rustysilverlining

Broken beads like shattered glass Roll beneath our feet. A crowd that waves, sways and prays, The merry devil meet. Roaring music, dancing flames- Too much color, too much light. We shout and dance and sing and vow To burn Mardi Gras through the night. We pass the time till morning comes, A white dawn still stained red. We find our costumes torn and tattered Our pious ideals drunk dead.

 "You've got the chips?" "Don't be an idiot. Of course I've got the chips." "The Coke. You didn't forget the Coke?" "How could I forget the Coke?" "Shit! The beer! Did you forget the beer?" Rolling his eyes in answer, Will plunked down a six pack of Budweiser in front of Paul. "No. I didn't forget the beer. I didn't forget the hot dogs. I didn't forget the nacho cheese. I didn't forget the extra cushions. I didn't forget the Lays, Doritos, Ruffles, Cheetos, or Fritos. I brought Bud for you, Bud Lite for David, and Coors for myself. Did you remember the bet?" "Yep. One hundred fifty on the Colts to win." Will allowed himself a sm

 We burned down the hospital. First, we melted every piece of metal, silver or not, in the place and gilded each of the windows facing west. The work was done at night; every staff member present helped without asking so much as a single question—they had seen too many miracles to doubt us now. Miracles that no one else would ever believe. The entire floor that Amy Uther had died on was doused in gasoline from top to bottom. Then, from the stairwell, Wake tossed a lit match into a nurses' station and ran for the exit. Within minutes, the entire building had gone up in flames. Erik, Emily, Will, and I watched this procedure from a Jee

 Things happened very quickly after that. Too quickly. Thankfully, all of the business was taken out of our hands. Someone else handled the military. Someone else handled the papers. The staff— everyone who had been present for the destruction of the Taezu—testified forcefully for Erik's immediate clearance of all charges. I hadn't even been aware that this had been going on; I was notified the second that it was over. Then the press came… Will spoke with them first, just as he had after the first attack at Silveronte. Then they came in to talk to Erik. I stayed with him the entire time, mostly silent as he talked. It was onl

 I pressed the palms of my hands against his wound desperately, waiting for the familiar glow of light and warmth. It didn't come. I tore at the shirt he had borrowed from Will, trying to reach his skin. I felt it beneath my fingertips as the cloth shredded, but still nothing came. It wouldn't heal him if he were dead. "No, this can't be happening! You can't be dead, you were just here a minute ago! You promised, you lied, you…" Emily knelt down beside me and reached towards Erik's neck with trembling fingers. She took his pulse and almost choked with relief. "He's alive." "Can we get some help over here?" Will called, his voice sh

 There was a loud, sharp knock on my door and my eyes flew open. I was disoriented, for a moment… I almost thought that I was at home, back in the apartment that Erik and I had shared. Almost. Erik was sound asleep beside me, one arm curled lightly around my waist. I shook him slightly but he didn't stir; instead of taking the time to panic about that, I moved out of his grasp and tossed the blankets over his face to hide him. "Who is it?" I called. "Selena, open the door. I know what's going on," Amy's voice demanded. I froze for a moment, thinking. I glanced back at Erik's form, still and vulnerable beneath the sheets, and shut my

 Will and Emily came back with some apples, water, and beef jerky as the sky was getting lighter, just before dawn. Will entered the room first, his face inscrutable and drawn. Erik's eyes hardened when he walked in and I felt him pull away from me slightly, so I stood up and left him sitting as awkwardly as he had been when Will had first left. Will held out his portion of the food wordlessly and I took it with a quiet "thank you." The silence was so heavy and painful that I couldn't begin to know what words to fill it with; I took a step back to stand with Emily as Erik and Will watched each other with wary eyes. Slowly, using the wall as

Chapter Thirty-One The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes a few hours later was the moon, just outside of the window. I turned my head drowsily and then I was face-to-face with the barrel of Will's gun. I jumped and he lowered it, just slightly. "I was afraid to move you while you were unconscious," he said huskily. He gestured with the gun. "Now, get out of the way." Before I could think about it, I'd shrunken back against Erik's motionless body. "No." "Selena. Please. Don't be stupid." I ignored him, turning to examine Erik. "He hasn't woken up?" I asked. The bullet wound had healed, leaving a small, puckered scar behind. But