Page 86 of Bonds of Starfall

She didn’t answer. The file folder fell open, revealing the crumpled note stuck inside.

To the girl with Stars in her eyes.

Rin traced over the words. She had forgotten about it. After Kit had…

She had forgotten all about it.

Wide-eyed, she stared up at Cyrus. "This is evidence."

It was past midnight,the only time Rin could sneak out of her dorm. But this time, she wasn’t alone.

An incubus was by her side.

Cyrus wore his dark sweatshirt, the hood pulled over his head to hide his bright red hair. Rin was also dressed in all-black, but she had her Hunter registration card, so if she was stopped by the police or another Hunter, she had reason to be out—Cyrus, not so much.

Under her large zip-up jacket, her harness-style holster held her Echogun, along with a few knives. Better to be prepared. It was against the law to be out after dark for a reason.

Rin kicked the stand of her motorcycle, leaning it against the side of a small alleyway she had stopped in. She threw her leg over the side, removing her helmet. Cyrus did the same, careful to keep his hood secured as he set his dark helmet next to hers on the back of her bike.

"I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle before. You’re a good ride." Through the shadows of his hood, he grinned.

"Quit it. We’re here for a reason. Lucien’s at his apartment, but he could be called back to the hospital at any time if there’s an emergency. We have to be quick about this." Rin motioned for Cyrus to follow her as they left the alley, passing by dark shops and cafes, metal grates pulled over the doors and windows. There was no one around. Rin tried to walk confidently, but still kept to the shadows.

The flashing emergency sign above the ambulance entrance to Solar City General Hospital loomed before them. Rin held up a hand, making Cyrus still behind her, bumping into her back. She breathed him in, whispering, "Stick close to me. I have my identification. If anyone asks, you’re an associate. The night shift doesn’t know me, so we’ll be okay. Once we’re in, we stick to the medical stairwell. It’ll lead straight to the ninth floor, where his office is."

She still couldn’t believe they were doing this. After the whirlwind of the last month, she had all but forgotten about what the Soul Searcher had left for her. But finding it, seeing the damning words, Lucien’s signature printed on the classified pages, she had a renewed purpose.

Cyrus had been brought up to speed. Rin figured there was no use keeping him in the dark. He knew about the enigmatic Soul Searcher, the clue he had left for her, and her next-doorneighbor, turned doctor, turned… something else she couldn’t put a name to quite yet.

It hurt. It hurt so bad that Rin felt like the little air she had found after Kit’s death had been stolen from her, once more. The thought of Lucien being a part of something like illegal, unethical experimentation… She couldn’t fathom it. Shewouldn’tbelieve it. Not without more evidence.

"You’re so hot when you’re bossy," Cyrus purred. "How else could you boss me around?" He held out his hands. "Want to tie me up?"

"No!" Rin exclaimed, flinching when her voice echoed off the silent stone around them. "No," she said much quieter. "Now come on. Let’s hurry." She caught his eye. "And remember, leave the talking to me."

Cyrus pinched his lips together and hummed, waving her onward.

The red light of the emergency sign bathed them in a momentary glow as they passed under it. The sliding glass doors opened with a whoosh, letting out a cool gust of air conditioning that broke up the stuffy night air of the city.

The waiting room was quiet, only a lonesome man sitting in the corner. His back was to her, so she couldn’t see his face, but his dark hair fell into his eyes as he turned the pages of a book in his hands. He wore a long, black trench coat. Odd. It was way too hot for that. Rin dismissed him—she doubted he’d be trouble.

The receptionist glanced up. "Can I help you?"

Rin dug her identification out of the pocket of her coat and showed it to her. "I’m here on Hunter business."

The woman’s brows knitted, and she glanced at the phone on the counter, hesitating. "I wasn’t aware of an issue. Certainly not one for a trainee to deal with."

"Classified," Rin bluffed. "We’re here on the order of Director Ilsa, of Alpha Team." God, Rin hoped this didn’t bite her in the ass.

Nervous hesitation flickered across the receptionist’s face. "Alpha Team. Oh. Of course." Alpha Team had quite a reputation for being filled with ruthless trainees. She reached for the keypad for the doors that led to the halls. The doors slid open, and she waved them in.

Rin inclined her head as she passed by. "Thank you."

As she and Cyrus entered the halls, the doors slid shut behind her. Cyrus nudged her with his elbow. "Good job."

"Shut up," Rin replied, quickly diving down a hall when two nurses dressed in flower-printed scrubs walked by, chatting as one looked down at a clipboard.

She followed the signs posted on the walls, heading for the elevator. She knew a private stairwell would be nearby. Her boots clicked on the pristine tiled floors, her reflection shimmering back up at her. Dark coat, skin-tight black pants, and white hair, pulled back from her face in a low ponytail. Behind her, Cyrus was imposing, a red strand of hair peeking out from his hood. His hands were shoved in the pockets of dark-wash jeans.