“There are dozens more unconfirmed incidents. Most of what we know comes from rumors. I’ve been tracking him for years. He remains elusive, and while he's dangerous, it’s his ability to remain hidden that's unmatched. No one credible has seen him in fifteen years—not even unofficially.”
“How is that possible?” Audrey asked, aghast.
“Systems fail wherever he shows up. Surveillance drops. The electrical grid glitches. It almost feels like the infrastructure itself rejects him. There have been too many incidents for coincidence,” he admitted. “If he were here, every intelligence system in the Aggregate would be screaming.”
Audrey frowned slightly, remembering the night of the fire and how the lights flickered. Even the security cameras died. The house alarms even cut out seconds before the flames spread. “So, he breaks digital systems somehow?”
“No,” Emerson said. “The system breaks itself when he shows up.”
“Well, it was him. I’d recognize the aura anywhere.”
A smirk tugged on his mouth, and Audrey hated it. “Auras are nonsense. If we’re going off them, it definitely wasn’t him.”
“Nothing gets past my mind.”
His face grew serious. “You have a photographic memory?”
“Even when I wish to forget, I can’t.”
“Fucking Voíríans,” he muttered. His words pissed her off, especially since he was half Voírían himself.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Audrey snarled, demanding he clarify his insult.
“You’re a Voírían, not a human. And let’s just say they’re…difficult. But not infallible. Trust me, it wasn’t him.”
Her teeth ground, but she ignored the jibe. “Why watch me for years? Why not just focus entirely on Ryker?”
“He’s nearly impossible to catch. My work needs results to keep superiors satisfied.”
They reached the garage, their footsteps echoing against the concrete walls, Emerson’s severe face bathed in fluorescent light. His car was black and sleek, and Emerson slid into the driver’s seat as she sat on the passenger side.
As they started driving, Audrey half-expected Emerson to shut her out again, but much to her shock, he continued.
“I was waiting for Sophia, but I think everyone underestimates you.”
“How so?” Her brow wrinkled. Tolusa blurred past in dark industrial lines.
Emerson gripped the wheel harder. “You’re a Simas, and they tend to be powerful. People are fools to ignore your potential.”
A memory surfaced: her mother, years ago, in the backyard, flame pulsing between her fingers. Sophia always said the difference between a weapon and a tool lies in who decides when it’s used. At the time, it sounded like a lesson about responsibility. But it was actually about control—something Audrey lacked. She had never told anyone that she watched her mother manipulate flames, not even Cary. Who knew what else her mother could do to make herself so valuable?
“You’re wrong. I’m nothing compared to my mother. I can’t control fire.”
“Then ask yourself why your mother wants you eliminated or locked away forever.”
“We don’t know what she wants. Not for sure.” Still, Audrey’s mouth thinned, bitterness rising. Her mother had let her take the fall—and did nothing to help her escape prison. The ache of abandonment pulsed behind every word.
They turned into the warehouse corridor. Corrugated steel, broken windows, and loading docks abandoned decades ago greeted them. Every few seconds, Emerson’s eyes flicked over to her.
“You really believe I’m more than just a telepath,” she stated. “And you’re afraid of me, of which side I’ll choose—aren’t you?” Audrey probed, pressing Emerson to reveal his true feelings.
“I’m afraid you’ll decide you don’t need to choose any side. People like you rarely do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Audrey asked, indignant.
“Because you might be more powerful on your own. Which is why I think your mother wants you dead.”
Emerson was making sense. “But that would make me just as much of a risk as her,” Audrey said. “You contain risk.”
