Page 123 of Fallacies

“What exactly did he see?” I ask, ignoring the weight of Easton’s stare.

“He couldn’t say where he’d seen him, just that he’s here. On this planet.” The Dame’s eyes meet mine, and there is no mistaking the fear in them. Even through the sparks crackling over her face. “He has been for some time.”

“Gods,” Pax exhales, turning from the group with both hands on his hips. He stares out at the dark city of Streatham, and my heart sinks.

“And he’s sure?” I bite out, hardly able to hear my own voice over the sudden rush of blood in my ears.

“He was adamant that I tell you,” Delia explains. “You’ve got to be…” Her face twists, voice crackling out like static. “…careful. All of⁠—”

The image of her vanishes.

The fire returns to low-burning flames, and the silence that settles around us is deafening.

I run a hand over my face, feeling the weight of my coven’s attention, but I have no insight into how to approach this. No idea what to do or how to handle it. All I can do is hope and pray to every fucking god that the Hound is anywhere but Streatham.

Anywhere else.

“Pax,” I rush out, and he whirls around to face me. “I need you to go back to Pirn first thing in the morning. See what else you can figure out about the Hound and this…vision.”

He doesn’t need any convincing. “You got it.”

I force down a few deep breaths, and when none of them soothe me, I start moving—gathering my things, slipping weapons into their sheaths, tying my bag off and slinging it over my shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Easton asks.

“I’m going to Streatham.”

“Tonight?” Hunter exclaims, at the same time Devon snaps, “Absolutely not.”

“Even I think that’s a bad idea,” Phoenix adds, moving to block my path.

“Well, I didn’t ask you, did I?” He stares blankly back at me. They all do. Readjusting my bag on my shoulder, I push past him. “I’m going.”

Devon surges around the fire. “It’s a bad idea.”

“If the Hound is in Streatham,” I throw an arm out in the direction of the city, “they will be talking about it. I’ll spy on them the same way Hunter, Nix, and Pax did a few weeks ago. We have to figure out where he is and what he wants. We can’t just sit here with our dicks in our hands.”

Devon’s glare only deepens. “If the Hound is in Streatham,” he starts, “it’s the Rogue’s he’s going for. The wicked and unredeemable? Remember? That’s his whole fucking job, Cal. If anything, he’s on our side. Cin’s too.”

I grit my teeth, moving to step around him.

He shoves himself in front of me. “You feel guilty because Lucina is in there alone, but she volunteered to do this. She wanted to do this. Let her do her job, and you do yours. We’re no good to her dead.”

My pulse is a violent thing in my ears, but his words manage to hit their mark, digging deep into my conscience.

It takes more than a few seconds to be reeled back from the edge of whatever I’d been about to fall into, but I manage a full breath. Then another. And another.

“We’ll leave at first light, and I’ll go with you,” Devon promises. “We’ll do everything we can, okay? But please, not tonight.”

I glare back at him, fingers still wrapped tightly around the strap on my bag. There’s a war still raging inside me, but when I dip my chin in agreement, the tension in the air dissipates.

I spin back around and throw my bag in the dirt.

“We’ll take first watch,” Easton announces, gesturing to himself and Phoenix.

Hunter and Pax nod, confirming with a silent glance to Devon that he’s good with handling me before they make their way to the bunker.

Jaw clenched and muscles tight, I ignore the weight of Devon’s stare and make myself comfortable on the ground.