“Caden’s the opposite. He’s methodical. Cold. Calculated. He won’t kill unless it’s necessary, but when he does…” Sean inhaled through his nose. “It’s a work of art.”
A chill crawled up my spine. “That’s not comforting. You’re making him sound like a psychopath.”
“He’s not.” Sean’s expression was firm. “But heishighly intelligent. Where James fakes control, Caden actually has it. Three cycles of life will do that to you.” His lips pressed together. “Your boyfriend’s not even in his first half. Mastery, for him, is an illusion. Which is why it’s so insane the guy is about to become Leader of the largest Collective on the planet…”
I didn’t know how to respond, mostly because I also didn’t know how James had pulled it off. And also because Sean wasn’t entirely wrong… I had seen the cracks in James’s carefully constructed façade myself. He tried so hard to be the man everyone needed him to be, but there was a difference between forcing control and owning it.
Sean stilled and we fell into a comfortable silence, where thoughts drifted but didn’t demand to be spoken.
Sean’s arm still rested on my shoulder, and I didn’t pull away.
There was only quiet. No blood. No chaos.
Only us.
NINE
EMMA
“I swear!” Sean chuckled, and I rolled onto my stomach, laughing harder than I’d done in weeks.
“You didnot!” I shrieked, my voice still cracking with disbelief.
“Hey, the guy has a cerulean stick up his ass,” Sean said, grinning. “It was either an innocent prank or surgical removal. As far as I’m concerned, he lucked out.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I gasped for air. “I can’t believe you created an entire fake program.”
Sean's grin widened, his own laughter catching up with mine. “I still can’t believe James Walker actually thought he had to attend ‘Emotional Openness Training.’”
I propped myself up on my elbows, grinning. “What was on the agenda?”
Sean started counting on his fingers. “Hour One:Crying Over Dead Houseplants.Hour Two:Screaming Your Feelings into a Void.Hour Three:Trust Falls with Total Strangers.Andif he survived that, there was an optionalInterpretive Dance Session about Personal Loss.”
I wheezed. “Please tell me he showed up.”
“Oh, he showed up,” Sean said, like it was the proudest moment of his life. “Full uniform. Sat through fifteen minutes before realizing no one else was coming—and that the instructor was me wearing a fake mustache.”
I buried my face in my arms, convulsing with laughter.
“He didn’t speak to me for three days after,” Sean added, still grinning. “Pretty sure he tried to get me transferred to Sisu—the Collective out in Greenland where nothing ever happens except frostbite and death by boredom.”
I wiped my face, still giggling. “I honestly can’t believe you’re alive.”
Sean shrugged. “Walker respects a man willing to die for the bit.”
He glanced down at the bottle between us and blinked in surprise. “Well, would ye look at this,” he said with a soft chuckle. “We’ve managed to empty the whole damn bottle.”
I tracked his line of sight and groaned, suddenly feeling the full impact of the Scotch. My head spun a little.I’m really drunk.The world around me seemed somewhat fuzzy, and my thoughts were moving slower than usual.
Before I could say anything, the air in front of us shimmered shades of green, and with a loud crack, James and Jackson portaled in.
James looked frantic, before his eyes locked onto me immediately, fury blazing behind them.
“Emma!” he bellowed, his voice razor-sharp. Heavy boots crushed the ground beneath him as he stormed forward, each stride radiating fury. “What thehellare you doing? Do you haveanyidea what’s been happening? I’ve been trying to reach you for hours, and you’re outhere…” His gaze flicked down, landingon the empty bottle between Sean and me. His eyes widened, and his nostrils flared.
“Drinking?”
I flinched at his harsh words, shrinking back. “James, I?—"
