Acting on impulse, I grabbed a glass of water from next to my bed and threw it towards the mirror as a final act of defiance. The splash coated everything, causing color-stained water droplets to run down in slow movements. Through the streaks, I caught my reflection. Angry, flushed, scared…and done.
I had loved the two nights with him, and every exhilarating feeling he’d given me, but this was all too much. Hewasa monster, and he was after me.
A ping notified me that a text had come through.
Ember, it’s not what you think. I’m on my way to your house.
I immediately threw my phone.I think the fuck not.
My phone buzzed on the floor, an insistent vibration that meant someone was now calling. I didn’t reach for it, but I watched the screen and the way the wordblockedkept coming up over and over again. He wouldn’t stop, just like the note had said. I stared for a while, at the way it lit up repeatedly, but then it hit me—he could see me.
I looked around my room and guessed at what gave him that kind of power. He had even told me last night that he had that kind of access, which meant he could see everything. He knew where I was, and he had just watched me open that envelope.
I grabbed my phone and ordered a car. I needed to leave.Now. The phone vibrated again in my hand as I set it on my bed. Flipping it over, I pressed it face-down against the comforter.
I could almost hear Silas in my head,Answer me, Ember.
No, I was done listening. Most of all, I was done with him.
The phone buzzed again, and something in me snapped. I grabbed it, not to answer—but to end it.
Holding down the power button, I smiled as the screen went dark. Now, there was no presence of him. I moved fast, grabbing nothing but my shoes. I knew he could be tracing anything, so I didn’t overthink it. If I stopped, if I hesitated, I’d start to feel him again—like a hand on the back of my neck, guiding me back into place. I couldn’t let that happen.
By the time I walked outside, the fresh air was a welcomed friend. I needed it to help me breathe, to function. Inhaling deeply, I thought about my next step. I didn't know where I was going to go, but I knew I couldn't be here when he showed up.
21
Silas
The phone rang again and again. Each unanswered call pushed deeper under my skin. “Come on, Ember!” My voice was tight, like holding something volatile between my teeth. “Pick up.”
The calls continued to go straight to voicemail.
I didn’t even wait for the tone before hanging up and calling again, my thumb slamming against the screen harder than necessary. My other hand gripped the steering wheel so tight, my knuckles turned white. This whole thing was a fucking mess. Knox had been unable to find a goddamn thing last night, and then this morning, I watched her walk up to that mirror and open those pictures. The engine growled as I moved faster, matching the restless thing beating in my chest.
I had left as soon I realized what was happening, but I was still over forty-five minutes away. I knew that was too long, especially now with her phone off. The moment she had jumped into a cab, I was screwed.
I didn’t know where the hell she was.
The thought was like a knife to my chest. I needed to protect her, and I couldn't do that if I didn't fucking know where she was. Suddenly, I felt everything I was trying to stop. Islammed the car into park without thinking, the sudden jolt not helpful to the adrenaline that coursed through me. My breathing stuttered, like I was unable to pull in enough air. I tried to focus, but all I could focus on was the invisible weight that pressed down on my chest.
“No.” The word came out strained, uneven. “Not now.” But my mind didn’t care as my vision narrowed, and something sharp and suffocating grew in my lungs. I knew this feeling well, and that made everything worse. Because the last day I had experienced this was the day I stood beside a casket. The day everything inside me hollowed out and collapsed in on itself as I attended my mother’s funeral.
The memory hit like a blow to the chest, and suddenly, I was there again—black clothes that were too tight and the sound of people talking in hushed voices like it meant anything, like itchangedanything. My hands curled into fists in my lap.
I squeezed my eyes shut, dragging in a shaky breath. I needed something real, something tangible to ground myself back to reality. Instantly, her brown eyes filled my vision. The warmth in them was everything I needed. The fire that lay behind them, that unyielding spark that refused to dim. I latched on to it, toher.
My chest loosened, but just slightly. Breathing in and out, the pressure eased just enough for me to think. Soon after, the panic loosened its grip. I opened my eyes to a world that was still a little unsteady but no longer collapsing. Reaching for my phone again, I searched for the one specific number I needed.
I scrolled past Kyrin’s contact. He was useful for many things, but his heart was soft. Ember was going to fight being found. I needed someone who could handle that, someone who enjoyed the darker side of things.
Greyson answered on the first ring.
“What do you need?” he asked.
I chuckled softly, swallowing the fight I just had with myself. “Nothing. Yet.”
There was a pause before his voice laced with amusement, “What do you want, Silas?”
