Slayers: Friends and Traitors by C. J. Hill

Author:C. J. Hill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A Feiwel and Friends

CHAPTER 20

For one breathless moment, everyone stared at Tori, unbelieving. She felt like the world had reeled in some horrible direction. The next moment everyone sprang to their feet. Dirk was the quickest. He backed away from the rest of the group. Most of the Slayers stood there watching him, caught by their uncertainty. They were waiting for an explanation.

They could have fought a dozen men, and taken them down, too—but one of their own?

“Dirk,” Dr. B called. No anger, just confusion. Utter speechlessness.

Jesse walked toward Dirk. “What have you done?”

Dirk kept backing away. His gaze went to Tori. “You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me.”

He shook his head and took more steps backward. He was getting close to the edge of the building. Tori didn’t move forward, didn’t want to push him closer to the edge. They were so high up. He wouldn’t survive a fall.

Rosa, Lilly, and Bess all gaped in shock at Dirk. He and Bess had been friends for years. Dirk was Lilly’s captain, and Rosa was simply incapable of thinking badly about any of the Slayers. They had known each other too long, fought together too many times.

“What have you done?” Jesse asked again. He was still walking toward Dirk, although slower now that Dirk was nearly out of roof.

Dirk turned his attention to Jesse. “Am I your enemy now? Just like that? Jesse, how long have you known me?”

“Apparently not long enough.”

Dr. B stood at Tori’s side. “Stop, Dirk. You’re nearly at the edge. Come back here so we can talk about this. I’m sure there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Dirk stopped for a moment, glanced at Dr. B, then quickly looked away. Apparently he couldn’t stand to see Dr. B’s disappointment. “I saved all of you last summer,” Dirk said. “I want you to remember that. I helped you fight the dragon.” His gaze went back to Tori. “I saved your life.” These weren’t protestations of innocence. They were reminders that the Slayers owed him, that whatever else Dirk had done, the Slayers owed him for those things.

Dirk took another step toward the edge, barely paying attention to where he was walking.

Jesse took several more steps forward. “Is Overdrake your father? Tell us the truth. All of it.”

“Dirk,” Dr. B called to him. “We’re your friends. We care about you. Come back here, please.”

Dirk had backed up until he stood on the very edge of the building. He took off his watch and dropped it onto the roof.

“You have nowhere to go,” Jesse told him.

That wasn’t true. Tori knew what Dirk would do a second before he did it. He was going to step backward. The fall would kill him and he was going to do it on purpose. Her heart lurched into her throat. “Don’t!” she yelled.

Dirk gave her a quirk of a smile, the same one he used whenever he was teasing her. “Bye,” he said and leaned backward.

Before Tori could say another word, he was gone.

Someone behind Tori screamed. Dr. B yelled out, “No!” The sound of anguish.

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