Page 48 of Kingdom of Chaos (Creatures of Chaos #2)

Thirty

We don’t stay at the Order’s headquarters for long.

It’s late, and Becks doesn’t even want to set foot inside the front entrance after being held captive there for so many days.

We hang around just long enough to agree that we’ll meet the next day to come up with a plan to deal with Kerrim and his ever-growing creature army.

Apparently, even in the short time we’ve been in the city, Kade’s men have reported an unusual number of unfamiliar creatures flooding into New York, more than they’ve ever tracked before.

And to make matters worse, leaders of some of the largest and most influential creature factions have been seen entering and leaving the building where Kerrim is believed to be running his entire operation.

One thing is abundantly clear: If we want any chance of stopping Kerrim, we have to strike sooner rather than later. The more time we give him, the more time he has to gather power and support.

I thought Talon might return to the hotel before us, but when we get back to our rooms he’s nowhere to be found.

He doesn’t answer any of my texts or calls.

I keep trying throughout the night, my anxiety growing with each unanswered message.

When I wake the next morning, bleary-eyed and nursing a low-level headache from lack of sleep, there’s still no sign of him.

We wait for him as long as we can before leaving to meet up with Kade and other key members of the Silent Order.

We aren’t meeting at headquarters, but at an industrial building in an area called Brooklyn.

It is a neutral location, since Becks refuses to set foot inside their headquarters again. I can’t say I blame him.

I send Talon a message with the meeting address and hope he shows up.

My heart leaps into my throat when we push through the metal doors of the seemingly empty warehouse and see him leaning against the far wall, waiting.

As soon as we step inside, he lifts his head, his gaze locking with mine before shifting to Becks’ arm draped over my shoulders.

He presses his mouth into a hard line as he pushes off the wall and walks toward us.

“You didn’t come back last night. Where have you been?” I ask.

“Just scoping out the city, trying to get a lay of the land,” he says. “If we’re going to go on the offensive with Kerrim, I want to know our battleground.”

I have no reason not to believe him, yet . . .

“Besides, I wanted to give you guys some space to reconnect,” he says, his gaze shifting to Becks. “Glad you’re back,” he says with a nod.

Becks mirrors the gesture with a nod of his own, then removes his arm from around my shoulders and extends a hand to Talon.

My eyebrows lift in surprise. Becks has never exactly been Talon’s biggest fan, but maybe he’s ready to put that behind him after everything we’ve gone through to get him back.

Talon looks a little taken aback. He hesitates for a moment, then reaches out and clasps Becks’ outstretched hand.

“I know it cost you, coming here to get me,” Becks says. “I also know you didn’t have to do it. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Talon says, then his gaze slides over to me, “but we both know I didn’t do it for you.”

A muscle jumps in Becks’ jaw, a sign that he’s irritated. He drops Talon’s hand and purposefully wraps his arm around my waist, tugging me close. “Well, we’re grateful, then,” he says with a smile that’s a borderline smirk.

I don’t like what’s happening, but I feel caught between a rock and a hard place. If I pull away from Becks, it’ll hurt him, and he’s already endured so much because of me. But I get a yucky feeling inside standing in front of Talon with Becks’ arm around me.

Talon glances my way, and for a moment I think he’s waiting, hoping, for me to say or do something. But I don’t know what the right move is.

So I do nothing.

Talon shakes his head and lets out a dry, humorless chuckle, turning away. “Come on. Kade and his crew are already here.”

He heads across the open warehouse toward a metal staircase that leads to a room overlooking the cavernous space. Through the windows, I spot a few figures already waiting inside.

As we follow him, Imogen jogs forward to catch up with her cousin. They exchange a few words, but they’re too far away for me to make out. Talon says something else, and Imogen glances back at me over her shoulder, her eyes sharp and unreadable.

No love lost there. Good to see some things have stayed the same.

We climb the stairs into the room to find Kade, Ares, and nearly a dozen other Order members already inside. My eyebrows shoot up when I spot a familiar head of purple hair among them.

“Violet?”

She turns when I say her name, and a tentative smile lifts the corners of her mouth.

“Wait, is that—?” Ensley starts to ask before she’s cut off.

“Oh, hell to the no!” Imogen shouts, and with a burst of speed I didn’t know she was capable of, she’s suddenly across the room and has someone pressed up against the wall with her hand on their throat.

“Nobody move or I’ll rip his throat out with my bare hands,” she snarls. The tension in the room spikes instantly.

“Who is that?” Becks asks, and I crane my neck, trying to see past Imogen blocking my view. Her reaction makes total sense when I realize who she attacked. Tobias . The leader of the Florida chapter of the Silent Order.

“Will one of you stop her?” Kade asks, looking at our group, but none of us move or say a word.

I cross my arms over my chest, content to let Imogen do whatever she wants with the human who tried to kill all of us.

Kade sighs and shakes his head.

“Okay. Everyone calm down,” he says, his voice booming.

“Do you know what he tried to do to us?” Imogen snarls.

Kade pushes through the humans in his path until he’s standing next to Imogen.

“I know,” he says as Tobias struggles in vain to pry her fingers from his throat.

Watching him squirm in her grasp is deeply satisfying, and judging by the looks on Ensley’s, Titus’, and Talon’s faces, they feel the same way.

“I’ve spoken with Tobias about the misunderstanding when you met,” he says.

That is the exact wrong thing to say, because a look of rage comes over Imogen. “ Misunderstanding ?” She tightens her grip and Tobias’ face turns an unattractive shade of purple. “You expect us to trust this piece of garbage after he tried to kill us?”

Kade lays a hand on Imogen’s wrist. “Nothing like that will happen again. You have my word on it. Tobias knows you’re not the enemy, and he’s offering to help. That’s not an offer we can afford to turn down right now.”

Imogen bares her teeth at Kade, her fangs fully extended, but to his credit he doesn’t even flinch.

“Come on,” he coaxes. “Let him go so we can get down to the business of defeating the real enemy here.”

When Imogen still doesn’t release Tobias, Kade leans in a little and whispers in her ear. I’m too far away to hear, but it looks like he says, “He’s not worth it,” to her.

With a huff and a final fang-filled snarl, Imogen releases Tobias. He crumples to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. Even from where I stand, I can see the indents her nails left on his throat.

Without sparing him a second glance, Imogen turns, and wide-eyed humans quickly scramble out of her way as she strides back to Talon’s side.

Talon gives her a smirk and a small nod of approval.

I’d already filled Becks in on the Florida incident, so I quickly tell him that Tobias was the leader behind the attack. Around us, everyone grabs chairs and pulls them into a large circle so we can talk.

Once we’re settled, Kade stands and begins explaining why we’re all here.

He includes his theory about me being Lucian’s heir, the one mentioned in the prophecy, and it makes me want to melt into the floor.

The faces of the Order members around us, who I’ve learned are mostly heads of different chapters from across the country, show a mix of reactions when they sneak glances at me.

I catch everything from awe to fear in their eyes.

After he lays everything out, Kade opens the group for discussion on how to defeat our common enemy, Kerrim.

I don’t say much as the Order leaders discuss and debate our options.

I may consider myself a fighter, but strategy isn’t in my wheelhouse.

With the exception of Ensley, everyone else in my group takes turns voicing their opinions, with Imogen and Talon being the loudest.

Eventually, everyone agrees that the best course of action is to lure Kerrim to a location of our choosing and try to separate him from the dagger.

In a crowded city like New York, there is no perfect battleground, but the Silent Order, whose mission is to keep the existence of creatures hidden from humans, decides that Central Park is the least problematic option.

They believe they can establish a perimeter to prevent unsuspecting humans from accidentally stumbling onto the battle, and the park’s open layout should make it harder for Kerrim’s followers to ambush us.

Kade adds that he has a creature ally who can magically seal off part of the park, making any destruction invisible to the human world until the fighting is over.

Once that is settled, the discussion turns to how to lure Kerrim where we want him.

Imogen stands up, garnering everyone’s attention. “I know exactly how to get Kerrim to Central Park,” she says, and then looks at me. “By using her as bait.”

Wait. What?

“Me?”

Imogen nods. “He’s already looking for you, so all we have to do is let him know where to find you.”

Panic sends a spike straight to my heart. “What are you talking about?” Glancing around, the others in my group look just as perplexed as I do.

Imogen tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Where do you think I’ve been going at night?”