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The coyote hybrid yowled again as the blade was driven down into his shoulder, and he felt the arm go limp and useless. Immediately he whirled and snapped his teeth as close to Corona's face as he could get them, but with Anselm tugging him in the opposite direction, a threat was all he posed. He knew he was screwed over the minute he turned to look back to Gabriel, but all he did was laugh. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed until the blood spurted forward and filled his mouth, and it cut off the horrible laughter and the screams of agony that had mixed together into a sickening chorus. Yes, he was dying — there was no way to survive that — but he'd find some way. He'd have Inferni yet.
The madness in his eyes died first. In that instant was clarity; he knew he shouldn't have opposed anyone here. What had he had to gain from it? That was only momentarily as he slumped forward and, with one of his last breaths, whispered, God can fuck you, Gaby. He saw the girl wince in the background, covered by her mother but able to hear everything that went on, and he chuckled again, blowing blood bubbles as he did. And that was it; he winked out of existence and every muscle in his body gave one last shudder before dropping control.
Talitha, of course, had heard everything. She had heard the snapping of bone and the thud of the knife on the sand. She had heard his yowls. She had heard the sound of that same blade sinking into flesh, the fresh agony sweet on the air, and even though she was somewhat transfixed by her mother's return, it was like she'd been there all along. Everything was too surreal for her to properly comprehend the significance. Ezekiel? He would find her and would notice how pathetic she'd become and he would laugh. She almost didn't even want to see her brother anytime soon; she was glad he wasn't there now.
She had seen the blood. It had been a lot, and she could look between all their legs to see the dead man on the ground and the crimson sand. No doubt everybody had it on them. She shuddered at the thought and swallowed bile, hoping to keep the meager contents of her thin stomach down. I-is he g-gone?