Page 32

"Time’s up for me," Rin said. "I gotta bounce before they walk in. The rest of Plan B’s all set."

The guards would be fired—or, more likely, killed—for their participation in tonight’s fiasco, no matter how unwilling their participation was. It was unfair, but this was war. They had to know what atrocities occurred on their watch, and they didn’t stop it or alert anyone. In our world, death was the natural consequence of their inaction.

"We’ll meet you back at Nic’s place," Keiko reminded Rin.

"Copy that. You guys have less than a minute before they’re inside."

My adrenaline spiked, setting my pulse racing. We had come so far and were so close to getting the answers we needed to bring the bastard down once and for all. I couldn’t give up. Not yet.

I rifled through the folders faster, unwilling to leave without something condemning Ichiro to Hell. There had to besomethingwe could use.

"Seriously, Nic, we need to go," Keiko’s worried voice barely filtered through my manic searching. "What we have now will have to be enough."

Aaron moved to the door, cracking it open just enough to peek through. "If we surprise Ichiro tomorrow, the Council will get here for further proof before he can remove anything. Let’s go."

"You two go. I can’t leave without…" My voice trailed off as I stopped flipping and yanked a folder free. Inside, handwritten pages outlined an experiment—the one that led to the pyrocrystal trade. There was no mistaking the blue liquid and its purpose.

Motherfucker.

This was it.

A blaring alarm echoed down the hallways, and red lights flashed through the room. Ichiro had discovered the guards.

I couldn’t risk taking the folder with me, but I couldn’t leave without this information. I met Keiko’s gaze, and she knew what I was asking. She nodded.

Moving fast, she helped me spread out the folder’s papers across the desk. I took photos with my phone, praying to any god listening that they would be clear enough later on. Then we stuffed them back into the folder and the drawer. We’d gotten what we needed.

We’d finally fucking done it.

Now that Ichiro’s men were in the building, the cameras would return to their live feeds. This was far from our first rodeo, so we were more than prepared for that possibility.

Aaron and I slipped on black ski masks while Keiko chanted a spell, calling on her lunar magic. Black shadows wrapped around our forms and rendered us invisible.

Although she’d wrapped me in shadows plenty of times before, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to the feeling. I wasn’t sure I’d everwantto. The shadows seemed to seep the life out of you, draining your very essence.

Keiko claimed they didn’t actually do that, but it was enough that it felt that way. Being virtually invisible even to myself was also highly disconcerting.

Aaron and I each slung one of the unconscious humans over our shoulders, and their bodies disappeared into the shadows. The three of us slipped back into the main hallway in silence. We knew from studying the blueprints which way would lead us out.

As we neared the exit door, voices echoed down the linoleum-floored hall.

I pressed myself against the wall, hoping the others did the same. The human over my shoulder stirred. I tensed, ready to silence him forever if necessary.

"I don’t care if you think they already left," Ichiro’s sharp voice snapped out as he stepped into view. Kenzo hurried beside him, his gold chains rattling together. "If you value your life, you’ll do as I say."

"The wolves must not’ve been here long before we showed up." My cousin tugged at his track pants, which were in danger of falling off because of their quick pace and his annoying habit of wearing them too loosely. "Nothing’s out of place or stolen."

My grandfather’s eyes narrowed as he stalked toward us, though there was no chance he could see us within Keiko’s spelled shadows.

"I want to know how they found this place," Ichiro said. "How did?—"

His words cut off as quickly as his steps and my cousin almost ran into him. Grumbling, Kenzo adjusted his tracksuit jacket while Ichiro’s eyes scanned the area.

My pulse quickened, and I felt Jou writhing in my mind. If the old man found us, we would have no choice but to fight him. I wasn’t altogether against the idea, but I wanted to do it on my terms. Fully prepared.

Jou was as fierce as Ichiro’s ancient beast, perhaps even stronger. I didn’t doubt my dragon’s abilities or my fighting skills, but I’d learned long ago not to underestimate the old man who’d pseudo-raised me.

If I had to face him tonight, then so be it.