yourself gets you nowhere. And besides, nothing is set in stone. You’re not stuck.”
“I’m not feeling sorry for myself.”
“The tears on your face tell a different story.”
She was so straightforward. I used to love it but not when she turned it in my direction.
“Apparently, I had this epic love with Levi, and now, he’s here. He’s turned his back on everything he knows to be with me, and I have to stay away from him, or I’ll die a traitor’s death. You don’t want me to be scared or sad about that?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re not dying. I’ve been there. I would know.”
“Good. Just because I’m not afraid to die doesn’t mean I want to.”
“Good, because I won’t let you.”
“If I can’t stop it, Claire, you can’t either.”
“You might be stronger than I am, but I would kill any demon who comes within a mile of you. We all would.”
“I know you would, but I don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”
Her nose wrinkled. “You should be preparing to survive instead of preparing to die.”
“I have been. My entire life. But Bex said …” I sighed. “Where is Bex?”
Claire’s expression changed, and she tensed. “Visiting.”
“Allison?”
Claire paused. “Yeah,” she said, tasting the word as it slipped from her mouth.
Her heart was beating faster, and her pupils dilated. She was lying.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked.
“Out of sight.”
I shook my head. “No, he’s not, Claire. C’mon. He’s nowhere near here, and you’re alone. Do we wait until he gets back?”
She shook her head. “No. Ryan is two trucks back. Drive where you want.”
I sighed. “I can’t leave Mom unprotected.”
“I told you, Ryan is here.”
“He can’t even hit a goblin with a full clip.”
“Grant is in his office.”
“Claire.”
“Fine. We’ll wait.” She slammed her back into the seat.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What’s your hurry?”
“Jared got a lead on possible intel,” she said, looking at her nails. “I’d like to sit in.”
“What kind of intel?”
She casually bit at a hangnail. “He’s talking to Levi.”
“What?” I said, bristling.
She spit out the piece of skin. “He wanted to ask his own questions. Levi agreed to meet with him.”
“Where?”
“It doesn’t matter. You weren’t invited.”
“Claire! Where are they?”
“Where else? The warehouse.”
I started the car.
“I thought you said you couldn’t leave your mom unprotected?”
I turned to her. “Get out.”
She frowned. “What?”
“Get out of my car.”
She pulled a breath in through her nose. “Sometimes, I really wish I could get a few punches in on you.”
I glowered at her. “Get out.”
“Geez. Fine.” She pushed the door open and slammed it.
I tore away from the curb. The Audi’s engine whined as I pushed it to its limits all the way to the edge of town where the warehouse sat alone behind a chain-link fence, surrounded by bare ground and patchy grass.
I ran from the car to the front door. Deciding to bypass the traditional entry, I instead climbed the wall to the windows and slipped through a broken pane.
Though I’d moved silently through the warehouse, both Dad and Levi were facing me when I entered the vast room where we usually waited for Eli. The air was stagnate, very different from the so many times I’d visited that building before. Levi’s presence made the warehouse seem ominous instead of home even though his eyes turned bright the moment he saw me.
He took a step, as if he’d forgotten himself for a moment.
“Eden,” Dad said, his tone harsh, “why are you here?”
“This meeting is about me, right?” I said, approaching them.
Dad blinked, glancing at Levi. “He … it’s true. He’s renounced his position. He’s completely detached from his father.”
“I know,” I said.
“Then let me help you,” Levi said.
I took a step, angry. “I don’t need your help. I need you to stay away from
“I’m not feeling sorry for myself.”
“The tears on your face tell a different story.”
She was so straightforward. I used to love it but not when she turned it in my direction.
“Apparently, I had this epic love with Levi, and now, he’s here. He’s turned his back on everything he knows to be with me, and I have to stay away from him, or I’ll die a traitor’s death. You don’t want me to be scared or sad about that?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re not dying. I’ve been there. I would know.”
“Good. Just because I’m not afraid to die doesn’t mean I want to.”
“Good, because I won’t let you.”
“If I can’t stop it, Claire, you can’t either.”
“You might be stronger than I am, but I would kill any demon who comes within a mile of you. We all would.”
“I know you would, but I don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”
Her nose wrinkled. “You should be preparing to survive instead of preparing to die.”
“I have been. My entire life. But Bex said …” I sighed. “Where is Bex?”
Claire’s expression changed, and she tensed. “Visiting.”
“Allison?”
Claire paused. “Yeah,” she said, tasting the word as it slipped from her mouth.
Her heart was beating faster, and her pupils dilated. She was lying.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked.
“Out of sight.”
I shook my head. “No, he’s not, Claire. C’mon. He’s nowhere near here, and you’re alone. Do we wait until he gets back?”
She shook her head. “No. Ryan is two trucks back. Drive where you want.”
I sighed. “I can’t leave Mom unprotected.”
“I told you, Ryan is here.”
“He can’t even hit a goblin with a full clip.”
“Grant is in his office.”
“Claire.”
“Fine. We’ll wait.” She slammed her back into the seat.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What’s your hurry?”
“Jared got a lead on possible intel,” she said, looking at her nails. “I’d like to sit in.”
“What kind of intel?”
She casually bit at a hangnail. “He’s talking to Levi.”
“What?” I said, bristling.
She spit out the piece of skin. “He wanted to ask his own questions. Levi agreed to meet with him.”
“Where?”
“It doesn’t matter. You weren’t invited.”
“Claire! Where are they?”
“Where else? The warehouse.”
I started the car.
“I thought you said you couldn’t leave your mom unprotected?”
I turned to her. “Get out.”
She frowned. “What?”
“Get out of my car.”
She pulled a breath in through her nose. “Sometimes, I really wish I could get a few punches in on you.”
I glowered at her. “Get out.”
“Geez. Fine.” She pushed the door open and slammed it.
I tore away from the curb. The Audi’s engine whined as I pushed it to its limits all the way to the edge of town where the warehouse sat alone behind a chain-link fence, surrounded by bare ground and patchy grass.
I ran from the car to the front door. Deciding to bypass the traditional entry, I instead climbed the wall to the windows and slipped through a broken pane.
Though I’d moved silently through the warehouse, both Dad and Levi were facing me when I entered the vast room where we usually waited for Eli. The air was stagnate, very different from the so many times I’d visited that building before. Levi’s presence made the warehouse seem ominous instead of home even though his eyes turned bright the moment he saw me.
He took a step, as if he’d forgotten himself for a moment.
“Eden,” Dad said, his tone harsh, “why are you here?”
“This meeting is about me, right?” I said, approaching them.
Dad blinked, glancing at Levi. “He … it’s true. He’s renounced his position. He’s completely detached from his father.”
“I know,” I said.
“Then let me help you,” Levi said.
I took a step, angry. “I don’t need your help. I need you to stay away from
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