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As Darien got on, Tanner said, “If you’d like to give me a raise, I’ll consider opening the doors for you next time, too.”

Darien chuckled.

Sure enough, just as Tanner had promised, the button for the penthouse was already activated. The doors slid shut, and the elevator lurched upward.

“You in?” Tanner asked.

“I’m in.”

“All right. Call me if you need anything, but if not, I’ll see you in a bit.”

“See you in a bit,” Darien echoed. He hung up.

The lift opened onto a short hallway that led to the private entrance to the Bright Penthouse. He ate up the length of that hallway with several swift strides and rapped his fist against the door. Waited a few seconds before knocking a second time.

The lock clicked, and the door swung open.

The minute Roark took in the Darkslayer standing on his doorstep, his face smoothed with a level of shock that was almost comical. He glanced behind Darien—at the empty hallway. Clearly wondering how in the hell he had made it past all the security features.

And how he could ensure it wouldn’t happen again.

“We could have done without the theatrics and simply arranged to meet downstairs,” Roark said. He offered Darien a tiny plastic pouch. Inside was a small amount of bone dust. “Is this enough?”

“It’ll have to be.” He took it and tucked it away in the inside pocket of his jacket. Mixing the dust with the Stygian salts would allow him to see the auras of the monsters in Lucent Enterprises and beyond—and give him the ability to guide Travis and the othersaroundthe monsters to avoid being attacked. In the time that had passed since the Blood Moon, Lucent Enterprises had begun tests and experiments on the creatures; Taega had managed to take some of the bone dust from the lab without being seen.

“Are they finished with the warhead?” Roark asked.

Darien nodded.

The glint that entered Roark’s eyes suggested he was impressed. “Right on time.”

“Right on time.”

Roark sucked in a deep breath and said, “And Dallas?”

“She’s alive. She’s with them.”

Roark nodded. He tried to hide the concern in his eyes, but Darien could see it. “Good.”

Darien offered Roark his hand.

For a moment, Roark just looked at it, surprise etched into his face.

And then he clasped it.

“Thank you,” Darien said.

Roark merely nodded. “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask. Taega and I are both willing to help.”

“Will do.” He was about leave, but decided to ask Roark the question that had been eating at him ever since he’d left Yveswich. “If you don’t mind my asking, why the sudden change of heart? Why all of…this?”He gestured between them, and to the bone dust in his pocket.

Roark took a moment to consider his response. “Let’s just say I…woke up.” The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

He had changed. And Darien was willing to bet that seeing one of his daughters lying in a comatose state in a hospital bed had been the trigger.

Darien wouldn’t judge. Not anymore. Not when he himself wanted to change, one day. Not when he wanted to do better, too.

So he merely said, “Thanks,” one more time.