him go, racing to my backpack by the desk. Slinging the heavy weight onto my back, I shrugged into it and secured the straps. “Let’s go.”

Kas blinked as if he couldn’t understand if I was leaving him. He stumbled to the side, tapping his temple as if his concussion had chosen this exact moment to make him fall unconscious.

“No. Don’t you dare!” I screamed, grabbing his hand and yanking him into a fast stumble. “You can pass out when we’re outside. Focus on me, Kas. Only me.”

He groaned and swayed, but his hand latched onto mine, fierce and awake. We tripped from the library into the foyer, running for the front door.

Smoke had found us, steadily filling the opulent foyer with haze and death.

I coughed and rubbed my eyes as they stung. My backpack bounced on my spine, and Kas tripped to one knee. He grabbed his head with his left hand, groaning in agony.

“Get up!” I dragged him forward.

I’d drag him all the way outside if I had to.

But he nodded and hauled himself to his feet, once again stumbling like a drunkard.

“Leaving so soon?” Jareth’s voice fell from above us, wrenching us to a halt.

Kas spun, and I followed, our eyes narrowed against the smoke, peering through the gray haze to Jareth.

He stood at the top of the stairs, leading toward the guest bedrooms. The rooms that Kas had kept meticulously tidy and clean for decades, immortalizing a mansion of monsters.

In his hands were two other liquor bottles. One dark whiskey and the other white rum.

Kas swallowed a howl. “Don’t. Don’t fucking do it.”

“You’ll thank me one day.” Jareth grinned. “Just enjoy it, brother. Enjoy watching it burn.” With a sweeping bow and icy laugh, he upended the bottles and strolled backward down the corridor, pouring a line of fuel into the expensive, decadent carpet.

He vanished into the first bedroom, pouring as he went.