Page 69 of Warrior

Ice coats my skin.

He put the bomb in a box.

But there were more boxes…

How many more bombs are there?

Where would he send them?

I check my phone, but there’s barely any service down here. I do have a missed call from Artemis, of all people, though.

That gives me pause.

Why is she calling me?

Leaving Gabriel’s cave behind, I head up into the heart of Madness. I’m about to push through the door when I freeze.

Gabriel’s behind the bar, and Artemis is talking to him.

Why?

I lift my phone and call her.

She scowls at Gabriel, then checks her phone. She slides off the stool, and her hips sway as she exits the building.

“Hello?” Her voice is breathy.

Not hard, like I was expecting.

“Where are you?”

“Iwaswith Malik.”

I narrow my eyes at Gabriel. He hasn’t noticed me through the glass. Or maybe he did spot me, and now he’s playing dumb. Neither of them were here when I stormed through not five minutes ago. He’s not clearing any sort of glass from where she was sitting…

“And?” I reply.

“You don’t strike me as the bomb type,” she admits. “But your interaction with the Hell Hounds outside their club left a bad taste in their mouth.”

“Mouths now filled with ash,” I supply.

Internally, I curse myselfandGabriel.

He set me up, then took advantage of my foolishness. This is going to come down on me, not him. After all, it’s my prints on the box—if anything remains—and my bitter confrontation the other day that can be traced back.

“Meet me,” I say suddenly. “Name the place.”

When she doesn’t reply, I clear my throat.

“Please,” I add.

She sighs. “Okay. The reservoir waterfall.”

I pause.

“Yeah,” she adds. “I know about you and the sheriff.”

My phone beeps, signifying that she hung up on me.

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