Crowed (Team Zero #2) - Rina Kent Page 0,49

surges from deep within me.

“Live,” it whispers right into my ears. Strong hands haul me upwards, shouting. “LIVE, ELOISE!”

I gasp, air shooting to my lungs.

My eyes snap open, and the dark water fades into familiar white walls. The smell of detergent fills my nostrils, and a sense of relief covers me.

The hospital.

What am I doing here? What happened?

I try to turn sideways. Sharp pain assaults my head.

Merde.

I run a hand over my forehead and my fingers connect with a thick bandage. The inside of my mouth is so dry, it’s like tasting sand and paper.

Two people gape down at me like I’m an alien. The man is wearing a doctor’s blouse. The size too small, making his muscles strain against the fabric. He has striking olive skin with piercing brown eyes. Even the thick-framed glasses can’t hide their intensity or the odd golden ring surrounding his irises.

The woman is dressed as a nurse. Her lips are painted in a sickening orange colour. Other than that, she’s stunning. Her mahogany-coloured hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail. She’s also wearing glasses. Only hers are non-framed, showcasing her green eyes, but they seem... fake. Like it’s isn’t their real colour.

And they’re both watching me as if I’m their guinea pig.

I’ve never seen them in the hospital before.

“Do you think she’s hearing us?” the nurse asks in English, running her hand in front of my face. “Sod it. Come on, Ghost. I have things to do. Like killing Aaron and the rest of the entertaining stuff.”

“We have to take of this first, Celeste,” the doctor says.

“I don’t take orders from you, Ghosty.” Celeste places a hand on her hip. “I’m not one of your Team Zero bitches.”

“I’m your mentor, brat.”

“And that’s important because...?” She opens her hands in a wide gesture.

“I’m paying you, so shut up.”

“Much better.” Her attention goes back to me, and I just stare like I’ve been caught in a freak show.

What’s happening? How did I end up here with these two staring at me?

“You think Storm punched her hard or something?” she asks.

It’s like being hit by a lightning bolt.

Xavier. The kidnapping. Crow. The bomb.

He fell. Crow fell off the cliff with a bomb strapped to him.

I jerk up so fast, both of them flinch. The nurse reaches for something in her blouse. A knife.

They must be Crow’s colleagues. They’re the only English speaking people I’ve run into since Crow.

Dread forms at the back of my throat. I open my mouth, but no words come out. I’m terrified to ask the question. Tears stream down my cheeks because somehow, I know. I absolutely know the answer.

I just refuse to believe it.

“Crow.” My voice is a haunted whisper plagued by tremors. “W-where is he?”

“Bonjour.” The fake doctor switches to French. “My name is Julian.”

“No, it’s not.” The fake nurse talks in perfect French, too. “It’s Ghost. You don’t have to lie to her.”

“Where’s Crow?” I repeat, this time much louder. They’re being so casual about this, I want to grab and shake some sense into them.

“He’s gone.” She says it with such finality, my heart stops beating.

My nails sink in the mattress. “G-gone?”

“Yeah, you saw him.” She motions in the air. “That dickhead Storm and his sodding games got them both breaking on that shore. We saved you in time. There was...”

She continues speaking, but I’m not listening anymore. My pulse skyrockets and everything I hear is what Crow told me before throwing himself from the cliff.

It’s my honour to die for you.

My ears close, and the room spins into a thousand white layers.

Sharp pain digs into my chest. I place my hands on it as I pant for breath. It’s a lot worse than when I received word of Maman’s death. Back then, I chose numbness as a refuge. Now, all the intense feelings are pouring into me, stealing my breath away.

And the one person who pushed me to fight that numbness is now gone.

Never to return.

A guttural sob tears from my throat and echoes all around me. I gasp. I can’t breathe.

I can’t freaking breathe.

“... Crow...”

One of them says his name, and it’s the only time I look at them. Ghost and Celeste haven’t only been here the entire time, but they’ve been speaking, too. Their faces become blurry lines like I’m staring at them through a rain-soaked window.

“Brilliant,” Celeste says. “She’s back. I said, don’t tell the police anything about Crow – or us, obviously. It would only put you in a bothersome questioning. Just say