Will do,I reply.Keep me posted.
Fuck.
We disabled tracking on all our devices—in our line of work, it’s not wise to risk anyone hacking the system and pinpointing our locations or discovering who we might’ve come into contact with. I was supposed to find a secure alternative that would allow us to track each other at any time without the risks, but that project fell by the wayside.
We never needed it—we always knew, at least roughly, what the others were up to. Before West came into our lives, our biggest day-to-day worries were dodging the feds, keeping the city’s corrupt officials in our pockets, and fending off the odd vampire or two who wandered onto our property in search of a midnight snack.
This scenario was never supposed to happen. We’re the only living gargoyles in existence. We stick together and check in frequently, even when we’re driving each other crazy. We don’t ignore calls and texts. We don’t change plans without letting someone know. And we don’t go off-grid unless… unless something terrible happens.
Something that leaves us no other choice.
Fear hovers close, but before it overtakes me, my logic kicks in.
Do something, Rook. Take a deep breath and fucking do something.
Forcing myself to stay calm, I check the security systems again, the wards, even the manual locks on all the doors and windows in the manor—everything is as it should be. I speed through the video feeds on my tablet again—nothing is amiss, insideoroutside. For good measure, I do a manual perimeter sweep around the entire property, searching every shadow and dark corner for signs of trouble. I even take to the skies for an aerial view, circling Blackmoor several times to be sure.
Other than the tornado in the library, there’s nothing so much as a damn blade of grass out of place.
An hour later, I still haven’t been able to reach Drae. Jude and Auggie aren’t responding, either.
Grabbing a broom from the manor, I decide to try my luck with the Codex again—if I can knock it to the ground, I might be able to slam it shut before my precious library is completely demolished.
Assuming the damn thing doesn’t kill me first.
But the moment I enter the barn, the unnatural wind just… dies. Equipment I was certain I’d find in ruins simply returns to its original positions, seemingly undamaged. Books re-shelve themselves before my eyes. The ominous purple light dissipates, the library swathed in all-consuming darkness but for a few embers still glowing in the fireplace.
And then, with a quiet, unassuming hiss at complete odds with the tempest that erupted earlier, the Codex snaps shut.
Chapter Seven
DRAEGAN
Westlyn. Get to Westlyn.
From the moment I opened my eyes at the bottom of that ravine, I had one mission. One mantra that kept me going, despite the pain.
Fucking get to Westlyn.
I’d been in my human glamour when we crashed, and I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt. The injuries I sustained would’ve killed an actual human, but for me, it just meant being stuck with the glamour until my body regained enough strength to call up my true form without causing more damage.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of resting and waiting it out. I had to find Westlyn. I had to make sure she was all right.
The climb up the steep ravine was excruciating. I’m fairly certain I broke a few more bones on the arduous trek. Somewhere along the way, however, my glamour loosened its grip, finally setting the gargoyle free.
And now, with little more than a blinding headache remaining, I finally crest that impossible fucking rise.
My car is a mangled heap mere inches from the guardrail, the windshield completely gone, which explains my epic launch into the stratosphere. But Westlyn… No. She was wearing her seatbelt. I know she was. She couldn’t have been ejected from the car. Which means…
My heart nearly fucking stops. She’s trapped in there. She’s been trapped in there this whole time, and she’s not making a sound.
Please, please let her be alive…
I hold my breath as I approach, my heart in my fucking throat, every step sending another bolt of fear shooting through me…
But she’s not in the car. I can see the airbags deployed on impact. Her belt was unhooked. She must’ve gotten out, but where the hell could she possibly—
A flurry of movement overhead catches my eye, and I glance up.
