Page 150 of Bonds of Starfall

Her pinky hooked under the collar of his shirt, tugging. "I do too. That’s why they’ll pay."

On Lucien’s way out,Auren caught him in the underground parking garage.

In a flash of white, the Soul Searcher was before him. Lucien was used to his ways by now, but he still flinched.

"Just in time," Lucien said, voice carrying in the empty space.

"You’re leaving?" Auren hooked his scythe over his back, removing his hood.

"I have to keep up appearances."

Auren nodded, and when Lucien drew nearer, he was able to read the clear unease on his face.

"When?" the Soul Searcher asked—just one word, but Lucien understood.

"Soon…" Lucien replied. He would tell her soon, but evensoonfelt like a lifetime for all the secrets piled between them.

"What will you do when she knows?"

Pain filled Lucien at the thought of his plans. "Leave. I cannot be around her after everything I’ve done."

"No." Auren took a step forward. "After everything you have been forced to do, the exact thing you need is to be near her. You are her Soulbond." The word echoed, high and hollow, filling Lucien’s very being. Too loud. Tooknown.

"She does not need me. I am not… good for her," Lucien stressed, staring at his car parked mere feet away. Whatever Auren thought was wrong—a lie. He didn’t know the truth ofhow Lucien had failed her. He could’ve protected her in so many better ways. Maybe then, Kiton would still be alive.

"She does need you," said Auren. "You cannot see it, but I do—and she needs you desperately. Tell her." His blue eyes searched Lucien’s, but he spoke no more. Air whistled past as the Soul Searcher turned to leave, palm scanning over the keypad—Rhyden had configured their prints for it—and entering without a backward glance.

Rin’sheart was in her throat as she quickly typed away on Rhyden’s laptop. The flat was dark, the lights set to low, and the blue screen burned her eyes. Everything narrowed to this moment. As she typed the last word in the private search engine, she held her breath, the last few days blurring as the screen loaded.

Her lies, her planning—all culminated in these few precious, stolen seconds, while Cyrus slept on the large bed, back to her; the others were out for the night, occupied with whatever kept them busy while she was stuck here…

The screen loaded, and her fingers tapped the counter, feeling like any moment someone would come up behind her and wonder why she was searching for over-the-counter silver tablets.

Argent. Tablets containing tiny silver particles used as an immune booster—but the real use was to ward off vampires. It was most prominently sold at travel agencies for Sangreal. And it was exactly what she was looking for.

Rin exited out of the search window and closed Rhyden’s laptop, moving it to be exactly as she found it. She pulled upthe map on her phone and searched for the nearest convenience store. A ten-minute walk. She could do this.

Tucking her Echogun under her dark hooded coat, she also grabbed a few knives—just in case. The feel of the blade against her flesh, where it was tucked in her waistband, felt like coming home.

At the door, Rin paused and tugged her hood over her head, staring at the dark flat. Her eyes found Cyrus as he slumbered. His back rose and fell steadily with his every breath.

She could be back before anyone realized she was gone, right?

Rin left, the door clicking shut behind her quietly. In the parking garage, her head swiveled, a hand on her holster under her jacket. Her footsteps echoed. Lucien had brought a few more of her things back to the flat, and she was grateful to have her thick boots back.

She followed the directions on her phone, eyes flicking between the night-tinged, empty streets and the tiny blue line on the map that led her right to the convenience store. It was dark, windows covered with thick bars. But not the front door. She kept her face concealed by her hood as she angled her body to the side, away from any cameras. She grabbed her knife and flipped it until the butt of the handle was facing out. She held her breath as she jammed it into the glass of the front door. It shattered, too loud in the night. Since it was curfew, it was quiet, but she was still on guard for Hunters—or worse, lone Rogues.

Rhyden’s base was in a bad part of Solar City, so she was lucky the store was old enough not to have a working alarm system.

She used a sleeve-covered hand to wipe away some jagged edges in her way. Then, she carefully stepped inside, boots crunching over the broken glass.

She used her phone’s flashlight to scan the dark shelves, heading straight for the run-down pharmacy in the back, the counter covered with chains.

"Come on, come on," Rin mumbled under her breath, eyes shooting to the shattered glass door at the front of the small store, then back as she searched for what she was after. A tiny bottle, white and unsuspecting. Argent. "Yes!" she whispered.

Rin grabbed the bottle and stuffed it in her pocket. She quickly hurried out, but not before dropping more than enough bills on the counter to cover for the stolen pills—and the broken glass.

Her walk back was quiet. She stuck to the open streets, deciding she’d rather run into a Hunter on patrol than a Rogue in the dark.