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They had no swords of adamant now. Not a single one. Max was the only one in their group who’d had one. Lace and Ivy had the other two—Darien had given his to Ivy before leaving Yveswich, after Ivy had given Lace hers to carry for a while.

He sighed. They’d better hope they wouldn’t need it.

He didn’t know how much time passed before he heard a hum.

Was that an engine?

He shared a glance with Dallas as the sound drew closer.

A speedboat loomed out of the fog, the navigation lights capping the waves in red, white, and green.

Max’s brows rose as he beheld who steered it.

“Well, well, well,” drawled Malakai Delaney. Travis, Jewels, and Aspen were with him, their silhouettes materializing in the soup of fog and shadow. “Look what the bird dragged in.”

52

I-5

STATE OF KER

Shay satin the driver’s seat of the car as Roman worked under the hood, his hands black with grease and oil.

Paxton was sprawled across the back seat, head resting against his backpack, fingers clicking buttons on his foldable handheld game console. Sayagul and Chance, his puppy Familiar, were curled up with him, the latter sleeping so deeply he was snoring. Loudly.

Shay had assisted Roman to the best of her ability and for as long as she could, but this migraine was brutal. It’d hit her shortly after she’d shocked Pax’s heart, demanding she immediately get someplace dark and quiet. While it wasn’t very quiet in here thanks to puppy-shaped chainsaw, itwasdark. For the most part, anyway. Every time a car went by, headlights pulsing through the night, it felt like her brain was going to explode.

Being in here wasn’t so bad, though. In here, she couldn’t see the muscles in Roman’s forearms flexing as he used those skilled hands of his to get this car back on the road. The last thing she needed was to lust over this man—or his masculine, absurdly attractive hands—any more than she already was. He was off-limits. Forbidden. Not hers.

But gods, did she want him to be.

A tinny chime filled the car as Paxton shut off his game console.

“Done already?” she asked him.

“It’s just Rushin’ Racers—I play it all the time. You can have a turn if you want.” He leaned forward and offered her the console between the front seats.

She started to shake her head, but stopped when a fresh wave of pain bloomed through her skull. “No, that’s okay, Pax,” she croaked. “I’m a little too dizzy right now.” She shut her eyes and pinched the space between her brows.

“Are you sick?”

“It’s just a headache.”

“Is it from your lightning?”

She managed a nod. “I usually take meds for it, but they’re at home.” She hadn’t had the luxury of going to her apartment to pack, so she’d had to leave all her belongings behind. Even her photographs of Anna and Dad. She’d miss those the most.

“Roman has water back here.” The sound of ripping plastic was unbearably loud as Paxton, bless his soul, grabbed a water bottle from the case on the floor and passed it to her.

“Thank you.” She twisted the cap off and drank half. “How areyoufeeling?” She set the bottle in the cupholder.

“Sleepy,” he said around a yawn. “Is your medication a suppressant?”

“It is.”

“I take those, too.” A thoughtful pause. “My mom gets bad headaches like yours. From her Surges.” His mom. Shay had seen her outside of the warehouse before the helicopter crash.

Paxton fell silent, sadness and guilt weighing heavily on his aura.