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“We need to think of a plan,” Kylar said. “Preferably before we get to Roman’s and get shot at by Don’s men, if any are there.”

Roman, still gazing out his window with a dead stare, said, “We’ll get the Familiars to have a look before we go in.” To Darien he added, “Park by one of the neighbour’s houses.”

Darien nodded. “Settled.”

The rest of the drive was quiet and tense as everyone mentally prepared themselves for what—and who—they might find at Roman’s house.

Loren ate the panini and cookies. She drank her whole pop as well, all too aware of the burning of her magical tattoos.

Both of them were burning—the serpent-entwined rod on her forearm…and the Caliginous on Silverway tattoo on the inside of her wrist.

There was no chamber for her to use anymore—no place to recharge her magic. She was already beginning to feel the weight of what she’d learned last night—the Widow’s warning that she would not live past the age of twenty-one. Less than ten months remained until her birthday, but right now it didn’t feel like she had months left.

It felt like she had hours.

It felt like she hadminutes.

Max kepthis hand on his gun, finger poised on the trigger, as they drove through the wrecked streets of Yveswich.

The fight out front of the hospital was the most present he’d felt in hours—since Maya had disappeared into the crowds without saying goodbye. Now, he could feel himself sinking back down, below the crashing waves of his own thoughts. Thoughts of the sister he’d only just found and had already lost again.

“Max.” Freckled fingers snapped in front of his face. “Terra to Maximus.”

He blinked, his eyes refocusing to see a redhead and a platinum blonde staring at him in concern.

He cleared his throat. “You say something?”

A loaded pause.

“Are you okay?” Lace asked him.

“Honestly? No, not really. Maya pissed off without even telling me she was leaving, I have zero clue where she is, I still can’t hear properly in one ear, if we’re not out of here by noon tomorrow we’re all dead meat, Don’s probably waiting at Roman’s house to flay us all alive, and at any point between now and then a missile could hit this truck and blast us sky-high.”

They were quiet for several minutes as the truck thumped about on the uneven terrain. Darien was driving it as if he were drunk, but it was necessary given the many cracks and potholes in the road. They were one popped tire away from being stranded.

All these bad probable outcomes and he couldn’t decide which was the most preferable. Probably the missile.

“So, what do you want to do about Maya?” Dallas voiced her question with caution.

Max ran a hand through his dusty, sweat-damp hair, making it stand on end. “I don’t know. She left—which tells me she doesn’t care about me anymore.” He glared at a demolished building.

“You don’t know that for sure,” Lace offered.

“Istill care abouther,though,” he said. Darien started driving faster as they reached a smoother stretch of road. Max watched their surroundings flit by—the bodies, the debris, the blood. “And I’m not sure I have the strength to leave without finding her and telling her what’s going on,” he admitted.

If he didn’t, she’d be trapped here. And the sister he thought he’d lost wouldtrulybe lost. For real this time. There would be no surviving this city once it was given over fully to the Void. Those shadows didn’t just blind—they killed. It was only a matter of time before all the oxygen was gone, and this space became unliveable.

“I hate to be the person who tells you what to do,” Lace began. “But I highly doubt Darien is going to want you to split up from the rest of us, Max. Not with everything going on.”

“He’d leave if it were Ivy,” Max argued, hating that he knew Lace was right.

“Probably,” she confirmed, speaking carefully. “But Darien’s not in the right headspace for an argument. If you get into one with him right now, I don’t think you’ll win.”

Max cursed under his breath, but he didn’t bother arguing with Lace—not when he might have to do exactly that with his boss instead.

He would wait until they made it to Roman’s. Wait until they figured out what was going on with Arthur and the others. After that, he’d make his decision.

He only hoped that whatever road he took would be therightone.