“When we’re done,” he told the others as they prepared to join hands again, “the Hive is the last step. But I think at that point we can ask for help. Lots of help. The world can’t expect us to do everything.” He was mostly joking, but he felt a stab of pride all the same. As absurd as it sounded, he had saved the world. With a lot of help from his friends. He smiled, and it felt good.

“Let’s do us some deconstructing!” Bryson yelled, followed by obnoxious hoots and hollers. Surprisingly, Helga joined in. Gabby just glanced at Michael, exaggerating a mortified look.

“Kids these days,” Michael said to her.

He held out his hands. Gabby and Bryson took them, then linked with Helga.

Michael’s eyes were halfway closed when a man’s voice spoke behind him, snapping them open again.

“Enough of that.”

Michael let go of his friends’ hands and spun around, but he already knew who it was. Kaine. The Tangent stood there in his youngest Aura yet, sharply dressed, tie loosened, sleeves rolled up a couple of times. He looked like some movie star on the cover of a StyleBop.

“Hey,” Michael said, hurrying to stand. “I was going to talk to you about all this—”

“Stop.” Kaine held up a hand, bowing his head slightly. His expression was unreadable. “Don’t say another word. This is the point when, for once in your life, you are going to listen.”

“Kai—”

“I said be quiet!” the Tangent screamed, his eyes flashing. “Act like a child, be treated like a child. Do not say another word, any of you! How could you do this to me, Michael?”

Michael realized at that moment how terribly he’d misjudged Kaine. Despite what he’d been telling himself, this end had been inevitable. Kaine wanted immortality, at any cost. Michael had to kill him or die trying.

Kaine folded his arms over his chest. “After all I’ve done for you. I saved your life. I helped you bring down the VNS. And now this.” He held his hands up to the sky, looking around at the world he created. “This is how you repay me. You want to destroy my very reason for existing!”

Michael wanted to explain, but he didn’t dare speak.

Kaine shook his head in disgust. “What a stupid, stupid thing you’ve done, Michael. It was your idea to send my people to the very place where your body rests in a Coffin, right now, right this second.”

Fear—fear like he’d never known before—exploded in an icy burst within Michael.

Kaine gave him the coldest glare he’d ever seen.

“And I’m sure at least one of them doesn’t care if you live or die.”

CHAPTER 22

GODS AND MONSTERS

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