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“Thank you for starting it all those years ago,” Grayson said.

“To WaterFyre Rising—may it take over in a positive way.” Orion clinked glasses with us.

We chatted for a few more minutes, discussing The Trogyn, the President, and his wife.

“Everything has come down to them. We’ve got this.” Forrest slapped me on the shoulder. “We’ll get Ashton and eliminate The Trogyn forever.”

Phase two of my plan began today.

“We should get going before the girls look for us.” Arrow gestured to the door.

Grayson and I rode with Remington while the other boys hopped into Orion’s SUV.

We stopped at a red light, and I turned to my right to see a large eight-wheeler truck heading toward us.

“Fuck.”

But another vehicle smashed into our car and flipped us over.

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

VANESSA

Inside the Krazee Tavern,we sat around chattingwith my mom, Gigi, Ellen, Agnes, and Joseph. The appetizers and drinks were delicious. Watching Agnes and Joseph together made me so happy. I understood why Attikus had been so worried about Joseph—he was a father figure to him.

Nerves churned in my stomach, and I placed a hand over it. My left eyelid kept twitching. I didn’t want to think about it, but usually, those things signified a bad omen.

“What’s taking them so long?” I asked the girls.

They checked their phones, but no messages appeared.

Michelle’s phone rang, and she picked it up. “Where are you?” She listened intently. “What? Oh, my god.” Her face transformed into dread. “Okay. I’ll let them know. We’ll be there.”

My heart hammered. “What happened?”

The chatter in the room stopped, waiting for Michelle’s response.

With trembling hands, she lowered her phone and said, “There was an accident. An explosion. Remi, Grayson, and Attikus are dead.”

My heart froze as shock overcame my body. I couldn’t believe it. It had to be false. I just saw him this morning. I forced myself into survival mode. “What hospital?”

Michelle was about to tell me when Audri fainted. Vivian caught her just in time. Gigi called an ambulance and rode with Audri to the hospital.

Natalie and I clung to each other as Vivian drove us. Ellen took my mom in her car. Agnes and Joseph told us they’d meet us there. I was in no condition to drive. I’d probably run everyone over.

I was functioning in a daze of shock. My body felt detached from my head, and my soul was nowhere to be found. Somehow, I gathered my strength to step one foot in front of another. I supposed that was better than shattering into tiny pieces.

Attikus.I needed to see him. What happened to him?

When we arrived, I got out of the car and lost my balance. I braced a hand on the car, inhaling and exhaling to gain fresh oxygen.

Dear God, please give me the strength to survive this awful day.

When we entered the hospital waiting room, Forrest, Royce, Arrow, and Orion all rose from their seats.

I felt like I was floating, but I managed to look at Forrest because he was standing closest to me. “What happened?”

“An SUV hit Remi’s car and flipped it over,” he said. “The SUV burst into flames, and Remi’s car caught on fire. It happened so quickly.”