Page 100 of Marked
I hesitate.
He shoves me. “Go!”
I stumble, slip on the stone, and clamor upright to take off again. Shadows seem to boil around me, offering a million places for Draven or one of his cronies to hide. I barrel through them, breathing erratic in my ears.
My hands cast out, trying to feel in the dark.
Something cool brushes over my fingertips. I stop running as my palms and arms slam into a metal door. Pushing at it, I whimper when it remains closed.
I trace my shaking hands over the sill, feeling for the keypad. It brightens under my touch, illuminated with a soft red glow. “Access code ... What the fuck is the code?”
“Seems someone would have told you that by now. What with how close you are with them.”
All the blood drains from my face as Draven’s voice rolls down my spine. I turn slowly to find him feet away in the light of the keypad.
His hair is burnt off one side of his head, the skin over his cheek melted and smoking. Even his clothes are in tatters, and the distinct scent of blood mixes with burning cotton and flesh.
He raises the long knife and dark fluid trails off it to drip on the floor.
“Where is Caine?” I ask, dread filling me.
Draven smiles. “Don’t worry, dove. I took special care of the demon. I know how close you are.”
My stomach knots.
Caine.
I can’t stop the tears as they fall, and I don’t try.
He steps closer and the knife gleams. “And now, my dear Lilah, I’m going to take care of you.”
Chapter 44
Ruin
I stand across from Markus and the local police chief. The stout man hitches his duty belt higher as his officers finish cataloguing the scene. That he made the trip himself is more to his greedy nature than any sense of nobility or pride in his position.
“I am so glad we could work together on this case, Mr. Alport,” Chief Walker says as he claps Markus on the back. Markus appears ready to shoot daggers with his eyes.
And who can fucking blame him? It wasn’t the bust we wanted. The one we needed.
Still, I try not to rush them, to not hurry the diplomatic proceedings. But my insides roil with anxiety, and I can no longer deny it.
The feeling only worsened as we waited on the locals to get here. No matter how much I try to calm my heartbeat, to brush it off, it won’t abate.
Chief Walker walks off finally, leaving the king, myself, and my team on the pier as Lock Lake loads up the guns and ammunition for transport.
Markus scrubs his face and his lips part on a harsh exhale. “Well, this was a shit show.”
“We need to head back, Markus,” I say, voice jagged.
He looks at me. “There are three other docks within twenty-five miles, Ruin. We need to check them–”
A low chime flows from T’s pocket and he pulls out a slim silver phone. He holds up a finger. “Sorry about this, hang on.”
I consider choking him.
“T-Man here,” he answers cheerily. All the color leaves his tan skin. “Raina? Calm down. What happened?”
