He appeared confused briefly, but then shook his head. “Darkness is her deepest fear. It controls her. That’s what this is about, Charlie. It’s about being set free. Where we’re going, there’s nothing to fear, nothing at all.” Axel leaned against the wall, a small smile curving his lips.
“Sometimes people conquer their fears,” Charles said softly. “Sometimes they make sure those fears will never get the best of them again.” But Axel had apparently tuned him out.
Charles Hartsman looked over at Arryn. He looked weak, almost haggard, as if he was withering by the minute. But as she stared, the corner of his lips turned up and he winked at her. Arryn’s eyes darted away, moving to Axel who had picked up one of his gas cans again and was splashing gasoline on the walls. He’d done the perimeter of the room, the door, and now he was dousing the walls. What was left, other than them? When he struck a match, the whole place was going to burst into flames. Arryn pulled herself as straight as she could, determined to do anything possible to delay that moment.
Help me, Daddy, she said in her mind, praying her father could hear her from where she was, that he was on his way to rescue them. But for the moment, all she had were the people in this room. Her father had always told her she was a force to be reckoned with. The memory of his often-said words strengthened her, diminished some of her fear. Yes. She’d be that girl, even here, in the depths of hell where she was meant to die.
“I know who you are,” she said loudly to Charles. He’d let his head hang and now lifted it, meeting her eyes again. Axel looked up too, distracted from his muttering by their conversation. “I looked up my mother’s case when I was younger. The things you did to her . . . you’re a monster.”
Charles tilted his head as if considering her words. “Would you believe me if I told you I was sorry for that?” he asked, his voice gravelly.
“No,” she hissed.
He shrugged, a slight movement of his bound arms.
“That tattoo,” she said, nodding her head toward his chest. “That’s not his name. That’s not my brother’s name.”
Charles regarded her again, his expression placid. “It is his name. It was the one your mother gave him.” His neck jerked slightly as though he was almost too tired to hold it up. “I should have made sure they kept it. That was my mistake.”
“You don’t deserve to have any part of him tattooed on your body,” she said. “My brother is good and kind and honorable. He’s the best person I’ve ever met and he has nothing to do with you.”
Charles gave her what looked like a weary smile. “You’re a real pain in the ass, aren’t you?”
Arryn made a sound of disgust, looking away.
Axel walked over to Sabrina and Milo, lightly tapping their cheeks, though their eyes were already open. Sabrina was crying quietly, and Milo was whispering to her, words Arryn couldn’t hear. “It’s time, Angels.” He brought a matchbook from his pocket. Arryn’s stomach plummeted, fear clutching at every muscle in her body. She didn’t want to die this way. Not this way.
“Axel,” Charles said. “Have you considered that you have this all wrong?”
“Quiet, demon,” Axel said.
“Maybe I’m not the demon. Maybe you are. Maybe I’m the angel, and you’re the demon. Or,” he said, “maybe we’re both.” His voice was lower, softer, no longer filled with the same baiting gusto it’d been filled with before. He was growing even weaker.
He moved closer to Charles, addressing him. “Are you trying to manipulate me, Charles? It won’t work. You of all people should understand evil. You of all people shouldn’t have turned to it yourself. You took your deepest fear and you cast it off on others. You shouldn’t have done that. That’s what makes you a demon. You could have ascended with us.”
“Coming from someone who’s murdered”—he squinted upward—“let’s see, by my count, six people, and those are only the ones we know about.”
“I destroy evil. Someone has to.”
“We’re more alike than you think, Axel. But you’ve lost your mind. There’s no reasoning with you,” Charles rasped.
Axel gave him a small smile, tearing a match from the book. “We’ve gone over this. The time for talking is over.” He let out a rattly sigh. “I can’t live in this world anymore. I want to go