1
HALEY
Terror.
It vibrated from my demon’s very soul as he paced the oily street in front of the facility, raking his hands through his hair.
Hudson landed and set me on my feet, and when Jax looked up and met my gaze, I saw it right there in his eye—that raw, unguarded fear that could only mean one thing.
Whatever had happened, Elian was in bad shape.
I swallowed hard, momentarily frozen in place as a dozen horrific scenarios played through my mind.An overdose. An attack. Hawthorn stakes. Gem. Bleeding out. He’s dead…
I didn’t have the courage to voice a single fear. When I finally opened my mouth, the only word I could manage was, “Jax?”
“Angel,” he breathed, pulling me close and holding tight. A tremor rolled through him, and I caught it like a virus, my whole body quaking in his embrace. “You came.”
I glanced up at the other gargoyle who’d followed us here—one of Keradoc’s goons. “As soon as we heard. I—”
“Fuck. I’m so sorry, Haley.” Jax pulled back and cupped my face, his eye searching me in the glow of a flickering streetlamp. “For all of it. What I said the other night… that you’re not the woman I thought you were? Way out of line, and not even remotely true. You’re so much more than that, angel. So fucking much more, and I can’t even… You didn’t deserve that shit from me. I’m sorry.”
We hadn’t seen each other since our argument about Elian the other night. I’d been so convinced he was upset with me—that he and Elian were both avoiding me. But now, staring into that bright blue eye, feeling the lingering tremble in his muscles, knowing Elian was in trouble, I could barely remember why we’d argued at all. All those harsh words and accusations suddenly felt so meaningless. So insignificant.
“I’m sorry too.” I nestled in closer and stayed in his arms for another beat, stealing a final moment of warmth and comfort. I knew it would vanish as soon as I let go; whatever terrible news he had about Elian would fill up all the space between us like a dark shadow.
But it was Jax who broke away first, pulling back to cradle my face in his hands.
“It’s bad this time,” he whispered. “Real bad. None of us can get through to him.”
I blew out a breath, relieved to know that Elian was still alive, at least. “Tell me what happened.”
Jax searched my face again, then gripped my hand and gestured for me to follow him inside.
The knot in my throat tightened. My heart was beating so loudly I could feel it pounding in my ears.
What could be so bad that he has to show me? That he can’t even say the words?
With Keradoc’s guard and Hudson on our heels, we entered the facility. The darkness enveloped me completely, the iron scent of blood heavy in the air. It was too sweet, though. Cloying, like a vase of dead roses long forgotten.
It reminded me of Keradoc.
Step by precarious step, Jax pulled me deeper inside the room. The stench grew so heavy it made my eyes water, and when my gaze finally adjusted to the darkness and revealed the scene, I nearly gagged.
In that moment, had my heart remained whole, I probably would’ve choked on it.
But itwasn’twhole. The moment I saw him, it shattered into a thousand pieces.
“Elian,” I gasped.
He didn’t acknowledge me. Didn’t acknowledge any of us—not even Gem, who paced in silence behind him, her face sheet-white.
Elian was kneeling on the floor, staring blankly at his trembling, blood-slicked hands as if he didn’t even recognize them. The same dark blood stained his clothes. Spilled from his mouth. Covered the lifeless bodies strewn around him.
Corpses.
“They’re all dead,” I whispered, shock stealing my breath. “How… how did this happen?”
Jax put his hands on my shoulders, his voice low against my ear as we continued to watch Elian. “We were finishing up the last batch of the night, and out of nowhere, he just… He lost it, Haley. Started grabbing pills, downing them by the fistful. Gem and I couldn’t even get close to him—no one could. Eventually he headed for the Dreamers. I’d thought maybe he’d burned himself out and needed to sleep it off, but before we even realized it was happening, he… he just…”
