A flash of lightning fills the world with a blinding white light, and for a second, all is quiet and still.
That’s when it all becomes crystal clear.
Dante isn’t my family, not anymore.
I have my own family now, and they need my help.
When the flash of lightning fades, the barrel of my gun smokes and my brother lies dead at my feet.
The smoke fades with the rain and so does any last sliver of sympathy I held for my cruel brother. Slowly, sound rushes back into my ears. Below, I can hear people chanting my name.
I give them what they want.
This body isn’t my brother any more, it’s just a husk, a symbol of something dead and gone; something I killed, something we killed.
Dante’s corpse is heavy, but all of my pain and soreness has numbed in the storm. I pick him up and carry him over to the roof’s ledge. Without a second thought, I drop him to the streets below.
The cheers only get louder, but I have no heart to revel in any of it.
Nothing matters until I’m back with my true family. Nothing is complete until the other two pieces of my heart fall back into place.
I’m coming, Cat.
I’m coming, Oscar.
Daddy’s back.
33
Catalina
Brand new rays of sunlight break through the light grey clouds and a beam of warmth crosses over my arms.
Oscar shifts on my lap, and I stroke aside his shiny strands of dark hair.
“How’s he doing?” Juan’s voice is soft and gentle. He quietly places a steaming bowl on the table before me.
“He seems to be alright,” I respond, not able to take my eyes off of Oscar. “Thank you, Juan, for everything.”
An open silence drifts between us before Angel’s old advisor points towards the soup. “Courtesy of the wife,” he offers.
“Tell her thank you, as well. I can’t tell you how grateful we are for you and your family. We’ll never be able to repay you for letting us stay here.”
Juan waves his hand at me. “No need for repayments. We all survived the storm, and that’s what matters. Now, it’s time to rebuild.”
A heavy sadness catches in my throat. No one’s heard from Angel since last night—though, there have been rumors that he was spotted all around the city as it burned.
From what Juan has told me so far, the revolution has been won. After a vicious fight, and with all the old generals dead or captured, what remained of the army finally surrendered. Maybe Angel was there, helping the very people he inspired?
Juan’s been asking around, but so far, no one can say exactly where my dark savior went to after he left Oscar and I to escape on our own. Luckily, I was able to set off the flare he gave me and get to Aldar before any more trouble found us... but I don’t doubt that Angel was steeped in trouble for the rest of his night.
Dante is dead. They say Angel killed him.
As relieved as I am, I also feel bad for my vicious hero. No one should have to kill their own brother, no matter how cruel or terrible they are... but it was the only way.
A sigh escapes my lips and I look out over Juan’s property, filled with longing...
Suddenly, my vision of the horizon is interrupted by an approaching plume of dust.