Page 60

XANDER

Orion stood in the center of the attic, unmoving. His chest heaved, fists clenched at his sides, magic sparking along his veins like it was begging to explode.

The room was empty.

“She’s gone,” he choked out, voice raw and broken, the sound cracking through the silence like thunder.

His power surged violently—sparks at his fingertips, magic burning hot under his skin. A guttural scream ripped from his throat, rattling the walls and shaking the floorboards beneath us.

He was about to lose control.

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard. “Orion. Pack it away. Right now. She needs you to stay calm.”

He took a breath that was anything but steady. I forced myself to look away, to ignore the storm rolling off him, and scanned the room. There had to be something—anything—that told us where she’d gone.

Then I saw it—a blackened hand print, burned into the door frame.

“She didn’t go willingly,” I said, stepping closer. The scorched wood was jagged, the imprint deep. It wasn’t just magic—it was a mark left in desperation.

She fought back.

And I hadn’t been here.

“That means she’s still alive,” I said, forcing the words to anchor both of us.

Orion’s eyes whipped to mine—blazing, feral. “We have to go. Now.”

“Xander, she’s out there—”

I stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “And if you walk into whatever trap this is without knowing what we’re dealing with, you’ll be dead before you make it ten steps.”

He stared me down, eyes burning. “You think I care?”

“I think you care about her,” I said, calm but firm. “So pull it together. You want to save her? Then don’t fall apart.”

Orion’s jaw clenched. His nostrils flared. He didn’t back down—but he didn’t push past me either.

“We’ll find her,” I said, quieter now, steadier than I felt. I forced the words out, even as my throat tightened. I had to believe it. If I let myself think otherwise, I wouldn’t hold it together either.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs.

Louise burst into the room, wild-eyed, trembling. “What the hell is going on?! Lila’s hysterical. Darcy’s unconscious. My neighbors are dead—and now you’re saying my daughter is gone!”

Orion flinched. His magic sparked.

“Louise,” I said, stepping in. “I know. But right now, Lila and Darcy need you. Let us get Eve back.”

She froze, breath catching, eyes darting between us. Then she nodded, stiff and silent.

I turned back to Orion, my tone sharper. “Darcy needs healing. That’s on you.”

His jaw clenched, body taut with the urge to fight—but he didn’t argue.

“Go,” I said. “Keep your magic steady.”

He exhaled hard, then turned and stormed toward the stairs.

“We’ll bring her back,” I told her quietly. “I promise.”

Louise lingered a moment longer, hands trembling and face full of fury. But she relented, following Orion downstairs.

The tension downstairs was suffocating.

Darcy lay curled on the couch, breathing shallow but steady. Lila paced like a caged animal, face streaked with tears and costume soaked in blood. Louise now sat in the armchair, white-knuckled and silent.

Orion knelt beside Darcy, hands glowing faintly. His magic hummed low through the room—steady, for now.

I called Sol. He complained, cursed me out a lot, but promised to send a cleanup crew within the hour. One less problem to worry about.

“Orion, we need to talk,” I said, hanging up the phone.

Louise looked up. “Can you tell me what’s going on now? Where’s Eve?”

“She’s been taken,” I said quietly.

“What the fuck do you mean, taken?” Lila snapped, spinning to face me. Her eyes were wide with rage. “What the hell were those things?”

“Demons,” I said. “It’s complicated. But we’re getting her back.”

“Demons?” Lila’s voice cracked. “You expect me to believe—”

“You don’t need to believe it,” Orion cut in, standing now, voice clipped.

Lila opened her mouth again, but Darcy stirred with a groan.

Lila dropped beside her in an instant. “Oh my god—Darcy,” her anger melted as she grabbed her friend’s hand. “You’re okay. You’re okay.”

Darcy blinked slowly, confused but alive. Lila wrapped her arms around her, and for a beat, the room breathed.

Then Orion moved.

He was halfway to the door before I caught him.

“You need to hear this first,” I said, grabbing his arm.

“Xander—“

“Atlas knew.”

He stopped. Barely. His breath was shallow, his whole body coiled.

“He set this up.”

Orion stilled. “ What ?”

“He knew you’d bring her here. He wanted to see what the daema would do.”

Orion’s fury shifted—sharpened. “Why would he—”

I saw the realization hit him like a wrecking ball. There was no love lost between these men, but whatever brotherhood had kept them together had shattered into oblivion.

“I’m going to kill him.”

“We need him to find Eve,” I snapped.

His eyes locked on mine, seething. “He’d better hope she’s alive.”

He turned, storming out.

I looked back. Lila and Darcy sat huddled on the couch. Louise hadn’t moved.

But she was watching me.

No blame. Just fire.

“Go bring my daughter home.”

I nodded once. But the weight of it stayed with me.

We’d failed her too many times. I wouldn’t let it happen again.