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“Darien said you seemed like something was bothering you.”

Oh crap. Was she being that obvious at the bakery?

Loren drew a breath, her lungs feeling tight again. “No, I’m okay, I just… I noticed that he’s acting a bit funny.” Well, it wasn’t a lie. Ever since she’d gone with him to the Black Market, she’d been dying to know what was up with him. The edge to him was unfamiliar—something not even his Surges had caused. And, come to think of it, she had noticed it before her memories had come back, too—that time he’d switched places with Ivy while Loren swam in the pool. She’d never figured out where he had gone, what was bothering him. “Is he okay?” Loren prodded.

It was Ivy’s turn to take a steadying inhale. “He’s addicted to Venom,” she said. Loren’s face smoothed with understanding. “I figured I can tell you because I know he won’t keep it a secret from you for long. I think the reason he hasn’t told you yet is because he just got you back. Typical Darien not wanting to bother other people with his problems, you know?” She waved a manicured hand.

Loren nodded. “Yeah.” She studied Ivy. “Can we help him?”

“Not unless he can get off the Venom, and…well, I don’t think he’s getting off of it anytime soon, with the way things have been going.” She grimaced.

Loren chewed on her lip.

She’d had no idea. He’d protected them all by taking Venom to maximize his output of magic, and he was already paying for it.

Ivy said, “Now will you tell me what’s bothering you?”

Loren met her searching gaze. And after everything that’d happened lately, after the thoughts that had assaulted her mind at the bakery—during that quiet moment with Darien that was supposed to be nothing but peaceful—she found that she wanted to talk. So she confessed, “It’s something the Widow said.”

102

Zima

YVESWICH, STATE OF KER

This was worse than anything Roman had imagined. Far worse.

The black van Paxton and Eugene had been herded into led him straight to Shay’s apartment. Simon and Trey parked right out front—in the same spot where Roman had parked just last night.

Had they followed him here yesterday? Had he caused this?

Another buzz of his phone had his mouth drying out.

Don

Why don’t you go see if your girlfriend is home?

“Shit.” Roman’s heart was punching through his chest. He looked up at the windows of Shay’s apartment.

They were aglow with light.

Fuck.

Fuck.

What do we do? Sayagul whispered, the dragon trembling in Roman’s shadow.

We make sure she’s okay.

And not dead. Not fucking dead.

With a deep breath, he slid his phone into his pocket and got out.

He crossed the street, heading for the van, wishing like hell that he had more than just the lone pistol strapped to his hip.

He was so focused on getting to Shay that he didn’t see the people coming up behind him until it was too late.

Until he was being choked by fishing line and dragged into the shadows of the alley beside the apartment building.