Chapter Forty-One
Lia
Mile markers blur past the window as we leave the devastation of yesterday behind. We were supposed to take down Joaquin and Draven.
Instead, they defeated us.
Or maybe they just defeated me.
I refuse to let Leo’s death mean nothing. Even as my heart claws at the cage I’ve built for it, I lock it down.
I have to survive until the fight is over.
Maybe this is what it means to be a warrior.
I don’t stop hurting. I learn to endure.
My eyes drift to Kylo, and I can’t look away.
I never thought I could fall for a man. Not after Julian. Not after Joaquin. Somehow, Kylo slipped past every defense I spent years building.
Yesterday, when grief nearly consumed me, he was there. No judgment. No empty words. He breathed life back into me.
He makes me feel seen—like there’s still something worth fighting for.
There’s a terrifying duality to him, one I’m only beginning to understand.
He’s rough, yet gentle.
Ruthless, yet careful.
Deadly.
When he touches me?
It’s reverent.
The confession I’ve kept hidden spreads its wings, desperate to take flight.
“How much longer?” I ask.
“We still have seven hours until the next hotel,” Zayne replies.
In the passenger seat, Carter sits with his eyes shut. I can’t tell if he’s sleeping or ignoring us.
“We’d get there faster if we took turns driving,” Kylo suggests.
“Do you think we should skip the hotel?” Zayne asks.
“Skipping would save time,” Kylo says. “We rotate. Sleep in shifts, and take turns driving.”
Zayne nudges Carter. “Hey. Wake up.”
“I’m not asleep, asshole,” Carter grumbles.
“Your brother and I need a tiebreaker,” Zayne says. “What’s your take?”
Carter twists in his seat to look at me. “What do you think, Lia?”
Everyone in the vehicle is watching me now. Kylo’s brows are drawn, like he’s trying to decipher what’s going on in my head.
If he could hear my thoughts, he’d understand why I’m hesitating.
I don’t trust myself behind the wheel.
What if Draven invades my mind while I’m driving?
What if my emotions spiral and trigger another panic attack?
I can’t risk it. I won’t endanger them like that.
Kylo’s eyes search mine, sharp and assessing. “You’re nervous.”
“What are you worried about?” Carter asks.
“Losing control behind the wheel.”
“You shouldn’t lose control. I’m shielding you,” Carter says sleepily, leaning his head against the door and shutting his eyes. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, the three of us can alternate.”
Something dawns on me—a detail I’ve missed.
“Carter, does shielding me drain your energy?”
“To an extent. Why do you ask?”
“You’ve been struggling to stay awake most of the drive.”
He waves me off. “It’s not an issue.”
Kylo meets my eyes briefly, and I wonder what he’s thinking. The thought sparks an idea. A bold one.
“What if you stop shielding me? I’m rested. I can block Draven out.”
“Not happening,” Zayne snaps, far too quickly for my liking.
“I’ve done it before.”
“It’s not safe. You just said you didn’t want to drive because you can’t control your powers.”
“That’s different. I won’t be driving.”
“Let her try,” Kylo interrupts.
“You’ve seen how little control she has over her powers,” Zayne says. “I’m not taking that risk.”
“Lia, you sure about this?” Carter asks.
I appreciate that he’s giving me a choice.
“You’re outnumbered here, Zayne,” Kylo warns.
The way Kylo defends me triggers the urge to kiss him right here—with Zayne watching—just to spite him.
“Trust me, Zayne,” I say.
“Fine,” Zayne grates out. “If she fucks up, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Carter exhales, focusing as he releases his shield. The invisible shackles fall away, my thoughts stretching to their full capacity.
I’m grateful for the protection, but I can’t let others fight my battles for me anymore.
It’s time to face Draven and shut the door on him for good.
“I hear you again.” Kylo’s voice glides through my mind, smooth and velvety.
It’s surreal how I used to find his presence in my head annoying.
Now I crave it.
“Welcome back,” I say.
“Did you miss me?”
“Maybe a little.”
His mouth curves into that infuriatingly cocky smirk, followed by a lazy wink that’s way too self-assured.
Zayne glances at us through the rearview mirror. “You two are unbelievable. You wanted the shield lifted so you could mind fuck each other?”
Kylo’s eyes narrow as he meets Zayne’s glare. “Zayne, you got a problem?”
“Yeah, I do,” he snaps. “You and Lia keep putting this mission at risk because of your goddamned feelings.”
“Our feelings?” Kylo laughs, sharp and humorless. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Zayne scoffs. “Lia’s compromising her mind, and for what? So you two can chatter telepathically while Draven lurks in the dark, waiting to strike.”
“I’ve blocked him out before.”
“How did he slip past your defenses on our trip to Seattle?” Zayne asks, accusation sharpening his tone.
I understand his hesitancy. He’s been loyal to the mission, following every plan and order without question.
To him, I’m the chaotic whirlwind that blew in and upended everything.
He’s had his whole life to master his abilities, while I’m still playing catch-up.
I’m doing everything I can to keep up.
“I’m still learning,” I tell Zayne. I refuse to let him keep casting me as the problem. “Tuning into emotions is more demanding, but my telepathy is almost under control.”
“Then why can’t you drive?”
“Trying to drive while blocking Draven out is like texting behind the wheel. It’s distracting and dangerous. To keep him out, I have to lock my thoughts down completely. It’s not worth risking hurting you all if I lose control on the road.”
“She makes a damn good point,” Carter says.
“Yeah, she does,” Kylo adds.
Pride wells inside me.
“If we’re a team, then trust has to go both ways. Trust me to do my part,” I say.
Hesitation and skepticism ripple off him in a gray aura.
Emotions reveal a person’s truest state. They don’t lie.
I feel it all.
That’s the frightening part.
Thoughts and feelings aren’t as separate as people believe. They twist together, knotting into something far more volatile—something I can reach.
Kylo visibly relaxes in his seat and places his hand over mine. “Are you okay?”
“I’m better. I’ve had enough of this nightmare. I’m ready to stop Draven.”
“There she is.”
Please be careful with what’s left of my heart.
“There’s so much I need to tell you,” I say, opening my mind to him.
It’s easier now, like flipping a switch. Funny how that happens after weeks of practice and Kylo nearly pushing me to the brink of spiritual homicide.
“There’s plenty I want to say too,” he replies. “But that’s a conversation for when we’re alone.”
He opens his arms, and I rest my head against his chest, soothed by the steady beat of his heart.
“Wake up,” Kylo whispers, nudging me gently.
“Where are we?” I murmur, still curled against him. My neck is stiff from being in the same position for hours.
“We made it,” he says with a playful grin, his thumb brushing my lower lip. “You’ve got a little bit of drool.”
“What?” I jolt upright.
“Kidding.” He winks.
I give him a wary look. “I was out that long?”
“You and Kylo were both out cold,” Carter chimes in. “Snoring so loud I couldn’t hear my music.”
“Ha, ha. Very funny, Carter,” I say.
Turns out the real test of endurance isn’t training with Kylo. It’s spending endless hours trapped in a vehicle with him, Zayne, and Carter.
Everyone took turns playing music, which meant a rotating mix of genres.
Kylo drove most of the night, going twenty-something over, like the speed limit had personally offended him.
Every few hours, someone needed food or a bathroom break. We stopped at grimy gas stations where the snacks tasted like cardboard, only for Zayne to start barking at us to hurry up. I learned Zayne’s patience is even lower than Kylo’s, which sets the bar incredibly low.
The back seat turned into a warzone of tangled limbs and restless sighs. Cramped legs. Stiff backs. At one point, I could’ve sworn Zayne was growling in his sleep. The man snores like a bear with sinus problems.
I still don’t know how we made it without killing each other.
Crossing the border nearly stopped my heart. The border agent stood stone-faced outside our window, flashlight in hand.
“Where are you coming from?” he asked, eyeing us suspiciously.
“Seattle,” Kylo answered.
“Destination?”
“Healy, Alaska.”
“Passports.”
Kylo handed them over with confidence. The agent stared at us for too long, his eyes turning milky. Then, without a word, the man nodded and waved us through.
Now, as I peer through the window, the tunnel we’re driving through is dim and narrow, its walls concrete-lined with a handful of blinking orange lights.
Straightening in my seat, I ask, “What is this place?”
“It’s a compound similar to the one in Portland,” Zayne says. “The tunnel’s the only way in by vehicle.”
He’s managed to ignore me for the entire drive. While Kylo, Carter, and I talked about our favorite music and other random topics, Zayne kept his lips sealed like he was anywhere but here.
“It’s larger,” Carter adds, glancing back at me. “Five hundred acres bigger, give or take.”
My jaw slackens.
“He built it himself,” he continues. “Elijah doesn’t skimp on security. You’ll see soon enough. The place is fortified at every level. Layered checkpoints, surveillance everywhere, guards trained to act first and ask later. It keeps the Aether Hunters out.”
“What exactly happens at the checkpoint?”
“Telepaths interrogate you. It’s the only way to ensure no one’s been compromised or turned into a spy.”
We’re heading into the safest compound.
I should feel reassured, but instead, a subtle, creeping unease threads through me.
I’ve spent weeks practicing how to guard my thoughts, and now I have to hand them over?
“What’s bothering you?” Kylo asks. His voice is coaxing, the kind he uses when he already knows the answer but is waiting for me to surrender it.
“I’m not ready to let a stranger pick through my head.”
“The protocol is a necessary evil. I hate it as much as you do.”
“How do you know we’re safe here? We’ve been betrayed before.”
I twirl a strand of hair. Kylo places his hand over mine, stopping me. “This place is locked down tight. Nothing gets in or out without clearance.”
“Why didn’t we come here first?”
“We were still following Plan A. This is Plan B.”
The vehicle slows as we reach the checkpoint.
Per Carter’s warning, guards in tactical gear motion us out with steely commands.
Their uniforms are the same as before, black with a golden crest. We’re separated without ceremony.
They raid our car, pull out our bags, and sift through everything we own.
A guard drags me into a separate room away from everyone else. “Stay here and wait for your assigned guard to assist you,” she says before slamming the door.
My room is sterile. Two metal chairs. One splintered wooden table. Beige walls and scuffed white tile. The fluorescent light overhead blinks once before humming back to life, filling the room with a sickly, clinical glow that reminds me of hospitals.
The door creaks open, and a guard steps in. He’s massive, broad-shouldered, strapped like he’s heading into battle. Considering he’s twice my size and looks like he eats nails for breakfast, all that gear seems like overkill.
Head held high, I match his stare without backing down.
“Turn around and place your hands above your head against the wall,” he demands.
I do as he says. He pats me down, his hands skimming over every surface. My teeth clench as I fight the urge to recoil.
Once he’s finished, he peels off his gloves and plants his palm flat against my forehead, forcing my head back until I’m staring at the ceiling.
“If you resist, I’ll sedate you. Don’t try anything.”
My mind jerks violently as he searches it. I’m yanked into the depths of myself, my subconscious ripped open.
Leo’s smile flashes first.
Joaquin’s sick satisfaction over his death follows.
It all spins, memories collapsing in on each other.
He lands on one.
My mother’s murder.
I have to watch it play out—again.
I fight against him as the memories collide with the present, his face flashing in and out between them.
He’s dissecting my mind, taking his time.
This has nothing to do with security.
He’s savoring this.
Air won’t come, no matter how hard I try to gasp for it. He forces me to watch Leo die frame by frame. My heart feels like it’s tearing open all over again, leaving me exposed.
I’ve had enough.
A seismic shock rattles the room as I summon my strength and unleash the energy, forcing him out of my mind. His body hurtles backward and slams through the wall. Cracks spiderweb outward before chunks of debris crash to the ground, sending up clouds of dust.
His stunned face comes into view on the floor, blurring as my vision wavers.
Darkness pours in until there’s nothing left but the void.