My jaw tightens as I force a steady breath. “Because don’t you want revenge? Your twin and your sister had you killed. If you tell me how to find the lab, and when Marco will be there, I’ll kill him for you.”
A deranged smile spreads across his face, sharp and chilling. “I do like the sound of that.” His form flickers, shimmering more solid than before. He glances down at himself, a strange curiosity in his eyes. “But I want to do it myself.”
Figures. He was never going to make this easy. “I can’t do that.”
He shakes his finger at me, eyes gleaming. “Uh-uh, little girl. Spirits talk. I know you’re capable of more than you let on.”
I exhale slowly, already feeling the strain claw at my chest. “If you tell me how to find the lab and when Marco and Orin will be there, I can summon you. I can make you tangible enough to kill him yourself, but it’ll have to be quick.”
Malachi’s anger and fear radiate beside me. I don’t even risk looking at him.
“They’re there right now. They plan to be there all night,” Viktor says, and my stomach sinks. That’s not what I wanted to hear.
“That doesn’t work. What about tomorrow night or the following night? Do they have a schedule?” I ask.
He flicks imaginary dust from his suit, eyes sliding down his nose at me as if I’m the greatest inconvenience. “If it’s my brother you want, you must act tonight. Tomorrow, he leaves with my traitorous friend Boris to sink his claws into the Southern District before my sister can sway anyone else against him.”
I study him carefully, but the tone in his voice feels authentic. I think he’s telling the truth.
“How do I find the lab?” I press. Banks had marked a star on the map, but it wasn’t exact. And traveling through the gutter zone at night, searching for an underground lab, will already be hard enough.
“Find Tommy’s old pizza joint on Dolores,” Viktor says with a cruel smile. “It will lead you where you need to go.”
And then he’s gone in an instant, leaving behind nothing but a lingering cold in the air.
“Fuck,” I mutter, resting my hands on my hips. I glance at Malachi and quickly repeat everything Viktor said.
“Fuck is right.” Malachi’s already on his feet, jaw set tight. He doesn’t waste another second. “Come with me,” he snaps.
Before I can even argue, I’m chasing after him out of the shed and across the snow toward the main house, my pulse thundering in my ears.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
LOG TWENTY-SEVEN – INVERTED CAUSE: WE ISSUE COMMANDS, AND SHE OBEYS, BUT THE OBEDIENCE FEELS REHEARSED, LIKE SHE ANTICIPATED THE ORDER BEFORE WE GAVE IT.
The front door slams open,a burst of icy air sweeping in with us. Everyone looks up from where they’re gathered in the living room, draped across chairs and couches in their pajamas, relaxing by the fire that lights up their tired faces.
“What the hell?” Dante mutters, straightening. “You two look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Malachi huffs. “Not far off,” he says, brushing past him and pulling the map off the counter, spreading it across the table.
I quickly tell everyone what happened while Malachi searches the map, his eyebrows scrunched together in concentration.
“Wait, slow down,” Aurora says, sitting up straighter on the couch. “You want to leave tonight, right now?”
“It may be our only choice if Viktor is telling the truth,” Bash says, and I nod.
“The bastard is probably lying,” Cade says, coming over to the map to see where Malachi is looking.
“This is what we’ve been training for. Tonight or tomorrownight makes no difference to us. We are ready, guys,” Alex says, and I like his enthusiasm. I think he’s right. We may feel a little tired, but nothing a little adrenaline rush won’t wipe away.
“If we want to get Marco and Orin, tonight’s the night. I believe Viktor. I don’t like the prick one bit, but I believe he was speaking the truth,” I say.
Nasha stands, stretching, her violet eyes meet mine. “Fuck it, let’s get dressed and go over the plan,” she says, hurrying down the hallway to change.
Aurora jumps up from the couch. “Finally, I was getting tired of sitting around waiting.”
“Everyone, gear up,” Malachi says, his voice taking on that commanding tone. “Full tactical. Masks, Avidian, weapons. Meet back here in fifteen minutes.”
