There, on the second-floor catwalk, under the flickering red emergency lights… Daniel.
Alive. Whole. Smiling like a goddamn king.
He’s in dark tactical gear, crisp and clean. His arms are folded over the railing. Behind him, two guards in heavy body armor stand motionless.
My mouth dries out.
Jace steps in front of me, shielding without touching. Tex lifts his weapon. Noah grabs his arm, whispering, “Not yet.”
Daniel’s smirk widens.
“Well, well, there she is,” he says, voice clearer now that it’s no longer filtered through static. “My little survivor. My pretty, poisonous girl.”
My spine stiffens.
Jace growls under his breath. “One more word and he dies.”
“No,” I whisper. “Not yet.”
Daniel leans forward on the railing like he’s settling in for a show. “Did you like my welcome party?” he asks. “Custom built. A lot of money. But you were always worth the investment, Izzy.”
Tex snarls, “Say her name again and I’ll rip your tongue out.”
Daniel’s gaze flicks toward him lazily. “The guard dog speaks.”
Jace’s voice is a blade. “You’re going to regret coming out of your hole.”
Daniel ignores him. His eyes — cold, calculating — stay on me.
“I watched you in that fight. You’ve grown teeth. Claws. But don’t let them lie to you, sweetheart. You’re still mine, where it counts. Still broken in the ways I made you.”
I take a step forward. “You’re right about one thing,” I say. “You made me.”
The boys tense. Jace’s hand hovers near his weapon.
“But not into what you think,” I go on. “You didn’t make me weak. You made meready.For people like you.”
He laughs, but it’s tight now, clipped. “You think you can take me on?”
“Without a doubt.”
Behind me, I feel the others fall in beside me. Not in front. Not behind.
Beside.
Daniel straightens, the smile slipping.
“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance,” he mutters.
“You had plenty of chances,” I say. “And now? You’re out of time.”
His guards step forward slightly, but he lifts a hand to stop them.
“You want to prove you’re not afraid?” Daniel calls down. “Then come find me.”
He presses something at his wrist.
A door on the far side of the chamber hisses open, access to the upper levels.
