We reach the corner before she can press further. Kage turns, key in hand.
"Number four. Tilda said if anything goes wrong, there's a hidden door under the rug in the back bedroom."
My pulse spikes at the implication. I take the key without comment.
"Pack and come straight back," I tell Naima.
"I will. I just need to find Margot."
"Tell her I need to speak to her. We'll convince her together."
She nods sharply, then disappears into the crowd.
I don't know how long I've been alone. The sky bleeds redder by the minute, and my restlessness grows with it. I peer through the gap in the curtains. Pace the sitting room. Peer again.
Naima and Margot should have been here by now. After what feels like an eternity, I can't take it anymore. I scribble a note in case Malachi returns first and grab one of Kage's dark cloaks.
A cold finger of dread traces my spine as I lock the door. I try to shake it off.
Then I turn. Dark fog waits on the corner. Still. Patient. As if it's been expecting me.
I clench my fists and wait.
Empath.The voice is in my ear, cold as death.Feel us. Hear us. You are ours to claim.
The air vanishes from my lungs as glowing eyes appear in the fog. Then the darkness retreats, and air rushes back into my chest. I’m still staring at the spot when the sound of screams pulls my attention away.
I run toward the sound and round the corner to find Veritas in chaos. Not the chaos of the Moon Festival, with drunk visitors stumbling through the streets. This is something else. Something worse.
Legion guards shoving people aside. Residents and visitors screaming and running. A woman in a purple cloak falls. Two men rush to help her while the guards dressed in dark green march on without a backward glance.
I stand frozen. Disbelieving.
Then I see Tilda.
Tilda, who is always impeccable, always composed, is shoving through the crowd in a red dress torn at the shoulder. Her lipstick is smeared. Her eyes are wild with terror. I sprint toward her, meeting her in the midst of the screaming. She bellows as she wraps her arms around me and starts to sob uncontrollably.
"What happened?" I try to pull back. "What is this?"
"They took them!" She squeezes tighter, shaking, sobbing. "They just came and took them!"
"Who?"
She pulls back but keeps her grip on my shoulders. Eyeliner streaks down her face. Her eyes are glassy, unfocused.
"They took them!"
"Who?" I shout.
"The children!"
I go cold. "Wh … what children, Til?”
"Naima! Margot! They took them!"
Everything stops. My vision tunnels. I stop breathing. Stop listening. Stop thinking. And suddenly, it all comes roaring back. I shove past her. She grabs me, but I keep moving, dragging her with me until I see him.
And I stop.
