Page 163 of The Echo of Forever

I sighed

“Forever,” she greeted, a slight smile playing at her lips. “Solei Cannon, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. Come in, we have something to discuss and not a lot of time.”

She disappeared back through the doorway, and I followed, making sure to block Solei as I entered and took in the lay of the room.

Inside was what appeared to be a sauna room, though it wasn’t currently running. Wooden benches lined the walls, and sitting on them were not only Destiny, but also Seo-Yeon and Ignis Holt.

I kept my gaze on Seo-Yeon the longest before allowing Solei inside. We still had unfinished business.

“Take a seat,” Destiny said, gesturing to the empty bench across from them.

I sat, and Solei did the same, though she positioned herself slightly angled toward the door, ready to move if necessary.

Smart girl.

“I’m assuming this isn’t a social call,” I said, addressing all three women but focusing on Destiny, since my mother mentioned her specifically.

“Hardly,” Ignis replied, her voice surprisingly soft for someone with her reputation. “We’ve been meeting like this for nearly a decade.”

She was married to Lamar Holt, the unofficial leader of the rejector alliance. His family’s whole agenda had always been to bring us together with the rejectors.

“Why am I here now?” I asked.

Seo-Yeon leaned forward, not an ounce of animosity in her eyes.

“Because your mother feels you should be a part of this, and I think…” she scoffed as if she couldn’t believe what she was about to say. “I believe she’s right. It isn’t my place to tell you more than that we know your husband has aligned himself with the Fairchilds, and you’ve aligned yourself with him.”

I bristled at the implication that I’d followed Demetrius’s lead rather than making my own choice.

“I made my own decision regarding the Fairchilds.”

“We know,” Destiny cut in smoothly. “That’s precisely why you’re here. We need someone on the inside.”

“Inside of what?”

The three women exchanged glances, some silent communication passing between them. Finally, Destiny spoke, and it almost knocked the fucking wind out of me.

“Solomon Fairchild is running a trafficking ring, and we’ve been spending years trying to dismantle it. We’ve been meeting more frequently after learning more girls are going missing from foster homes and, recently, this year’s ritual.”

The first thing I put together was that none of them knew Demetrius, Solei, and Oliver were Fairchilds by blood.

“That’s a serious accusation,” I said, despite the churning in my stomach. “Do you have proof?”

“More than you’d want to see,” Seo-Yeon replied, her expression grim. “We’ve been tracking disappearances for years. Young women, mostly from vulnerable populations—foster kids, runaways, girls with addiction issues. A few scholarship kids here and there. No one who would be missed immediately.”

“Until recently,” Ignis added. “They’ve gotten bolder. Two society girls went missing after last month’s ritual. Daughters of lesser families, but society members nonetheless.”

My mind raced.

That night was a blur, and Demetrius and I had spent most of it separated from everyone else.

“Why would he risk taking society girls?” Solei asked. “Seems unnecessarily risky.”

“He’s gone undetected for a long time. I’m surprised he waited until now to start moving up the ranks.”

“And what exactly do you think I can do about this?” I asked, trying to process everything and how it connected to me.

My mother wouldn’t ask me to do this if it weren’t connected.