"Yeah," I say, glancing back at him.
He studies me for a second, then nods. "We're gonna end this."
"Yes we are."
I stare out the window, watching the buildings shift from residential to industrial, with warehouses, abandoned lots, and graffiti-covered walls.
"ETA five minutes," Tommy says to me.
"Okay," I say.
I lean forward, checking my Glock one more time. Slide it back into the holster.
My mind drifts to Zaria again. To the way she looked at me last night before falling asleep. The way she smiled, tired and soft.
Then to the way she sounded on that recording. Terrified.
My chest tightens.
Hold on, Zaria. I'm coming.
The SUVs slow as we turn onto a narrow road lined with chain-link fences and overgrown weeds.
Ahead is the Old Ruins Complex. The sign out front is rusted, barely legible.
Tommy pulls up to the fence, idling.
I stare at the building.
It looks empty, but I know better.
"Ram the fence," I say.
Tommy doesn't hesitate. He guns it, and the SUV slams through the chain-link with a crash. The fence tears apart, posts bending, wire snapping.
The other SUVs follow, flooding into the parking lot.
We stop, and I look around. It's quiet except for the engines running.
Suddenly, bullets explode against the windshield.
35
ZARIA
Ilay there staring at the ceiling, trying my best not to move.
The altar feels warm behind me. So warm I feel it through the fabric of my shirt, pressing against my spine, my shoulder blades, the curve of my skull.
I turn my head to the side and see the handle of the blade that is pinning me down.
It's the silver ornate one, with the end twisting into a crow's wing. It's the same one I've seen on other altars, on Cormac's desk, and used in ritual.
Every breath makes my body go up and down, and it feels like the knife slices more and more into me.
The pain from my shoulder radiates down my arm, across my collarbone, into my ribs. My muscles scream at me to hold still, but I can't stop breathing. I can't stop existing, even when existing hurts this much.
The stab wound felt hot at first, but now it feels cold, and I feel the constant drip of blood pooling under my shoulder.
