“Katy would.”She huffed.“She’d tell me to get my head out of my ass, and she’d be right.But I can’t imagine a world where she didn’t exist.”
Lola rubbed her temples, trying to ease the tension headache forming.They’d been debating solutions for hours, to no avail.
“There has to be something we haven’t thought of,” she insisted.Maddie shot her an apologetic look.Even her quick-thinking friend was stumped.
Nico lounged in his chair, flipping one of his many knives idly.“Best we go make sure Azure finished the job.”
Lola suppressed a shudder.“We’re not assassinating anyone, especially not women who were captured and held against their will.Katy would never forgive us.”
Before Nico could respond, Lola’s phone buzzed with an incoming call.Frowning at the unknown number, she answered.
“Hello?”
“Lola, it’s Link.I have news.”
The Shaman’s voice was breathless, as if he’d been running.Dread curled in Lola’s stomach.
“What is it?What’s happened?”
“There was an attack on the mansion.Azure’s inner circle tried to wipe out the captive women, probably in hopes of keeping his secrets.”Link’s voice turned grim.“Most didn’t make it.”
Lola’s heart seized.If those women died, Katy would be free.She shouldn’t be happy about it.She shouldn’t want to find her friend and hug her when it was the lives of innocent women that kept her alive.But damn it, that’s exactly what she wanted to do.
Lola’s hands trembled, and she nearly dropped the phone.This changed everything.
“Mostdidn’t make it,” she repeated hoarsely.“Then some are still alive?”
“Two survived,” Link confirmed.“Badly injured, but holding on.Katy’s life is still tied to theirs.I can feel it on them.”
Lola’s elation vanished, dread flooding back in.Only two… What did that mean?Did that mean Katy still had to die?Her best friend could still be in danger.
Unless… No, she couldn’t even think it.But the dark thought wormed into her mind, whispering that Katy would only be safe if those last two perished as well.
Lola squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head violently.What was she becoming?These were innocent lives, and she was ready to sacrifice them for one person.
But it was Katy.Her sister in all but blood.How could Lola value strangers over the girl who’d had her back since kindergarten?
“Lola?Are you still there?”Link’s concerned voice cut into her spiraling thoughts.She sucked in a sharp breath.
“Y-yes, I’m here.Thank you for calling, Link.We’ll let Katy and Gage know.”She moved to lower the phone with a shaky hand.
“Wait,” he said urgently.“I may have a way to save them all.”
“What are you talking about?”
Callon took the phone from Lola’s hand and put it on speaker.“What’s your plan, Link?And it had better be something more productive than Nico’s.”
“Let me guess.He just wants to kill everyone here?”
They all looked at the Kingdom of Chaos Shaman.“What?”Nico shrugged.“Death isn’t the end.It’s just a new beginning.For all we know, their human lives were shit.We might be doing them a favor.”
“Why is he here?”Maddie asked dryly.
“Because I’m the crazy one.”Nico sneered.“They always bring in the crazy one when they’re getting desperate.”
“Who is ‘they’?”
He lifted a brow at Lola.“The ones who don’t want their hand sullied.”
