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“Considering the fact that they started this whole thing out laying siege to Vance Solace’s house, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised,” I murmur.
“Shit.” The word slips from Gunnar, raw and unfiltered. He doesn’t turn from the stove, but his shoulders tighten.
I push down that flutter of panic, watching them, part of the scene but also apart from it. A month since Dreamland turned up empty, its twisted playground abandoned, its silence more chilling than any scream. And now Echo Beach. It’s getting closer, this tide of violence, lapping at the edges of our sanctuary in Celestial Hills.
“Doesn’t matter.” Gunnar sets three plates on the breakfast bar, his movements precise, controlled. “We’re away from all that. Safe. And as soon as we find your friends, we’re getting the hell out of here.”
“Sure,” I say, sliding onto a stool. “But…are there any choices here? Anything we can do? I heard they’re experimenting with new ink for pack tattoos–it could work.”
Gunnar leans over to kiss me on the forehead. “I’ll look into it with a tattoo artist friend,” he says. “For now, just eat, okay?”
I nod. “Okay…okay, I can live with that.”
The pancake is perfect—golden, fluffy, dusted with powdered sugar. Everything here is perfect.
Too perfect.
Like we’ve stepped into someone else’s life and closed the door behind us.
“Dig in,” Gunnar grins, passing me the syrup. But my hands are steady as I take it, because they have to be. Because shaking would mean admitting that we’re just playing house while outside, the city burns.
“Thanks,” I mutter, pouring syrup in neat, straight lines. I watch it cascade over the edges, dark and sticky. My appetite is a no-show but I cut a piece anyway, chew, swallow.
It should be delicious. It doesn’t taste like anything.
Pretend.
“Any plans for today?” Oberon asks.
“Thought I’d hit the gym,” I say, mouth half-full. “Maybe poke around some of the clubs on the border of Echo Beach.You?”
Gunnar winces. “Ais…I wish you wouldn’t.”
“I’m not crossing into Eclipse territory,” I shoot back. “But the fact of the matter is that we can’t leave here until I make sure I know where my friends are—and I won’t find them unless I get my hands dirty. If the Angels could help us, they would have.”
That shuts Gunnar up, his lips pressed into a thin line. We’re all well aware of the fact that we pissed Vance off when we left the safehouse for good, and we all know that, in doing so, we lost him as an ally.
If he was ever one to begin with.
Oberon’s gaze flickers between Gunnar and me, a silent mediator in our unspoken argument. He clears his throat, breaking the tension that swirls around us like a toxic fog.
“We have to be careful, Ais,” Oberon says, his voice low but firm. “The Eclipse won’t hesitate to use you against us.”
I nod, understanding his concern. We’ve already been on the run for far too long, evading the Eclipse. The fact that we managed to find this safe haven in Celestial Hills feels like a miracle, but I know deep down that it’s only temporary.
“I’ll be cautious,” I assure them, my voice steady despite the unease that coils within me. “But I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I need answers. Dreamland may have been abandoned, but something tells me it holds the key to finding my friends.”
Gunnar exhales heavily, his frustration palpable. “Okay, but…”
“Don’t worry,” Oberon chimes in. “I’ll go with her. You got Angel business today?”
“I’m supposed to go and meet with Luka and Rook later, yeah,” Gunnar says. “Just to check in, make a bit of cash. Business doesn’t stop just because there’s a war on.”
“Gotcha,” Oberon chuckles. “Well…don’t worry about Star. I’ve got her covered.”
“And that’s my cue to go shower,” I murmur. I stand up and press a kiss to Gunnar’s temple. “Trust me. I’ll be okay.”
“I do trust you,” he says, meeting my eyes.
