Page 69 of Bloom in Darkness

“You wanted me there. I’ll be there.” I don’t look away. “That’s the only promise you’re getting.”

Neither of us says anything until a cart rattles past in the hallway outside.

Sabine finally nods toward the door. "Give him his phone."

The lock clicks a few seconds later. The Beta returns my phone without meeting my eyes. The screen is black, and I shove it into my pocket without waiting around to turn it back on.

“Friday,” she says as I open the door. “Choose wisely.”

I look back at her with my hand still on the knob. “I plan to.” Then I walk out before she can turn that into another lecture about the debt.

Bryn

Astra's phone goes straight to voicemail again. I lower mine long enough to look at the screen, then call a fifth time anyway. Yesterday I held him while his body shook through too much Bloom and slick soaked through everything we put on him. Last night he finally slept after telling us he couldn't remember how many times he opened the jar. This morning he left to get clothes and mail because he said he was tired of borrowing my shirts like they were a permanent wardrobe. Now he's not answering.

Then I think about Sabine, Silas, and Rourke, and calling again feels better than standing here doing nothing. Astra has a bad habit of deciding he should fix shit himself because asking us for help still feels like costing us something.

Caelan comes out of the office already pulling on his coat. “His building says he was there and left less than an hour ago.”

I’m moving before he finishes. “Where?”

“They don’t know.”

I call again while we move. Voicemail.

Astra's apartment is locked. Nothing is broken. His breakfast bag is empty on the table, and copies of Sabine's paperwork are spread beside it. I see Silas's name before Caelan even picks up the Night of Scarlet packet.

“He copied everything,” Caelan says, already flipping through it.

I read enough of the debt statement to see the number and enough of the event page to see Silas and Rourke. My hand closes around the edge of the table until the wood gives a small warning creak.

Caelan looks at it. "Don't break his furniture."

"Call him."

"I am."

We both know where we're going before another call dies.

The club's staff entrance is busy when we arrive, which is probably why nobody is stupid enough to try to keep us outside. One of the security Betas recognizes me and steps sideways before I reach him. Another starts to say something about Sabine being upstairs, but I cut him off.

“Where is Astra?”

His eyes flick toward the stairs. That’s enough. I'm halfway across the lobby when Sabine steps down from the landing.

"Bryn. Caelan." Sabine looks from me to Caelan. “This is becoming a habit.”

"Where is he?" I keep moving until Caelan's shoulder brushes mine.

Sabine stops at the bottom of the stairs. "Astra agreed to attend the Night of Scarlet."

My hands curl. Caelan steps up beside me. “That wasn’t the question.”

"He is upstairs. He is safe. And before either of you decide to make another scene, he came here voluntarily."

"Move."

Sabine does not. "He understands what he owes, Bryn. He also understands that the Night of Scarlet gives him options you cannot." Two security men appear near the hall, and she barely glances at them. "He is not going to choose you."