Gabriel crawls back to us and Marcus says to him, “I’m going to tell you the plan. I want you to make sure Nathan does it and escapes safely. I think I’m still strong enough to stop time for about thirty seconds, maybe a little more. It’ll be enough for you to run. Kill as many Hunters as you can in that time and meet up at the far side over there.” He nods in the direction away from the cut. “Nathan will stay with me. When he’s ready to go you must cover him. If there are any Hunters left alive draw them away from Nathan.”
I shake my head but Gabriel says, “Yes. I’ll make sure he’s safe. I’ll tell the others.” And he crawls off to where Greatorex and Nesbitt are.
Marcus reaches up and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Nathan, I’m glad I got to know you briefly. Maybe too little and too late. I wish it had been more.” His hand drops and he pulls the Fairborn out of his jacket. “I’m dying, Nathan. But I don’t want to die for nothing. I want you to have my Gifts.”
I shake my head. There’s no way I can kill him, never mind eat his heart.
“You’re strong. You can do it. Kill me and then kill Soul and the rest of them. Kill all of them.”
He pushes the Fairborn into my hand. “Will you do this for me, Nathan?”
I look into his eyes and see black triangles moving slowly, too slowly. I know there is nothing I can do to save him. I have to do as he asks.
I take the Fairborn out of its sheath, feel its desire, and tell my father, “I’ll kill them all.”
“Always remember that I wanted you to do this. I’m proud of you.” He coughs again. “Doing the spell is tiring. As soon as time speeds up again I will be weak, unable to heal any more. That is when you have to use the Fairborn.”
He rubs the palms of his hands together, making circular movements that go faster and smaller. He stops. Takes a breath and starts again. Then stops and starts again. This time he stops and raises his palms to the side of his head. He looks at me then and I can see the spell must be working and he’s concentrating but it’s hard for him. It’s taking his energy. His hands are shaking. He says, “Tell them to run.”
I look over to Gabriel. I can tell from the stillness that time has stopped. I shout to him, “Run!” though I’m not really aware of anything now.
Gabriel, Nesbitt, and the others charge off. There are some shots. I see a Hunter fall. And another. And then all too quickly the world speeds up.
The next thing I do is the worst thing.
If it wasn’t for the prophecy I couldn’t do it and not without him telling me to and with his eyes on mine the whole time. He says, “I love you, Nathan. I always have.” His eyes are black, the empty triangles tumbling and turning slowly to a stop.
I do it while I stare into my father’s eyes. The Fairborn is keen to go in and sever everything. It helps me. I pull my father’s chest apart and eat him and watch the triangles in his eyes fade to nothing as I taste him and swallow his heart.
Seeing Jessica
I’m not sure exactly what happens after I kill my father. I’m aware that there are Hunters around still but Greatorex and the others are attacking them now. The change in their position has confused the Hunters, at least enough for me to get away. I leave my father’s body. It’s hard to do but once I get up and start to move my legs just carry me.
I see Gabriel ahead and run to him. But really all I see is my father looking at me and his eyes staring and the triangles fading to nothing. The taste of him is strong in my mouth. I’m on the verge of gagging but I’m determined not to.
“Nathan, look at me,” Gabriel says. I realize he’s grabbed my arms. “Look at me!”
I do as he says. But I’m not sure what I see. I can’t focus on him.
He says things to me. I’m not sure what. I’m remembering my father saying he loved me. I’ve hardly known him. And now I’ve killed him. There was so much blood. So much blood. My knees feel like they’ll give way and Gabriel pulls me up and shouts at me. “Nathan!”
Nesbitt runs up to us, sees me, and stops, exclaiming, “Shit!” He didn’t know what I was going to do.
Greatorex and the others arrive and stare. I know I’ve got blood all over me: my face, my chest, my hands.
Greatorex says, “We need to go. More Hunters are coming.”
Gabriel is pulling me along now. Pulling me by the arm.
Greatorex and Sameen are ahead of me, Claudia to the right, Gabriel close to my left.
Running helps. I’m feeling more like myself. But we’re not fast enough. The Hunters are after us. We keep going, and the more I run the better I feel, the stronger I feel. I’m in the lead now. There’s another shot and a scream and I turn to see Sameen fall. She’s not dead. Gabriel slows and stops and I go back to him. Sameen is twenty paces behind us.
I tell him, “Keep going. Stay with Nesbitt and I’ll catch you up.”
He shakes his head. “No, she’s my partner. I told your father—”
“No! I’m faster than you. I can get away. Go. If I don’t catch up with you in a few minutes I’ll be at the meeting place, as we agreed. But the longer you take the more danger I’m in now.”
He points at me; he knows I need to be alone. “The meeting place, as we agreed.”
“Yes. Go.”
He runs off.
I go back to Sameen. I’ve still got the Fairborn in my hand.