Page 70 of Fade With Me

Before I could get far, Zeke vanished and reappeared beside me in a heartbeat.

“Hey! No cheating!” I shouted, giggling as my breath quickened, trying to keep up with him.

After hours of swimming and laughing, as if we didn’t have a care in the world, we finally collapsed onto the sun-warmed rocks to dry off before the long trek back.

Izzy stretched lazily, his arms draped behind his head as he basked in the sun, eyes closed in contentment.

“I guess this realm isn’t so bad,” he muttered.

“Yeah, it sort of grows on you,” Zeke chuckled softly.

I nudged Izzy with my foot, smirking. “Maybe you’ll find a nice human girl and settle down here.”

Izzy cracked one eye open, shooting me a glare as his lips curled into a playful sneer. “Don’t get too carried away,” he said dryly, then closed his eye again, a smug smile spreading across his face as he leaned back with a confident air. “She’d come live with me,obviously.”

We all laughed, the sound carrying through the quiet wilderness around us. But then, without warning, Zeke bolted upright, his entire frame seized by a jolt of awareness.

The shift in his energy was instant and jarring. He stared off, his jaw tight.

I frowned, sitting up straight as concern replaced my lightheartedness. My shoulders tensed, and I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing. “What is it?”

Zeke didn’t answer right away. His gaze remained locked, his words barely a whisper when he finally spoke. “Do you feel that?”

Izzy shot up, his movements sharp and frantic. His relaxed demeanor was gone, replaced by palpable tension. His eyes darted around, scanning the forest as if searching for a threat.

“He’s coming,” Izzy said, urgency in his voice. His hand gripped the edge of the rock, knuckles white as he stared into the distance. The unease on his face made my stomach drop.

“Who—who’s coming?” I asked, my heart pounding, each beat deafening. I shot to my feet, my legs unsteady, hands trembling as I grabbed for my clothes.

Zeke turned to me, his expression grim, his tone cold as ice. “Reggie.”

The name hit me like a jolt of electricity. My breath caught, fingers fumbling as I struggled to pull on my shorts. “What? No! How did he find us?!” I cried, panic flooding my voice.

Zeke shook his head, frustration pulling at his features. He exhaled sharply, hands flexing at his sides, trying to contain his own anxiety. “I…I don’t know,” he admitted, his eyes filled with the same uncertainty I felt.

Izzy’s usual playfulness was gone. His face was hard, brows furrowed, lips pressed tight. He moved quickly, hands working as he helped gather our things. “He’s close,” he warned, his voice clipped. “We’ve got maybe thirty minutes. Tops.”

I froze, my mind reeling. “Thirty minutes?” I repeated, my voice high-pitched, incredulous. “How could you possibly know that?”

Zeke’s answer sent a chill down my spine. “Your power,” he said, his tone grave. “It’s so strong—any supernatural being within miles can sense it.”

A knot of dread tightened in my gut.

Zeke was already moving, eyes scanning the woods like a predator anticipating an ambush. “We need to go. Now,” he barked, snapping me back into motion.

Adrenaline surged through me as the reality set in. Reggie had found me. And we were running out of time.

twenty-three

How did this happen? This is all my fault. I never should’ve asked to come here. Now I’ve put us all at risk.

Zeke’s voice sliced through my frantic thoughts, sharp and firm, his body tense with purpose. “Izzy, I need you to slow them down while we get away.”

Izzy responded instantly, his posture locking into place like he was bracing for a storm. “Got it.”

Fear gripped my lungs, every breath shallow and strained. My voice wavered, a tremor threading throughthe word. “Them?”

Zeke’s jaw tightened, his expression hardening as his eyes locked on mine with a flash of cold determination. “Reggie didn’t come alone. Sal’s with him. Maybe others.”

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