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“I’m not sure we can make it to the water, either, though,” he panted. The hospital was in the heart of Yveswich. Every openhighway exit was farther in distance than the ocean, but not by a whole hell of a lot.

But Darien was right about the traffic—the whole city was gridlocked, especially the main roads and exits. They’d have a better chance if they fled on foot than they would fighting through this congestion. Once they made it to the water, there’d be nothing to stop them but the water itself.

And what lived in it.

“You need to try,” Darien said. “And you need to start moving. Right now.”

Travis cursed, but wasted no time launching into motion. The others kept pace with him as he ran, sleet blinding him.

“Can you call Roman for me?” Travis panted, boots clapping on the pavement, the dark and frozen world bouncing with every step. “Tell him I’m sorry?—”

“You can tell him yourself,” Darien interrupted brusquely. “Just get out, Travis. Don’t make us bury you.” He ended the call.

Fuck, Darien was harsh sometimes, but his words succeeded at one thing: they made him run faster. Jewels was now on Malakai’s back, unable to move fast enough while still recovering.

They needed to find a way to get to the water. Hotwire a vehicle, maybe. The districts closest to the coast were the least likely to be jammed, most of the people flooding the major highways and downtown core. They could run the whole way, yeah—a hellseher’s speed and resilience would allow for that—but it would be hard, given how tired they were.

A little over two hours remained. If they couldn’t make this happen, they’d be stuck here.

And Travis might never see his family—the brothers he’d all but abandoned—again.

40

East Yveswich Industrial Park

YVESWICH, STATE OF KER

“Use illusion,”Max said to Shay. He could barely breathe, his body tense and overheating from stress as he watched Donovan Slade and his Shadowmasters—Blaine and Larina among them—make their way down the road.

Paxton’s mom was here, too. She walked at the head of the group, bundling her coat around her, her face a perfect portrait of a loving mother’s concern.

Bait—that was all she was in this scenario. Donovan had brought her as bait. An attempt to lure Paxton into his grasp.

And bait was exactly whattheyneeded.

Max would be that bait.

Shay’s head turned in Max’s direction. She, too, was barely breathing.

“It’s the only way we can get Pax out of here,” Max explained. Even while standing this close to her, he had to practically shout over the gunfire, the monstrous roaring, the missiles blasting creatures of nightmares out of the sky. “Cast an illusion—make it look like it’s Roman and Pax getting in the truck. I’ll lead them away.”

“Max,” Ivy croaked, her eyes shining.

The others peered at him, their faces filled with apprehension.

Tanner opened his mouth to argue. Shut it.

Max loved these people. For them, he would do this.

So he put on a brave face. Swallowed the lump in his throat. “Do it,” he urged. “It’ll wear off and he’ll turn around soon enough, but it’ll buy you guys more time to escape.”

Donovan was getting closer. Walking leisurely, as if he had all the time in the goddamn world. Knowing full well he could massacre each and every one of them while barely lifting a finger. Cocky bastard.

Paxton’s mother was drawing near, her dark hair swirling about her face. She was calling Pax’s name, begging him to come to her.

She crouched in the center of the road and opened her arms to him.

Her child did not budge. He stayed behind Roman. Fearing his father more than he trusted his mother.