“Yes?” he asks. There’s a slightly annoyed tone to his voice.
“First of all, lose the attitude. I followed you into this car like you asked. Now, are you going to tell me what this is about?” I’m not sorry for how harsh the words sound.
Hechuckles. “Patience, little nightmare,” he drawls. “We’re almost there. You’ll find out soon enough.” He averts his gaze, staring off into the headrest in front of him.
I huff out a sigh and decide to spend the remainder of the drive considering all the things that could be happening. I didn’t know my father well, but according to my mother, he had secrets. Gideon was a powerful man. Could he possibly owe a debt that someone has finally come to collect? I’m not sure what Reverb would have to do with that, though. Nothing makes sense right now. Before I can continue sorting through my thoughts, we drive up a long gravel road and stop in front of a big, gray metal building that looks like some sort of warehouse. Great, so Iamabout to be murdered. I’m arguing with myself for not paying closer attention to my surroundings on the way here when my door opens.
“Get out,” Van barks out.
I step out and say, “Yes, sir.”
He doesn’t respond, but instead starts walking off toward the back of the building. I follow after him, nearly jogging to keepup. Even though I’m not considered short, he’s much taller. My legs barely seem to be working as he strides away from me with ease. We finally make it to the door, and he turns toward me, eyeing me up and down.
“What’s the matter, little nightmare? Out of shape?” he asks, that playful tone returning.
“You were practically running over here. I could barely keep up.” I scoff, looking up at him with my hands on my hips.
“I could help you work on that stamina,” he says, his voice a little lower than before. The freakingnerveof this man.
“Are you seri—”
“In the gym, of course. What did you think I meant, Sloane?” he purrs, turning to walk into the warehouse. He leaves me behind at the doorway, staring after him with my mouth wide open like the idiot that I am.
He turns back as he calls out, “What do you need, an invitation? Come in.” I narrow my eyes at him and then follow him into the building.
Overhead, there are industrial beams that stretch across the ceiling. I follow him through the mostly bare building, noticing the sharp white of the fluorescent lights, stopping once we approach the doorway to a room. I survey the area, noting that there are monitors and medical equipment along a wall on the right. The monitors blink faintly, and the air smells of metal and something … clinical. There’s a chair near the middle that reclines. It reminds me of one you’d find in a doctor’s office.
Sitting together on a large sofa along the left wall are the other three band members of Reverb. Van walks in first, heading toward the monitors. I swallow, stuck standing in the doorway. The room suddenly feelsmuchsmaller with all of them in it.
“Come in, Sloane,” Van says, his back toward me as he fumbles with the tangled monitor cords. I don’t move, suddenlyall too aware of the three sets of eyes,masks, that are currently on me.
“We don’t bite,” says the one sitting on the far right. He’s smaller than the other two, with his messy white-blonde hair on full display.
“We don’t bitehardis what he meant to say,” says the one sitting on the opposite end. He seems to have the same build as Van, but he’s a little shorter.
“Guys,enough,” says the one in the middle. I recognize him as the big, muscular one whom Lydia couldn’t keep her hands off of at the photo op. He towers above the guys who sit on either side of him.
I clear my throat, but remain in the doorway. I’m not sure I remember how to use my legs, or if they are even still attached to my body. I look down at them to make sure.
“Come in, Sloane. Have a seat in the chair here,” Van says, bringing my attention back to him. He motions to the doctor’s office-looking chair in the center of the room.
“And then I’ll explain to everyone what’s going on,” Van finishes.
13
Riven
Sloane looks terrified as she finally steps into the room on shaky legs. I begin to worry that she’s in some kind of shock. I walk toward her and reach out a hand to help her up onto the chair. She bats it away. There she is.Good. She helps herself into the chair and peers up at me, waiting.
“This is Sloane Keenan. Sloane, this is Ash, Graf, and Slate. Sloane is the journalist from Obsidian Press that I mentioned before.” I start, pausing when I notice Sloane tense at my words.
“Wait, you know who I work for?” she blurts out. I nod my head up and down and continue addressing the guys.
“Anyways, I don’t think that Sloane was affected by any of the frequencies. I think she’s still an outlier, and I’m worried that if Sabel finds out—”
“She won’t. What can we do?” Cal asks. Raithe and Kai nod in agreement.
“Well. I want to test—”
