We’re all having déjà fucking vu right now, I’m sure of it.
I blink too rapidly, trying to stop hearing Goldie crying in the back of my mind. But it only stops when she grabs my wrist. I shake my head, tugging it away carefully so as not to slice my leg with Chase’s knife.
“We only have minutes, Golds. I’ll go to Remus’s office. Noah, you go to the cafeteria, and Goldie, take the cabin. We’ll meet back in the middle for the boathouse if we don’t find him.”
I don’t want to do this, but time is of the essence.
My sister whispers her dissent, but before I can run away, Noah grabs my arm.
“He would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
Our eyes lock, and the sincerity in his makes my heart sink. Chase would hate him forever. But sometimes we have to make tough choices.
It’s like he can read my mind, because he adds, “We stay together, or we follow you. Your choice.”
I scowl. “That’s not a choice. That’s the same thing, worded differently.”
Only seconds tick by as we stand off, but it’s enough that I can feel my anxiety spike. He’s leaving me no choice. But Noah knows that.Goddammit.He’s officially my least favorite.
I push past him and my sister, giving in, and head toward our fake cabin first.
“Come on,” I hiss before crouching down as I take the stairs quietly. Fuck, they even creak in the same spot as the real ones.
My mind begins to war between the past and present, drifting back there again until Noah’s hushed voice pulls me back.
“Let me check to see if it’s clear.”
I stand off to the side of the door, my crossbow ready as Noah runs to the window, peeking inside quickly before nodding at me. With a deep breath, I grab the handle and turn it, pushing the door open.
A whizzing shoots past my ear, making me blanch and stifle a scream. The silver glint of a butcher knife bounces off the floor as my shoulders lift to my ears, and my head whips to Goldie.
Holy shit.
“What are you doing?” I rush out. She winces, looking horrified as I stare at her, my entire body locked in position. “Chase could’ve been tied up in there.”
Noah’s eyes are like saucers as he looks back and forth between us. But she’s panicked. Shaking her head before she covers her mouth, speaking through her hands.
“Sorry ... sorry. I got attacky. I was thinking that someone was waiting for us.”
My weapons rest on my knees as I bend over, breathing heavy. Finally exhaling, my muscles unknot themselves.
This is not the kind of calamity we need right now.
Noah goes to her as I try to ignore the misfire of my goddamn heart. I look around the room, confirming it’s empty ... again, then close the door.
My eyes land on my sister. “Let’s not kill the fucking guy we’re here to save, yeah?”
She nods, hugging her husband before she whispers, “What about the bathroom?”
“Not real,” I say back, heading down the stairs.
“Remus’s office?” Noah says quietly, and we follow.
We’re hurrying as quietly as we can, our heads turning toward any noise as we rush. The dark makes it colder, or maybe that’s the adrenalinecoursing through me, because I’m covered in goose bumps. My hands still trembling. Truthfully, they haven’t stopped since we arrived.
I hate this. Straight up capital-H hate, but it doesn’t matter what I feel because I can’t even imagine what Chase is feeling.
The picture I’ll never forget—him bloodied and semi-unconscious, being dragged—owns my thoughts again. Tears shine in my eyes, I can’t help it ... He called for me, said my name.
