Page 178 of Villainous Rise

I shattered the lock on the door with another pulse from the Hammer and pushed it open.

Havoc’s head snapped up, his eyes blazing blue. His fury at my intrusion was palpable, the air around him distorting with power. But he said nothing, his gaze flicking meaningfully toward Annie’s huddled body.

I reached up and removed my mask, tossing it aside.

“Annie.” I dropped to my knees beside her. “Annie, look at me.”

She didn’t respond, her breathing ragged and uneven. I placed my hands gently on her shoulders.

“Annie, you’re safe.”

Her head lifted slightly, her eyes unfocused and wild with terror. When she recognized me, she lunged forward, clutching at me with desperate fingers.

“He’s back,” she gasped. “Halcyon⁠—”

“No,” I said firmly, cupping her face in my hands. “He’s not back.”

Her eyes darted frantically between mine. “But Wraith said—you said⁠—”

“I said his alias was connected to these deaths. Not that he’s free.” I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “Someone’s using his old identity, that’s all.”

“But—”

“Annie, listen to me.” I pressed my forehead against hers. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not Halcyon, not anyone using his name. Do you understand? I won’t let anyone touch you.”

Annie’s breathing gradually slowed, her grip on my suit loosening slightly as the wild terror receded in her eyes. I kept my forehead pressed to hers, anchoring her to reality while her mind processed whatever hell she was reliving.

After a moment she pulled back and looked up at Havoc, her jaw set in a way I recognized all too well.

“I want to see him.”

Havoc shook his head. “Annie, no.”

“See who?” I asked. Something unspoken passed between Annie and Havoc, years of shared history condensed into a single glance.

“Halcyon,” Annie said, turning back to me. “Havoc has a direct feed into the Vault. Into his cell.”

“Annie—” Havoc started.

“I need to see him,” she insisted. “I need to see for myself that he’s still there.”

Havoc ran a hand through his hair. “It’s a bad idea, Annie.”

“Please.”

Part of me agreed with Havoc. Seeing Halcyon, even through a screen, would only reopen old wounds. But another part, the selfish, vengeful part, wanted to see the face of the bastard who had destroyed Annie’s childhood. Who had given her nightmares that still woke her screaming twenty years later.

I wanted to see what true evil looked like to her.

“Let her see him,” I said quietly.

Havoc’s eyes locked with mine, evaluating my intentions.

“Please,” Annie begged.

Havoc ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath. He studied Annie for a long time before he finally said, “Fine.”

I kept Annie pulled tight against me as we followed him and watched as Havoc entered a complex series of security codes.