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“Good question. Why exactly do we have this, Cade?” I ask, looking over at him.

“Rosa made a deal with me that if I gave her the grimoire, she would trade it for Callisto,” Cade admits.

“Tell me you didn’t believe her,” Jack says.

“No, obviously it’s a trap. Regardless, we can use this at the very least as a distraction so we can get close to her.”

“Crazy bitch doesn’t know who she’s messing with,” Jack says, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s do this.”

We deplane. The temperature here is warmer, the air crisp as I breathe it in. The sun is beginning to creep toward the horizon. It’s going to be a beautiful night. I see Jack rushing off the steps and talking with the pilot about the vehicles we need.

Listen. You don’t have to do as I ask… But if what that guy Ben said is true, then she might need you. They may both need your sight. We can assume things are about to get messy. If Ben is trying to get to Calli and fails, we need to know. As much as I know you enjoy following me around, you are needed elsewhere.

Go on now, ghost.

CHAPTER 34 CADE

My mind is a blank slate, but my body moves instinctually; it knows what it’s doing. The gentleman who Jack was working with has already set us up with two vehicles for transport. It doesn’t take us long to get to the parking lot in the back of the airport, and Jack throws me a set of keys before falling to the ground, collapsing onto his knees. His body begins to appear to shift and contort as if glitching before it separates and Alok stands above him, grabbing him by the arm and helping him up.

“I will never get used to that,” Jack says, standing on his feet.

“I’m riding with you,” Alok says, throwing his arm over Jack’s shoulder as they make their way to the tan Chevy.

Jack glances at me, pleading with his eyes before Kai speaks up.

“Sounds good, I’m gonna ride with pretty boy over here.” He tosses our bags into the back of the truck I’m taking and hops in the passenger seat.

Great.

I get into the driver’s seat of the old red pickup and start the truck, gripping the wheel before I put it in reverse.

“Do you mind telling me now what the fuck that was back in the garage at your house?” Kai asks directly.

“I would prefer we not talk at all, actually,” I say flatly.

“You may be too dumb to understand this, but you were radiating magic.”

“I was trying to see Calli through the ghost’s eyes. Of course there was magic.” I state this as if I understand what I’m talking about.

“You probably shouldn’t do that, then,” he says sarcastically.

“Good talk. Now can you please shut—”

“I’m curious about another thing as well,” Kai says, interrupting me.

“No,” I reply with a sigh.

“I think we can both agree that this whole issue is my fault.” I look over at him, surprised by his admission. “Why didn’t you try to kill me?”

“You made it pretty clear that I can’t,” I say genuinely.

“See, I don’t believe that would stop you from trying. It doesn’t serve you well to lie to me. Now give me the real answer.”

“I know you love her. Despite how fucked-up that is, I can’t take something like that away from her.” I feel the weight of my words in my chest.

“Aww. That’s actually really sweet. You’re not all that bad when you aren’t being a stubborn, bloodthirsty asshole.”

“I could say the same about you when you aren’t being a sarcastic, creepy douchebag. But I won’t, because I hate you,” I retort.