“And if anything feels off,” she added, “you leave. No explanations. You don’t owe him anything.”
I nodded. My phone buzzed again.You coming?The words felt impatient now. Expectant.
I typed back with shaking fingers.I’m on my way.
As Briar started the car and pulled out of the driveway, the house disappeared behind us, swallowed by dark. Dread and determination twisted tight in my gut. Zach wouldn’t hurt me. That was the belief I clung to, fingers white-knuckled around it. And whether it was right or wrong, it was the thing that pushed me forward.
***
I DROVE SLOWERthan I needed to.
There was a house at the address Zach sent, it sat at the end of a narrow stretch of road, half swallowed by trees. Its porch sagged forward like it had long ago stopped pretending to be welcoming. No lights. No neighbors close enough to hear anything if someone screamed.
Briar was hunkered down in the backseat, hidden low just like we’d planned. I could feel her back there, a taut wire stretched between us. The only thing keeping me from turning the car around and flooring it.
Something was wrong.
The closer I got, the sicker I felt. My palms slicked the steering wheel. My throat tightened. Every instinct I’d learned the hard way whispered don’t.
Then Zach stepped out onto the porch.
He smiled when he saw me.
Not the strained smile from the motel. Not desperation. Not guilt. Just that familiar warmth I remembered. The Zach from our teenage years. The one who promised he would never let me go. The Zach who loved me.
Relief hit hard enough to make my knees weak.
Maybe I was wrong.
I parked and got out, the door clicking shut far too loud in the quiet.
“I’m glad you came, Lark,” he said as he walked toward me. His voice was gentle. “After the way I behaved the other day, I wasn’t sure you would.”
I forced myself to stay focused. “What do you know about Sable and the kids?”
His expression shifted. Sober now. “They’re in danger,” he said. “The new prophet wants Malik and Zara.”
My stomach dropped. “And Sable?”
“They’re planning to kill her,” Zach said softly. “After they take the children.”
The world narrowed to a single point.
“No,” I whispered. “They can’t. How do you know?”
Zach opened his mouth to answer.
“Because, my dear flame…”
The voice behind me crawled straight up my spine.
“I was on the council who ordered it.”
Every muscle in my body locked.
I didn’t need to turn around. I already knew.
“Jasper,” I said.
