Page 32 of Knox
And a companion who called to the darker side of him.
Knox turned to look at the human seated beside him. Adrian was hunched over his illuminated rectangle, his fingers flying across its surface, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Adrian had tried to explain the thing to him—using words like "internet" and "algorithms" and "social media"—but it all seemed like a tangled web of nonsense.
It was all incomprehensible, so Knox chose to focus on the one thing that was clear to him.
"We need to get to Caelen as fast as we can."
"I know, I know," Adrian muttered, his gaze still fixed on his illuminated rectangle. "But we need to be smart about this. Rushing in blindly won’t help. We need a plan, a strategy."
"My strategy is simple," Knox said. "Find him. Confront him. Stop him."
Adrian shook his head, a flicker of concern on his face. His worry didn’t surprise Knox. This human seemed to worry a lot, about everything—even the most natural things, like sex.
Someone had hurt him.
Knox didn’t know who, but he had a mind to find out and teach that person a lesson.
Except that this wasn’t the time for it.
First, he had to deal with Caelen.
"Look," Adrian said, his voice softer now, "I get it. You want to fight him. I just don’t want you to get hurt because this isn’t… It’s not a story. This is the real world."
"Are you implying that my world is not real?"
Adrian continued to look at his phone. "Honestly, I’m not sure. But regardless, I don’t want you to get hurt."
"I won’t," Knox promised.
Adrian glanced at him, almost shyly. "Did you get enough magic from me?"
Knox wasn’t sure how to respond to that without making the human worry again. His magic, while partially restored, was still a mere trickle compared to the torrent of power he’d once commanded. He’d been able to draw energy from Adrian, but not as much as he might have if Adrian hadn’t closed himself off so. "I got what I needed," he said.
It would have to be enough.
Adrian nodded and tapped on his phone again.
A moment later, the metal carriage slowed, finally coming to a halt amidst a snarled mass of other vehicles.
A look out the window told Knox that they were nearing the bridge—the one that had been featured on the flickering picture box in the hotel room, the one Caelen had so dramatically "saved."
It was swarming with vehicles, men and women in suits directing traffic, and crowds of onlookers gathered at a safe distance. It was a scene of chaos, of fear, of the very energy Caelen thrived on.
"We’re stuck," Adrian said, his voice tight. "There’s no way through."
Knox didn’t respond. If there wasn’t a path through, he would forge one.
Without a word, he threw open the car door, ignoring the startled cry from the human in the driver’s seat.
"What the— Hey!" the driver protested, but Knox was already out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. He stepped into the street, a surge of power coursing through him as he focused his will.
Shadows gathered around him, weaving a veil of darkness that obscured his form from the eyes of the bewildered humans. He could feel their confusion, their fear, their sudden, inexplicable belief that the space where he stood was empty, devoid of any threat.
A police officer, directing traffic with frantic gestures, looked directly at Knox and saw… nothing. He blinked, shook his head, and continued waving his arms, his attention drawn to the more obvious chaos of the damaged bridge and the throngs of onlookers.
Knox moved through the crowd, a phantom slipping between bodies, the press of humanity a strange, unsettling sensation against his skin. This world was a cacophony of noise, of light, of a thousand clashing desires that assaulted his senses.
