Hesitation is a killer’s enemy. The Death Dealer’s crystal blue eyes hold no uncertainty. Even with a broken neck, he moves with ease. When I corner him, I never spot a single moment of fear on his face. He exists to kill, and the Lost Highway gives him the freedom he desires. His entire life narrows to this moment with me.
In contrast, my mind is on Odessa rather than the battle before me. I know she isn’t stupid, but panic still overwhelms her. If she followed me or tried to return to the cabin, she’s likely dead now. Or at least trapped until I can find her.
The man moves quickly, showing his past training in his swift kick to my knee. He takes me down easily, and I’ll die out here if I can’t stop worrying about Odessa. Flipping him over me and onto the ground, I return to my feet. He’s back on his immediately too. We circle each other, reaching out and taking swipes with our weapons. I cut his shoulder. He tears into my chest. My blade gets lodged in one of his eyes. His ax tears open my jaw. We remain at an impasse even after he uses my blade from his eye to cut open the palm of my hand.
When I look up from my bloodied palm, I find the night approaching. My gaze meets the Death Dealer’s. We know time is short for us to find safety before the darkness swallows us. My thoughts flash to Odessa in the woods at night. She’s waiting for me to return and save her.
I pull my gun and fire once into the Death Dealer’s face. The sound of the shot echoes in the woods and sends a crackle of energy through the trees. I don’t care about scarce bullets or alerting other Death Dealers to my location. All that matters to me is destroying this man and returning to Odessa before it’s too late.
Swiping off his head before he can regain consciousness, I don’t think to shove the trophy into my bag. I’m already on the run back to Odessa.
I barely dodge a trap I set off, but nothing will slow me down. The darkness creeps closer, disguising my path back to Odessa. I struggle against the thick branches slowing me. They reach out to keep me from making progress.
My mind pictures the darkness surrounding Odessa. I see the wolves lurking nearby. They’ll get to her before I can. Even if I can find her before they do, I doubt I can return her to the cabin safely.
I push past the clawing tree branches and run faster than I have in my life, but my time is up. The darkness consumes everything around me until I’m running blind. I smash into a tree and can’t feel my way around it.
Nearby, growling approaches. I barely climb the tree before the wolves snap at my ankles.
Odessa is in the darkness too. I imagine her calling out for me, but I’m trapped here and unable to reach her. She’s all alone, and help isn’t coming.
Howling her name into the darkness, I need my voice to find Odessa and give her the strength to survive the night.
Silence is the only reply. Not even the wolves’ growling reaches me in the tree. For days, I’ve wondered if ridding myself of Odessa might free me from my recent weaknesses.
Now I’ve lost her, and I’ve never felt weaker.
Chapter Thirty-One
Odessa
Even blinded by the darkness, I’m able to straddle a thick branch in the massive tree. The spot is high enough off the ground to protect me from the wolves. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only threat to my surviving the night.
The hissing woman climbs the tree, searching for me in the black night. I calm my breathing and violently beating heart. I hope to disappear as if she might think I’ve left. I can do little else besides hold the machete at the ready and listen to her bones cracking with exertion as she climbs higher.
Tugging at my shoes, she cackles with glee at finding me. I wrap an arm around a thick branch and reach down to hit her with the machete. Unable to see, I don’t know if I make contact. I do know her fingers tighten around my ankle despite my repeated swinging of the machete.
Her nails digging into my leg, she pulls me downward. I kick her, but she won’t let go, and her body weight drags me lower on the branch. My attempts to kill her only prolong the inevitable. This Death Dealer will soon drag me to the ground and kill me.
Wrapping my legs around the branch as tightly as I can, I yank up my jacket sleeve. Even in the darkness, I know she’ll find my exposed flesh. Pressing my feet against the tree to hold me upright, I have one shot at ending her before she does me.
When her teeth sink into my wrist, I cup her head with my bloody hand to keep her in place. Leaning over, I use my free hand to shove the machete into her skull. Though the blade hits resistance, I’m unsure if I’m stabbing her until her teeth release me and she drops away.
I grab onto the tree to keep from following her to the ground. Hugging the trunk, I imagine I’m holding onto Quill. I press my face against the rough bark and pretend I’m back at the cabin.
Down below, the wolves feed on the woman. I cringe at the sounds of shredding flesh and snapping bones. My stomach lurches, and I instantly imagine them ripping her apart.
All around me, voices promise Quill is dead, and I will be too.