Above the Vaulted Sky - Page 122

I turn back to him. ‘How do we break the bond between us?’ I ask.

                  ‘Easton…’ Yates says from the floor. He’s been doing his best to comfort our writhing friend but now he looks up.

                  ‘We don’t have a choice Yates,’ I reply.

                  ‘It’s quite simple,’ Teague says. ‘You’ll have to release me.’

                  I look at Elle. Pink hair has fallen in front of her eyes. I can see the battle raging behind them.

                  ‘One wrong move,’ she says, letting go and pointing her finger between his eyes.

                  Teague rolls his eyes and turns to his laptop.

                  ‘Easton,’ he says. ‘Give me your hand.’

                  I almost make a quip but hold my tongue. I don’t want to give any indication that I’m alright with the situation.

                  ‘So the process is simple,’ I say. ‘Was there any point at all in trying to kill me on that hill or was I just a fly in the way of your grand plan.’

                  ‘You’re catching on,’ he says. ‘I never intended to return to this place.’

                  ‘You make me sick,’ I say. ‘You know that?’

                  He clips two bullclips with wires attached to a finger on each of my hands. I imagine viewing this from the outside. All the items in the room moving of their own accord with a dying boy on the floor.

                  ‘Ok,’ he says. ‘Three, two, one…’

                  There’s a build-up of energy from a box on the desk. A whirring and then a high pitched squeal as it’s released.

                  I feel a wave of what feels like heat propel itself towards me and then break on the surface of my skin.

                  ‘I felt that,’ says Elle. ‘You had better not have attached me to you,’ she looks at Teague. ‘I know I’m sexy but I’m not into moleskin.’

                  Teague takes a breath. I close my eyes and see the lack of his thoughts, his solid body wrapping them up again.

                  ‘That feels good,’ he says. ‘One day maybe we can share a breath of air again.’

                  ‘It’s a comfort for me that we don’t,’ I reply. ‘Now save Graham.’

                  Teague smiles. ‘There is one way to stop this,’ he says.

                  ‘And what’s that?’ asks Yates. ‘Easton, I don’t like that smile.’

                  ‘Me either,’ I say. He looks like a praying mantis about to devour its partner. He rubs his hands together as if they feel any different alive or dead.