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Raithe doesn’t turn. He pulls his helmet over his head and climbs on his bike, revving the engine and speeding off without another word.

Good fucking riddance.

“I’m sorry, man,” Kai says. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him lately.”

“I’m not,” I mutter, turning my attention to the note.

I recognize the handwriting from the note Lydia found in her desk drawer. Except, this one isn’t addressed to Lydia. This one is addressed to me.

It reads ‘Callum, she hears it now, and so will you. Come alone. -S.’ I read it once more, flipping it over to find an address on the back.

“What’s it say?” Kai asks, moving closer to read the note himself. I shove it in my pocket, earning a disapproving look from him.

“It’s a location. The sender says to come alone,” I say, passing Kai’s bike as I head for my own.

“What? Alone? Cal, come on, man. That sounds dangerous as fuck. Let me come.”

I spin around, coming face-to-face with him. “No,” I say, clenching my fists tightly at my sides. “I won’t risk putting Lydia in any more danger. The note says to come alone. I’m going alone.”

“Alright, man. I got it,” Kai says, doing a damn good impression of a sad puppy.

I almost feel bad for him. But I don’t have time for feelings. I don’t have the fucking time for any of this. I turn, heading for my bike. Grabbing the helmet off the handlebars, I pull it over my head as I swing my leg over the seat. I type the address on the note into my GPS before shoving it into my pocket. Kai’s voice cuts through the tension as I kick my kickstand back and start the engine.

“Be careful, man. Call if you need me,” he calls out, his expression tense.

I nod, backing out of the driveway and heading for the main road. The GPS says I’m about twenty-two minutes out from the location, but I bet I can get there in at least half that. I wind through the back roads of Hollowcrest while “11 Minutes” by Yungblud and Halsey blasts through my helmet speaker.

19

The Watcher

I watched from the shadows as Callum Thorne took the bait I left for him.

Lydia Aston is a weakness, his weakness. Callum showed as expected, only confirming his feelings for Lydia. I think it’s time that he faces those feelings. I need him to grow so attached to Lydia Aston that when he loses her, he loses everything. I need it to hurt worse than it did when he lost Kaila. I want him to feel like the remainder of his soul has been ripped from the very depths of his body. I want him to despair. I want him to beg for death. Then, and only then, will I grant Callum Thorne all that he desires.

Death is but a construct. I have once yearned for it, too. But I realized that I did not have to truly die to become what the sound wanted me to be, what it needed me to be. Once Callum has lost all of his soul, he will have died in the flesh to be reborn as I have. Then, he can fulfill his purpose alongside me. He would make a fine addition to the cause, without his emotions to hold him back. I will ensure that the Second Wave is fulfilled, even if multiple people have to die in the trials. They will not have died in vain, for their sacrifices will be cherished forevermore.

I watch the live surveillance footage on my phone as Callum Thorne charges toward the entrance of the warehouse like he plans to burn the entire thing to the ground to find Lydia. It’s quite poetic when you think about it. I smile, watching as he plays right into my trap.

My footsteps are light as I sneak around the warehouse and into the back entrance, intercepting him as he stalks around the darkness in search of her. He calls out her name, once, twice, thrice. Of course, she does not answer him. This angers him further, causing him to growl into the dark and kick a nearby wall. I fight the urge to chuckle at his absurd man-child-like behavior. It’s always been easy to push his buttons.

I’m quiet, always unseen as I stroll over to him, keeping my breath hushed. His figure looms before me as I sneak up behind him and jab a needle right into his thick bicep. He yelps, spinning around in the darkness while swinging a fist in my direction. I know this building inside and out, and I don’t need the light to see as he does. He misses as I dodge out of sight, jumping behind his back and moving with him as he seeks out his predator. I don’t have to keep up the charade long because the drugs begin to kick in expeditiously.

“Who the fuck is there?” he says, his words growing heavier and slurring together. “Come out, you fucking coward. I’ll … I’ll—”

He falls to the ground at my feet with a resounding thud. He’s a big fucker, but I’m not small by any means. A sigh escapes me as I grab hold of his feet and drag him over to the cell with Lydia, pulling him in and locking the door. Shoving the key into my pocket, I smile at the two of them passed out on the ground on either side of the rather small space. Whistling to myself, I stroll off to my office to watch as the drugs wear off and wait for them to wake.

This is going to be so much fun.

20

Lydia

Did I black out and forget to drink water again?

I groan, squinting my eyes open to the dimly lit room as the scents of moldy water, metal, and stale air fill my nostrils.

Where am I?