Chapter 2
TWO
There’s always something hiding in the dark.
CELINE
By the time I climb the stairs to my apartment, my feet are dragging and the silence is oppressive. I have no idea how long I’ve been awake, but it’s been ages since I’ve been this physically or emotionally drained.
I can’t rest yet, though.
We don’t have a key; our bags are still somewhere in the monster realm, and—I freeze and hold up my hand to make the others stop. A fissure of dread opens in my belly.
The door to my apartment is closed, but there’s a boot print in the center, and it’s hanging crooked enough to make my eye twitch.
Getting in won’t be a problem because someone already has.
“Don’t get any closer, angel.” Alistair eyes the door as if it might attack me. Since I’m pretty sure it’s been knocked off its hinges and propped in the opening, that’s a valid worry. Anything could be behind it, but I’m too pissed off and wrung out to be afraid.
I poke the door gingerly, and my fingertip tingles. “Whoever broke in left magic behind.”
Hyacinth pushes past Riven, wrinkling her nose. “Not witches.”
Huh. It’s not celestial magic either.
Luca sighs. “Great. Some unknown entity came poking around while we were gone. That’s exactly what we need.”
“I can coat us in a nightmare in case someone is watching,” Ciprian offers. His voice is raspy and laced with exhaustion. He’s already pushed too hard.
My lips press into a thin line.
Riven hums. “That’s a good idea. We should be—”
I drive my heel into the boot print on the door, cutting off whatever he was about to say.
This is my fucking apartment. If someone rigged a magical alarm inside, that’s fine by me. They can get their ass back here and confront me face-to-face. I’ll be happy to teach them a lesson in manners, but I’m not about to hover outside my own place like a moth around a streetlight.
“Celine!”
“Fucking fuck, baby. We don’t even know who did this!”
I scrub my palm over my face. “We don’t know yet, but we will soon.” I walk over the flattened door and narrow my eyes as I peer inside my dark apartment.
Nothing is visibly out of place. My decorative pillows are perched on the couch where they belong. All the kitchen cabinets are closed. In fact, nothing is strewn around or trashed like you might expect after a break-in.
The others join me, and I glance at them. “Does anyone sense that we aren’t alone?”
They shake their heads. Alistair darts away, his body blurring as he checks the rest of the apartment. He’s back in ten seconds. “No one’s here and nothing’s damaged but the door.”
Ciprian blinks, narrowing his eyes and cocking his head. He obviously has a theory, but before I can demand he tell me, a popping sound tears through the stale air. Swirling purple lights spark beside the couch, and a man stumbles through.
His black eyes are feral and furious. They flit between us until they land on Ciprian and stay there. He takes a step forward.
Alistair snarls.
I slap my arm across his stomach as a seatbelt as he tenses to lunge. “Stop,” I hiss. “That’s Ciprian’s brother.”
“Callum?” Ciprian’s eyebrows pull together. “What are you—?” His question ends with a wheeze as Callum yanks him into a fierce hug.
The portal crackles again, and Sheena steps through. “Was it another false alarm?” Her green eyes widen as she takes in my crowded living room.
“Hey, bestie,” Ciprian’s voice cracks. “Quit pawing at me, Callum, I’m fine.”
“Where have you been?” Callum demands. “Sheena hasn’t heard from you in weeks. We tried to find you, but no one knew how to get to the celestial realm.”
Sheena places her hand on Callum’s back. “Take a breath—”
“I can’t,” he snarls, raking his hand through his dark hair. “I haven’t breathed in weeks. You better have a good excuse for this, Ciprian, or I swear to the gods . . .”
Ciprian stares at his brother like he’s never seen him before.
I glance at Sheena, and she shakes her head. “Celine, Alistair, are you both alright?” Her voice is low and soft, soothing.
I nod. Alistair blinks a few times, then his lips curl into a small smile. “I’m in perfect health.” He glances at the broken door. “Do we have you to thank for that?”
Sheena blushes and groans. “Gideon knocked it down before I could talk him out of it.” She glances at Riven and Hyacinth with undisguised curiosity, even as she addresses me. “You say you’re okay, but are you safe here, Celine?”
My shoulders slump.
I want to be safe here. Home, in my bed, surrounded by the things that are familiar to me, but her question cuts to the truth: we’re not safe, and there’s no point lying to myself about it.
I shake my head slowly, and Sheena nods. “Come home with us. We can help, or at least give you a safe place to rest.”
It’s a good idea, but I won’t make the decision for everyone. Luca and Alistair have apartments here; they might not want to go to the compound. My stomach flips as I imagine being separated from them, and I’m beyond relieved when they both agree.
Riven’s face warps, but he nods along with the others.
Sheena smiles. “Wonderful. I’m glad you’re all safe. We’ll get out of your hair for a little bit and give you time to pack. Idris will reactivate the portal in one hour.”
Ciprian grabs his brother’s arm. “Does Mom know?”
“I didn’t tell her anything,” Callum says.
Ciprian puffs out a sigh, and Sheena pats him on the back. “We’ll have the portal drop you directly in our wing. Mallory won’t notice a thing.” She hesitates. Her bottom lip wobbles, and she tugs it between her teeth to hold it still. “I was so scared.”
He wraps her in a hug. “Me too, bestie.”
She pulls back reluctantly and takes Callum’s hand, tugging him into the purple portal. It winks out a second after they disappear.
Groaning, Ciprian sinks down on the couch.
“I’ll pack some things,” I murmur, glancing at Hyacinth. “I’ll grab clothes for you too, but they might not fit.”
“Sheena can help with that,” Ciprian says. Right, her wishes. She gave Alistair the fucking sun; a new wardrobe is nothing. I nod, feeling a small weight fall off my shoulders, then walk to my room and start stuffing things into the first bag I find.
No order, no rhyme or reason. I’m not capable of it right now.
Malach is gone, and my father has him. Nothing will be right until I can change that.
In the meantime, we’ll hide out at the enclave’s compound—the most secure place within a thousand miles. Maybe I’ll get a full night’s sleep, or maybe I’ll sneak out in the middle of the night and go after Malach on my own.
Only time will tell.
There’s a tree growing out of the wall.
It’s the first thing I notice when we step through the portal.
Huge and gnarled, the trunk stretches up to the ceiling, supporting a leafy canopy that looms over us like nature’s version of an umbrella.
A few leaves are scattered on the hardwood floor.
I have so many questions, like how did the tree get here?
How do they water it? Does someone sweep the leaves up every day?
They should. The moisture could damage the hardwood otherwise.
I rub my gritty eyes, stifling the urge to collect the fallen leaves and stuff them in my pocket until I can find a trash can.
“Is Sheena obsessed with nature?” I whisper to Ciprian.
His lips twitch. “Not at all, but she is obsessed with Idris.”
“I am not.” Sheena walks into the foyer wearing yoga pants and a pair of mismatched fuzzy socks. “We have a healthy, mature, and loving relationship.”
“Mmhmm.” Ciprian yawns. “Whatever you say.”
“You should be nice to me,” Sheena says to him. “I convinced Gideon and Callum to let you sleep before interrogating you.”
“It would be helpful if you could walk us through any potential security threats, though.” A man dressed in all black steps out of the shadows, crossing his thick, scarred arms over his burly chest. His braids are half-up, half-down, and the scars on his face scream danger.
He’s hot, but he’s as out of place inside this supernatural compound as the tree because he’s obviously human.
Alistair’s eyes flash red as he focuses on him while addressing Sheena. “I see you couldn’t convince your snack to do the same.”
“Play nice,” Sheena warns. “You and Quaid got along fine in the past.”
The big guy snorts and rolls his eyes at her.
Alistair grunts. “That’s because he didn’t speak.”
Sheena plants her hands on her hips. “Maybe you should follow his example.”
My lips twitch. Sheena is small, but watching her put Alistair in his place is hilarious. Besides a small sigh, he takes it without complaint, too worried to hurt her feelings to treat her how he would anyone in the Fringes.
Satisfied that no one is going to come to blows in the foyer, Sheena glances at Luca, Riven, and Hyacinth. “I’m Sheena. I don’t think we’ve met before.”
Luca’s smile is immediate as he steps forward and sticks his hand out. “I’m Luca, thank you for your help.”
Riven steps in front of Hyacinth in a clear signal of mistrust, and my eye twitches.
“That’s Riven and Hyacinth,” I tell Sheena. “Sorry, I should have introduced everyone sooner.”
Sheena notes Riven’s defensiveness but doesn’t take offense. My shoulders dip. At least someone here isn’t overreacting.
Ciprian tosses his arm over Sheena’s shoulders. “They’re running low on clothes.”
Her eyes brighten, flickering briefly from green to lavender. “Oh, sure. Let’s get you to your rooms, and I’ll take care of it.” She leads us past the tree and down a wide hallway with a cathedral ceiling. “I put you in the rooms down the hall from ours,” she tells Ciprian.
He raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t know there were other bedrooms down there. I thought Idris required personal space.”
Sheena grins. “I might have done some rearranging. He’ll be fine.
” Rearranging? Like we’re going to be sleeping in a hastily converted laundry room, or she added on to the wing in the hour since we last saw her?
With the way my feet are dragging against the carpet, I’m not sure I care.
I could sleep in a truck bed full of gravel.