“What is it?” I ask, lowering my head to mirror his movement, though I keep my eyes locked on the terrifying girl.
“Use your gift,” he says. “Summon someone. See if they can stop her… or slow her down.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes, not because it’s a terrible idea but because he says it like it’s as easy as flipping a switch. Like I haven’t already been holding back everything inside me, trying not to lose control or go too far and fall into sleep for days again.
“She’s not some phantom threat I can ghost away, Malachi,” I whisper.
It isn’t a terrible idea. Maybe I could open the Veil and drag her into it somehow. Trap her there. But I’d have to touch her, andthe Veil is so unpredictable, especially with someone like Meadow. I don’t know what would happen. I don’t know if I’d come back. I’d like to ask her to come with us, but it looks likes she’s beyond saving. Something about that look in her eye screams evil.
What did Marco do to you?
The door handle next to me jiggles.
I jolt, heart slamming into my throat. My eyes snap to the side door, then dart back to where Meadow still stands. She hasn’t moved, but her head is tilted at a sickening angle, like her neck has unhinged. I swear she almost smiles.
BAM.
A blur of motion. A jeep slams into her with brutal force, sending her body flying into the air like a rag doll. The second she makes contact, the darkness surrounding us doesn’t melt away—it vanishes. One instant, we’re trapped in black. The next, it’s a normal, open road again. Clear sky. Cold air. Light from the dimming sunset.
“It’s Cade and Dante,” Malachi says. “Stay here.”
Yeah, right.
I’m already throwing the door open before he’s finished. My shoes hit the pavement as I leap out after him, adrenaline lighting my veins on fire. He jogs toward the jeep, and I follow because there’s no way I’m sitting back while everything falls apart.
Malachi reaches the jeep as Cade throws open the passenger door. I run straight past them, eyes scanning the rocky terrain, heart pounding in my throat.
I skid to a halt.
She’s gone.
I turn in a slow circle, searching the brush, the shadows, the empty stretch of road, but there’s no sign of her. Not even a footprint in the dust.
“She’s gone,” I mutter mostly to myself.
“Good,” Cade says. “Let’s get the hell out of here before Marco sends more of his experiments after us.”
I glare at him. “She’s not just an experiment.”
“He’s right,” Malachi says, stepping beside me. “We need to move. We’re losing daylight.”
He places a steadying hand on my back. I fold my arms tightly around myself as the wind kicks up, stirring my hair and bringing with it the sharp scent of salt and stone. The silence feels heavier now. Too full of things we can’t see.
Malachi exchanges a few quick words with Dante through the driver’s window, then turns back to me.
We climb into the car. The engine roars to life on the first try, like nothing ever happened. Like the darkness hadn’t swallowed us whole.
We drive the rest of the way in silence.
I pullon a black shirt and pants. Thankfully, this place is fully stocked. They have every size imaginable, probably for situations like this, when they bring rescued Avids in and need to outfit them quickly.
The shower felt incredible. Hot water, clean skin, a few minutes alone to scrub away the day. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until I stepped out feeling like a slightly more– functional version of myself.
I’m not sure what I expected when Malachi said safe house,but it wasn’t this. I pictured something underground, hidden, mysterious. Instead, it’s… a house. Not too nice, not too rundown. Slightly isolated, tucked far enough back from the road that no one’s spying on you, but not so far that it screams secrecy or wealth. It’s the kind of place that avoids notice by being aggressively normal.
The decor is minimal, enough to get by. A few mismatched throw pillows and faded rugs. One wall-mounted screen. The only things that stand out are the closet full of weapons and racks of clothes with the tags still on. It feels like we’re hiding in plain sight, which I guess is the point.
Both jeeps are parked in the garage, covered up. A white van sits out in the driveway, probably for appearances. Every inch of this place has been designed to blend in.
