Page 455 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

He spots Cole and Finn, who both sag with relief when they see him. Finn runs across the space, and Riley almost expects a hug, but of course not, he’s Riley Harker, everyone’s a little terrified of him, even the boys.

‘Boss. You’re OK?’

He gives a tight nod. ‘Status?’

‘We’re rounding up stragglers,’ Finn tells him, running a hand through his filthy hair, smoke smudges around his eyes and nose. ‘We held our own for a while but we were lost until she came.’

Savannah Alderwyck.

Lachlan called her and she came with backup.

‘That’s good.’

‘You know about…?’

‘Yeah,’ he says briskly. ‘Who did we lose?’

‘We’re still trying to do a full accounting, but High Command remains intact as well as most Team Captains.’

‘Except for Kade.’

Riley was setting everything up for Kade to take over, only he’d be Julian by then because he’d have his memories back.

‘Yes, I’m sorry. Except for Kade.’

‘How’s Tanner?’

‘I wouldn’t go near him,’ Finn says, and they both look over to where he stands. ‘He’s way weirder than before.’

Riley claps a hand on Finn’s shoulder. ‘Bring me numbers, yeah?’

‘Of course.’

He goes to Tanner, bypasses Vasily and Savannah with nothing but a smart nod. The closer he gets, the more death he smells on the man standing like a statue, staring at nothing.

Multiple deaths.

Dozens.

‘Tanner.’

Lachlan’s brow lifts. ‘Hm? Oh,’ he says softly. ‘You are alive. Good.’

‘Because you’re gonna kill me yourself?’

‘Because he died for you.’

It damn near cuts Riley in half.

It’s the kind of pain he can only breathe through until it’s bearable. He has no brother to share it with, to halve it.

‘Yeah, he did. Are you…?’

Lachlan looks at him mildly. ‘Am I what?’

His eyes are red.

His teeth are nightmarishly sharp.