I cut him off before he can finish. “I barely know you, and yet I still chose to come with you over someone I’ve known my entire life.”
I stretch my legs out and swipe a few strands of hair from my face, trying to keep my expression neutral. Why did I choose to go with Malachi? Why didn’t I insist on talking to Cade?
I don’t have a clear answer. Maybe it’s instinct. Maybe it’s confusion. Or maybe it’s because Marco knew Cade too, knew him as Brian. And if Cade really is working both sides… If he’s been betraying Malachi and working with his father…
I’m not comfortable making any assumptions. Not yet. And I sure as hell won’t tell Malachi anything until I’ve talked to Cade under more rational circumstances.
Feels like I’m right back where I started.
Trust no one. Not even the dead.
“Katja, I care about you. I know I’ve really fucked this up,” Malachi says, dragging a hand down his face. “But when we get to the safe house, we’ll talk. I’ll tell Dante and Cade to meet us there instead of boarding the plane with the others.”
He glances at me, setting his jaw. “They can stay the night with us, and we’ll all travel back together tomorrow. Should give you plenty of time to hear what Cade has to say.”
I swallow hard. Am I being too hard on him? I don’t know.
All I know is, I hate being lied to. And this entire situation has me on edge.
“Yes, I’d like that,” I say quietly, turning back to the window.
“Now,” he says, voice shifting, “as pissed as you are, we should probably still talk about Marco’s escape. Care to explain how that happened?”
I huff a sharp breath. I don’t care to talk to him at all right now,but I force myself to answer. “Cade showed up. At first, I thought I was seeing a ghost—until I realized Marco could see him too. We got distracted talking, and then… Marco was just gone. I don’t know what was in the vial, but I’m guessing it played a role.”
Malachi nods, eyes narrowing. “Yeah. I need to go back to that cabin in the woods and search underground. I have a feeling we’re about to learn my father’s obsession with Avids goes way deeper than using their abilities.”
I nod slowly. Marco did seem to know something about the Depths, and that alone makes me uncomfortable.
“He said we weren’t looking hard enough. And that he got the idea from the Depths,” I say, trying to recall what exactly he said. I should’ve paid closer attention, but I was too focused on the prospect of slitting his throat.
“I need to talk to Aunt Irina. This entire plan has gone to shit, and clearly my father has someone on the inside feeding him information about the Syndicate.”
Malachi’s grip tightens around the steering wheel. His knuckles are so white they look bloodless. I silently hope Cade isn’t the one feeding Marco intel.
Outside, the fading sunset melts into murky shadows that stretch long across the road. The warmth of golden light is gone now, swallowed by gray and creeping black. I glance out the side window, watching the last trace of pink dissolve into ash-colored clouds.
A strange pressure builds in my chest. It feels like something is coiling tighter around us, like we’re being watched.
Hunted.
“Malachi,” I whisper, slowly turning to face forward as goosebumps spread across my flesh. My eyes widen.
A wall of black crashes against the windshield, thick and violent like a tidal wave made of smoke. The air around the cardistorts, bending unnaturally. Shadows twist and spiral, not like mist but like living things with intent.
“What is that?” I gasp.
Malachi doesn’t take his eyes off the road. His voice is low, tense, like he’s afraid saying it too loud will make it worse.
“Not what,” he says. “Who.”
Chapter Two
LOG TWO – MEMORY INTERFERENCE NOTED: SHE WHISPERED A NAME IN HER SLEEP. NOT MINE. NOT ANYONE I KNOW. BUT SHE REMEMBERS SOMETHING.
The car enginecuts out suddenly, leaving the car drifting to an abrupt halt.
Everything goes still.
