Page 1

Chapter one

Raegan

Darkness engulfs the elevator.

Dane curses, drawing back from our embrace to check his phone.

He strides to the panel, tapping each button as if one of them might work while the others do nothing.

The moment he walks away, Gordon’s voice whispers to me, rising unbidden from memories in the pitch-black water tank.

“You’re worthless.”

No.

Not now.

“No one cares about you other than me.” His twisted voice fills my head, leaving no room for anything but him and the fear that always slipped past my defenses when it came to him.

It spreads through my veins like poison, binding me in place.

My heart gallops, and my breathing shallows.

Even though I can’t see anything, it feels like the world spins in tight circles around me.

I clutch at my chest, dragging in air that seems empty of the oxygen I desperately need.

“Fuck, everything’s down. There’s no power running to anything, and I can’t get any calls out. Someone must be blocking our communications.”

“You’re a monster.”

I grab my head with shaking hands, my eyes screwed shut.

Stop! Get out of my head!

You’re not here.

“It would be better for you to be alone.”

You’re dead.

Thorne stabbed you in the back.

“You’ll never be rid of me. Just accept it and give yourself to me, my pet.”

“Rae?”

A wave of dizziness rolls through me, and I drop to my knees, gasping.

“Rae! Hey. Look at me.”

“You’re useless without me.”

“You’re safe. I’m right here.”

Something strokes my cheek.

It’s warm and gentle, and I try to focus on it.

“Come back to me, Rae.”

Slow, comforting words.

This time, when I breathe in, it feels like a full intake of oxygen.

The panic eases.

“What can I do to help?”

I listen to his voice.

His words. The care in his touch.

Gordon’s voice begins to fade, and I lower my hands to latch on to his arm.

As I open my eyes, a soft white glow illuminates the small space, fighting back the dark.

It’s the light from Dane’s gift, but even with his touch, I can feel my own power stirring, alive and ready, deep in my gut.

I’m grateful he isn’t muting it, or that may have triggered a whole new spiral.

His forehead touches mine, his eyes closed.

“Take whatever time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”

I nod once against him, taking another long breath, while my heart rate eventually slows to its normal pace.

I keep my eyes open.

It helps to see the elevator walls, the floor, and especially Dane to remind myself that I’m not back with Gordon.

I’m not in solitary or the water pod alone.

Frustration swells and burns in my chest. What a shitty time for me to have a freak out, although I can’t say if there’s ever a good time for it.

Maybe when no one else is around to see me.

But definitely not when we may be under attack, and there are other things I should be doing.

Another breath.

Moisture gathers in my eyes, but I grit my teeth.

I’m fine.

Safe.

Gordon isn’t here.

He may even be dead, though I won’t trust it until I see him for myself.

The Guild is in trouble.

Aiden and Jack aren’t here to help while they’re fighting Thorne at the butcher shop.

It’s up to Kellan, Dane, and me to keep everyone safe.

“I’m okay,” I mumble, and his eyes snap open.

“Rae!” He crushes me in a tight embrace.

“Thank fuck. I wasn’t sure what to do or if I’d make anything worse.”

I grip his back like it’s my lifeline to sanity.

My voice is muffled against his hoodie.

“Sorry you had to see that. ”

He pulls back just enough to capture my face with his thumb and forefinger.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Apologize for something like that.” His thumb grazes over my lower lip.

“If you ever want to talk about it or need to get something off your chest, I’ll listen.”

I nod, too embarrassed to voice a reply.

Dane smiles. It’s the sweet one that induces butterflies to run rampant in my stomach, making me feel like a sixteen-year-old girl with a crush again.

“Good. Now, we need to get to our room so we aren’t sitting ducks here. Any chance you can make a hole in the doors without getting the rest of the elevator?” He lowers his hand from my face, though his other arm is still curled around my back, and the light from his gift fades.

I snatch his wrist without thinking as soon as I see the glow weakening.

“Wait. I…I need that.” To keep Gordon away and for my next task, but I’ll keep the former detail to myself.

He brings it back without question, holding his palm up in front of me to give me the most light without blinding me.

“Thanks. Shine it on the doors so I can see what I’m doing.” We both stand, and I shift to the side so I’m not blocking the light.

I press my hands against the cool metal, drawing my gift out, slow and steady.

The heat of my gift burns away any remaining doubt, returning my strength to me as I lock down the memories of my time with Gordon again.

The metal groans, cracks , as I stretch my gift outward.

Once I have the size I’m looking for, I stop my gift from spreading and send a burst through the existing cracks.

The door disintegrates to ash.

Frowning, I stare at the elevator shaft wall.

Dane steps up to the edge, his hand fisting and bumping against the concrete wall.

There’s maybe a handful of inches between the elevator and the wall, which isn’t enough for us to squeeze between.

I grip the edge of the opening, peeking out as far as I can fit to look up and down.

There’s a shadow of concrete jutting out far above us.

“Could that be one of the floors?” I point, and Dane’s gaze follows it, his brows pinched.

“I fucking hope so, or else we’re trapped.”

“I could always break one of the cables, and we could try jumping onto one of the floors while we fall.”

Dane stares at me.

“I hope you’re joking.”

Shrugging, I turn my attention to the square panel in the ceiling for emergency exits.

“Unless you have a better idea…”

“I do,” he counters, moving around me.

“Living. That’s a better idea.” He bends a knee and interlocks his hands to make a stirrup above it.

“Here.”

I grasp his shoulder, place my foot in his hands, then push myself up with his help.

I hit the panel and it knocks open without resistance.

Gripping the edge, I work to pull myself up as he lifts me underneath until I can hold myself up by my forearms.

“Yes! There’s a floor a few feet up.”

He curses in relief.

“Scoot back, and I’ll help you down. Then you can help me, and I can pull you up. ”

I do as he asks, shifting and then dropping down with his guidance.

We switch spots, with me offering him a lift instead this time and he pulls himself up all the way.

He lies on his front and reaches for me through the opening.

“Ready?”

I answer with my hand in his.

He pulls up, surprising me with his strength when he hauls me up and against him before falling back.

We lie there panting, his heart pounding against my ear and my body suddenly aware of the firm muscle beneath me.

I wouldn’t have expected him to stay so fit while he’d been cooped up in the Tower all those years, but he clearly didn’t waste that time sitting in front of a computer all day.

He slides his arms around me, tightening his grip and holding me securely to his chest as he catches his breath.

My pulse quickens, as he strokes down my back.

“Dane...”

“I know. Just a few seconds...please.”

He draws a deep breath, then releases me.

Standing, I help him up with a small smile and then palm the closed elevator doors of the nearest floor.

My gift eats away at the doors as it had done the last time, leaving nothing but ash in its wake when I’m finished.

Dane and I repeat our last steps, boosting him and then pulling me onto the open floor.

Groaning, I roll onto my side and then stand.

I take Dane’s hand between both of mine.

“Do you trust me?”

He blinks at our hands, then raises his gaze to mine.

“Yes,” he answers without hesitation .

Now it’s my turn to stare as I’m thrown by his immediate response.

Even though I hoped he would say that, I had at least expected a bigger delay.

“Oh. Uh, good,” I mutter, gathering my scattered wits back and lowering our hands.

“Then come with me.”

His lips press to a thin line.

“Where?”

“To check on the Guild members first, then find Kellan. The power cutting out like that wasn’t a coincidence. And most of the Guild doesn’t know how to fight, right?”

Dane watches me quietly, his amber gaze intense as he considers what I’m asking.

I know why Kellan wanted us to go hide, but that was when he only thought Harvey was up to no good.

But the power outage means that it’s a much larger attack.

We never should have left Kellan.

“Alright.” He squeezes my hand.

“But promise you won’t leave my side. If we’re going out there to fight, we stick together.”

“Promise. And same to you.”

We share a smile, then release each other and break out into a run to search the floor.