We misjudged.
The darkness, the sounds, the chaos. Hundreds of people gathered in one space, locked up, and it’s almost impossible to tell who is where.
“Blaze?” I shout, although my voice is lost in the clamor of all the panicked voices.
I’m supposed to stay at his side, to ensure that he’s safe in the midst of all of this, but once everything had started to happen, I’d lost him. I look around, trying to see through the dim lights here and there, but it’s impossible to differentiate one person from another with the press of the crowd around me.
“I saw him heading for his father,” Mel answers. “Somewhere. I’m sorry, I can’t see anymore.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. “Blaze?”
He doesn’t answer on the mic.
My heart pounds. “Pandora?” I try. I need her to be safe, at least. If I can’t immediately guarantee Blaze’s safety, I need to make suresheis where she’s supposed to be: waiting for one of us to bring Allers to her so she can exact her revenge.
If she doesn’t answer, I don’t know what I’ll do.
“Yeah?” Pandora responds. “I’m waiting. It sounds so fun out there.”
“Make sure you stay put,” I tell her. “Please. I need to find Blaze.”
I start to shove my way through the crowd. I don’t know what direction Blaze’s dad had been in, but in the direction of the main doors seems like a good bet.
The problem is, there are so many other people with the same idea, and none of them want to step to the side to let me through.
My panic is starting to rise. George Bouchard is not a forgiving man, and he’s also not stupid. He’ll know that Blaze was at least partially responsible for all of this, and I have no idea what he’s going to do about it.
It’s very possible that Blaze is in danger from his own father.
I have to find him. Now.
As I shove my way through the room, it’s hard to hear anything other than frightened and angry chatter. The light of phone screens illuminates bits and pieces of the crowd, but it’s not much to see by.
The darkness had seemed like a good idea at the time, but it’s definitely working against us now.
I’m nearing a side door when a familiar voice sounds from a short distance away.
“Where do you think you’re going, Alvarado?” Ezio says. His voice is dark, wilder than I remember it. “You’re staying in here with all the other rats.”
I don’t have time for this.
“Get out of my way,” I demand through clenched teeth.
“No.” Ezio parks himself in front of me. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice you were up to something? Blaze thought he was so clever, tricking his frat brothers. They’re idiots, every one of them. It was trivial to figure out something was going to happen here.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tell him flatly. “But you’re in my way, and I’m not in the mood to deal withyou right now.”
I will be. I have every intention of dealing with him at some point, but it can’t be right now. River will take care of Pandora, but there’s no one to take care of Blaze except me.
My mind is screaming at me to make sure he’s safe, but Ezio won’t get out of my way even as I try to shoulder past him.
He grabs my shoulder and slams me into the nearby wall. I grunt from the impact.
This close, I can stare into Ezio’s eyes, and the complete and utter hatred in them is striking.
“You simply do whatever you’re told,” Ezio mocks. “You can’t even live for yourself. Forever somebody’s leashed dog.”
The words shouldn’t get to me, but they claw at old wounds, whispered comments about how I’m nothing more than Blaze’s bitch.
