Nevermore: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure by James Patterson Read Free Book Online

freaking Erasers, as usual.
    I have to get back there , Fang thought, trying to see through the wall of hulking bodies. Maya was hard core, but Fang had known Ari to be a vicious fighter, and this new version of Ari would likely be even tougher.
    After he finished off another Eraser, blood from the guy’s nose spattering his black feathers, Fang pushed off the dusty ground and did an up- and-away. He hovered about fifty feet up, searching the scene.
    There, near the demolished van, landing blow after blow, was Maya, holding her own. Ari was no longer smiling. He was clearly sweating with the effort, and his face was furious. And surprised. Fang almost smiled. Mayawas fearless and graceful and merciless. She was beautiful to watch.
    He scanned the road and spotted Holden backed into a corner with an Eraser. Fang frowned. The kid’s technique was all off, and he looked terrified and in way over his head. The Eraser advanced on him, murder in his feral eyes.
    The Eraser tore into Holden’s arm and raised his claw for the final blow, and Fang dove.
    The dive was short and lightning quick—the half-dazed Eraser never saw him coming.
    Fang stood up, looking around for Holden, and caught a glimpse of Ratchet wailing on some guy with the tire iron… right as Kate paused in her own fight and clipped Ratchet under the chin with her left hand, sending him reeling backward.
    “Kate!” Fang yelled sharply. “Watch your aim!”
    Ratchet was already standing back up, looking annoyed but ready to take on the next Eraser, when Star, appearing out of nowhere, spun him around just in time for Kate to land another bone-crunching blow to his chest. As Ratchet crumpled to the ground, the Eraser gave Kate a brief nod of acknowledgment.
    Fang’s insides turned to ice as things clicked into place: how the convoy had found them, why the two girls had looked so freaked out. They hadn’t been nervous about the fight.
    They’d been nervous about their betrayal.
    “Traitors,” Fang hissed, advancing on them.
    Kate shook her head slowly, apologetic. Guilty. “Sorry, Fang, we wanted to help you. It’s just that…”
    “Survival comes first,” Star said simply.
    Before Fang could respond, two Erasers charged toward him, and everything was a blur of color and instincts.
    Fang, on autopilot, kicked and dodged, feeling hollow, anger driving him as he beat the freak out of the guys while Star and Kate just watched .
    With a last surge of adrenaline he crushed the windpipe of the final Eraser, and then it was over.
    Everything was eerily quiet without the sounds of battle.
    “Starfish,” Fang called to Holden. “You all right?”
    “Yeah,” the kid said, wincing as the cells in his arm multiplied, the deep gash closing before their eyes.
    Fang nodded. His side felt bruised, he had a possible cracked wing bone, his arms ached, and a gash on his forehead dripped blood into his eyes. It had felt so satisfying, sweating through his fury. Hurting someone. But now that it was over, Fang still had to deal with this .
    Betrayal.

17
    FANG STOOD FACE-TO-FACE with Star and Kate, fists clenched, breathing hard. His muscles stood out on his arms. He felt his agitation vibrating to his fingertips.
    Kate looked uneasy and shifted into a more defensive stance. She looked scared. Of him.
    Star, on the other hand, looked unrepentant. She looked him straight on, her blue eyes cold and determined. If he was going to attack, she was ready.
    Holden looked up at Fang, waiting for his cue. His eyes were wide with anticipation, but he remained loyal. He had Fang’s back.
    Was he going to attack? For one of the very few times in his life, Fang had no idea what to do. Should he scream, walk away, or finish them completely? The unaskedquestion hung in the air between them, the tension building. Fang’s face twitched. He was furious, but mostly he just felt disappointed.
    Only one other situation made him this stressed, this confused… this freaking emotional . He