The Sky is Everywhere

Chapter Forty-Three

We don't get far before Gavin rounds the corner up ahead, blocking our path like a nightmare. He seems so much bigger in this small space.

His jumper gapes open where I cut him, the grey fabric stained patchy red, but the wound clearly isn't slowing him down. I stare it, wishing I'd had the strength to push the blade deeper, into the darkness of his heart. He follows my gaze down and grins.

"Yeah, thanks for that. It really fucking hurts," he says.

My injured ear really hurts too, and it's still dripping blood on my neck, but I don't mention that.

I also don't tell him that I'm glad he's hurting, and that I regret not hurting him worse. Something tells me that goading him this time would be a very, very bad idea.

He points his knife at me, his smile as sharp as the blade itself. "Maybe I'll carve your face up some more before I kill you."

Blood roars in my head, and I struggle to think straight. I can't let him see that I'm scared; he'll only enjoy it.

"Gavin," I say, in the calmest voice I can muster. "Just think about what you're doing, okay? It doesn't have to be like this."

Maybe trying to talk him around is painfully optimistic, but I have nothing to lose by trying. At the very least, I can buy myself a little more time to think of another plan.

"I'm a Predator," Gavin says. "This is what we do."

"No, it's what they're telling you to do. But you don't have to listen to them. You don't have to be their puppet."

But my words are clearly falling on deaf ears.

Gavin snorts and shakes his head. "You want me to be like you instead? A freak? Prey?"

I've wondered before whether or not Cole would be a completely different person if she'd been firstborn, if she hadn't been raised in this poisonous place, but I'm not so sure that Gavin would be any different at all. Maybe some people are just born bad.

"So you're just going to kill us?" Sonny demands.

"Yep." Gavin waggles the knife at us, grinning.

There will be no hesitation this time. He's ready to kill, and if I want even a chance of stopping him, I have to move fast.

I dash forward without warning, hoping to catch him off-guard, but he's ready, and he plants a hand on the side of my head and slams me into the metal panels that make up the walls of the maze.

Pain bounces around my skull, and everything fades out for a heartbeat.

I blink, frantically trying to clear my head, and realise that I'm on the floor. I try to get up, but Gavin swings his foot back and kicks me in the stomach. He could easily have stabbed me rather than kicking me, but he's taking his time because he can. He likes hurting me.

Sonny throws a skinny arm around Gavin's neck and tries to drag him backwards, but he's just not strong enough.

Gavin prises Sonny's arm away, twists his wrist so that Sonny's whole body is forced into a painful contortion, and then punches Sonny in the face.

Sonny stumbles, but Gavin grabs a handful of his jumper and pulls him close, before punching him again. Blood pours down Sonny's nose and Priya screams. She starts forward and Sonny immediately jumps in front of her, blocking Gavin from getting to her.

He will die for her, I realise.

I can't let that happen – I can't let either of them die.

I scramble to my feet, knife in hand, but Gavin spins around before I can reach him, and backhands me, throwing me back onto the floor.

Everything in my head feels loose. Vaguely I hear screams, shouts, and I want to get up, to stop whatever's happening, but I can't get my body to cooperate.

Do I still have my knife?

I manage to flex my fingers, but both hands are empty. I've dropped the knife somewhere.

Another scream rings out – that's definitely Priya.

Desperation gets me on my feet, but I still can't see my knife.

Sonny and Priya are huddled on the floor, pressed against the wall with nowhere to run, and Gavin stands over them, his back to me. Priya is sobbing, gasping for breath, but my eyes are fixed on Sonny.

His arms are red from wrist to elbow, riddled with gashes, and I watch with horror as Gavin's knife flashes again, and Sonny raises his wounded arm to shield himself and Priya. The knife slices through the skin near his elbow. Gavin slashes at him again, gleeful in his cruelty.

The wounds aren't enough to kill Sonny, yet, but sooner or later Gavin will get bored of toying with him and Priya.

And then he'll kill them.

I open my mouth, to call his name, perhaps, to distract him, to give Sonny and Priya a chance to get away, even though my life will probably only buy them another minute or two, when I hear running footsteps.

A shape streaks past me, and I spot familiar bushy blonde hair.

"Taffy?"

She launches herself onto Gavin's back, locking both arms around his neck and squeezing. He gasps and swings his whole body around, trying to dislodge Taffy, but she doesn't let go, clinging on while he struggles to breathe – until he abruptly slams her against the wall, as hard as he can.

Taffy's grip loosens and she slides to the floor.

At the same time I finally spot my dropped knife on the floor, and make a scramble for it.

Gavin crouches over Taffy and positions the knife close to her throat, pressing the point in just above her shoulder-blade. He does it slowly, watching her face, enjoying the pain he's causing her, smiling as the tip of the blade punctures her skin, but he's made one fatal mistake.

He's turned his back on me.

This time I won't hesitate.

I run at him, my grip strong and steady on the hilt of the knife, and then I plunge the blade into his neck.