Page 18 of Haunting the Hunter

Calli eyes me wearily. “What are you going to do?”

I smirk. “Get some answers. Through his teeth or his fingernails. Whichever gives first.”

CHAPTER 7

CALLISTO

The look on my face could probably tell a thousand words.What. The. Fuck.I went from feeling proud of my remark actually leading to Allen’s location to feeling sick to my stomach.

My brother is crazy. I know the way we were raised was entirely different—he a weapon, me a sacrifice. But is he certifiable? Something is definitely off with my brother. I have no doubt that it has something to do with the pendulum—I don’t even know how it got here. It just kind of showed up… One moment there was just the grimoire and the next it was laying there like it was always there.

But something in my gut told me that I needed to give it to him, that calling on the spirits—or whatever is connected to that thing—might help him, might save him.

I hate the idea of this mission—I hate his entire goal. But I promised myself I would try to understand the position he’s in, that I would do anything I could to try to be helpful. We’re all we have, after all.

But I’m unstable.

My nerves are frayed and exposed. Too sensitive to the touch. I know the second I allow myself to feel everything, I could lose control. And I don’t know what that looks like. Trying to fix what’s broken is hard, and having hope… well, that’s even harder, but I’m trying.

Despite all my efforts, the dread is still there looming over me, waiting to creep in when I least expect it. The concoction of fear and anxiety is creating this potent and toxic perception in the depths of my mind.

An unholy configuration that separates me from who I think I am.

I don’t even know who I am.

I’ve never had a chance to find out. But I do know:

I am more than my trauma.

I am more than my pain.

I. Am. More.

I exhale a breath in an attempt to center myself and prepare to attack this head-on, with logic instead of emotion. Jack and Cade may not want to hear it, but theywillknow my thoughts on the matter.

I grit my teeth. “Cade.”

“What?” he snaps.

“I, uh… I think if you’re going to do this, you should focus on choosing your location. The desert would be a good place…” I stumble over myself, wanting to retch at my next words. “Bodies decay quickly in the desert, and if he’s in Nevada, it wouldn’t be too difficult to smuggle him to one of the abandoned mine shafts out there.”

Cade quirks a brow and looks over at Jack. He looks almost impressed.

Almost.

Jack goes back to clacking on his keyboard. “I can pull a list of some of our best options.” His fingers move even quicker. “Better than your idea of winging it,” he says sarcastically, with a glance at Cade.

“I just want to say, for the record, I don’t like this. Torturing a man? This feels like you’re taking it too far. And I know you don’t want to hear it, but I need you to,” I say, looking at Cade.

He steps over to me and places his hands on my shoulders, pushing them back as he looks down at me.

“I appreciate your concern. I know this seems wrong to you. But I need you to know how essential it is that I get whatever information this man has.” He speaks with sincerity. “I’ve seen a boy barely younger than you fall to that man’s blade. He doesn’t deserve your empathy, Calli.”

“It’s not him I care about, it’s you. It’s what spending every moment planning and executing these missions will do to you.”

“And as much as I appreciate that, I feel that you underestimate my ability. I’ll be fine. You just focus on yourself,” he says, walking back over to Jack and making a hand gesture for me to leave.

Fine.