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A smile tugged at the corner of Darien’s mouth. “Fuck you too.”
Max smiled back, but it was soon fading as reality set in. “When are you leaving?”
“In the morning. I’ll have to talk to Joyce first, make sure this can work.” He looked over his shoulder at Loren, his hand tightening around the small black case Roark had given him. “If there’s even a single risk…” His voice trailed off, but Max knew Darien wouldn’t do it—not if the time it took to get Loren from Angelthene to Yveswich would result in her death.
Max said, “So I guess this is goodbye.”
It took Darien a moment to make eye contact again. “Unless I see you at the house before I leave, then yeah, this is goodbye.” He pushed away from the bed and stepped toward Max. “But not forever.” He extended a hand.
Max shook it, clasping tight. “You sure this is what you want?” He wasn’t asking about Loren—that one was easy. He was asking about Darien giving him permission to find Maya.
Not that he’d ever needed permission. Darien was the type of person who wouldn’t have hesitated to say yes, had Max merely asked him. But Darien had gone through so much shit lately that Max hadn’t wanted to.
And besides, he didn’t know where to begin in his search for Maya. Blue’s ability to communicate was still somewhat shaky, her knowledge of her own past even more so, but going to her with his questions would be a good start.
Darien replied without hesitation. “When you find Maya, tell her I said hello.”
5
The House of Souls
ANGELTHENE, STATE OF WITHEREDGE
Travis Devlin couldn’t remember the last time he had been on a date. Had he ever actually been on one? Did the school dance in seventh grade count? Maybe not…
As he waited in his car—a top of the line model he’d purchased fresh off the lot, since Darien had totaled the last one—out front of the gates to the House of Souls, he fidgeted with his collar, glancing continuously at the clock because he just couldn’t fucking help it.
Was it hot in here? Was his shirt the right size? And where the hell was Jewels, anyway?
His phone buzzed in his back pocket. Half-expecting it to be Jewels bailing on their date, he lifted himself up in his seat to retrieve the device and saw a text message from Max.
Max
You with Jewels?
Travis
Waiting.
Max
What the hell does waiting mean? You suck at texting.
Travis
WAITING FOR JEWELS!!!!
Max
Tell Malakai that Darien needs to speak with him.
Travis
Tell him yourself.
Max
He’s not answering his phone.
