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The lights were all on inside the house, the buttery glow spilling out the windows. It lit up the back deck, the hot tub, and the fire pit ringed with palm trees.

Loren got to her feet, pulled up her hood, and hurried around the house, lush green grass crunching underfoot.

She sprinted up the front steps, nearly stubbing her toe on a winged lion statue. She was about to open the door when Maximus beat her to it and stomped out into the night.

He froze, hand briefly drifting to his hip. “Fuck me, Calla. I almost blew your head off.”

“Sorry.”

As he headed for his SUV, she sidled past him and into the house. She quickly shut the front door, hoping like hell that no one was watching—and that no one recognized her if they were.

Loren pushed back her hood and rushed into the sitting room. Ivy, Jack, Logan, Sabrine, and Tanner were crowded around the television with bowls of popcorn and bags of candy. All of them looked surprised to see her, but she spoke before they had a chance to.

“Where’s Darien? I need to see him.”

Jack’s eyes were glued to the screen. “He went to see Christa,” he said absently.

Loren’s head turned weightless, every thought in her head eddying into nothing.

Ivy smacked Jack in the shoulder. “You never learn!” she scolded. She faced Loren. “She had news for him, so he went to meet her in the Financial District.”

That weightless feeling was still there, spreading through every limb. “Has anyone heard from him? Is he okay? I don’t trust her—”

Thundering steps on the stairs had everyone turning toward the entrance hall.

Tanner grabbed the remote off the couch and hit pause just as Travis walked into the room, his face pale.

“Darien totaled my car,” Travis said.

“What?” This exclamation came from several mouths.

Loren swayed, hands moving to grab the arm of the closest chair.

“It’s on the news,” Travis said. “Earthquake or something in the Financial District. He’s fine, but he’s having a Surge, said he was going to the Block—”

“The Block?” Loren bit out. “He’s fighting at the Chopping Block?”

Travis’s eyes settled on her, softening at the horror he saw there.

Tanner said, “He’s been having a hard time, Loren.”

“I didn’t…” She shook her head. “I didn’t know. I had no idea.” It had been days. Days, and he was this much of a wreck.

Lace rounded the corner behind Travis, cell phone in hand, terror on her face as well. “I need you guys to help me. Dom just called—he said Blue disappeared. He took her down to the ocean—something about her magic, I didn’t catch what he said, but they were attacked on their way back! We need to find her.”

Everyone shot to their feet, popcorn and candy spilling across the rug, and grabbed their keys, jackets, and weapons.

Loren followed Lace into the entrance hall. Lace had her head in the closet as she found her boots and shoved her feet into them.

“Lace, can I come with you?” Loren asked. As Lace fastened the buckles on her boots, she tossed her head back to look at her, hair cascading down her back. Loren said, “I’ll help you find Blue, and then I need to see Darien. Travis said he’s at the Block.” She couldn’t go to him right away. Not when he was busy fighting, busy handling a Surge.

“My car’s in the garage, here are the keys.” She handed them to her. Perfect. She would be hidden in Lace’s spell-protected car. “I’ll be there in a second.” She turned to the others. “Anyone else riding with us?”

“Logan and I will come,” Sabrine said, Logan at her side. “We’ll find her faster if we can split up.”

57

As soon as Dallas caught sight of Max emerging from the shadows of the Umbra Forum, she turned stiff as a board.