The tension in the room was suffocating. My grip on the orb tightened instinctively, its faint hum grounding me against the undercurrent of suspicion now pointed my way. Liam’s words hung in the air, an accusation as sharp as any blade.
Logan’s protective stance beside me only added to the pressure, his golden eyes flicking between Liam and me like a predator waiting for an opening. Mal stood silently, her expression unreadable but her hands resting casually near the hilts of her knives. No one moved, the silence threatening to fracture under the weight of unspoken doubts.
“I don’t know everything,” I said finally, my voice quieter than I intended but firm. “But I do know I want answers as much as you do. And throwing accusations around won’t get us there.”
Logan opened his mouth, probably to argue, but Mal cut him off with a sharp gesture. “Enough. We’re all exhausted, and this infighting is pointless. Let’s get some rest, regroup, and figure out our next move in the morning.”
Her words were practical, but the unspoken message was clear: We couldn’t afford to break apart-not now, not with a threat looming over us.
Reluctantly, Logan backed off, his muscles still coiled with tension. Liam muttered something under his breath and stalked toward the far corner of the room. I felt Logan’s gaze on me as I turned to follow Mal, but I avoided his eyes, too drained to deal with whatever question or reassurance he was holding back.
The safehouse felt colder than it should’ve been, the air heavy with unease. Sleep didn’t come easily. I lay curled in a worn blanket on the floor near the others, but my mind refused to quiet. Each time I closed my eyes, the figure’s fractured voice echoed in my head. The Nexus calls to you… The key cannot…
But it wasn’t just the figure’s words haunting me. Liam’s behavior gnawed at my thoughts. His defensiveness, his oddly timed knowledge-it didn’t sit right. The others seemed to feel it too, even if no one outright said it. I couldn’t shake the image of him leaning against the magically sealed window, his body language carefully calculated to appear disinterested.
A faint shuffle broke through my racing thoughts, snapping me to full alertness. My eyes flew open, darting toward the room’s far side. Liam’s silhouette was barely visible, slipping soundlessly toward the exit. He paused, glancing back, and I shut my eyes just in time, slowing my breathing to feign sleep.
A few agonizing seconds passed before I heard the door creak open, the sound muffled but distinct. My heart raced. What is he doing?
I waited a beat before pushing the blanket aside as quietly as I could. Logan stirred slightly in his sleep, his brow furrowed even in unconsciousness, but he didn’t wake. Steeling myself, I rose and crept toward the door, clutching the orb in one hand and keeping my footsteps light.
The hallway outside the safehouse stretched long and shadowed, the distant sound of wind rustling through broken beams the only noise. Liam was already a good distance ahead, his dark figure moving with unsettling purpose through the crumbling remains of the manor.
I followed at a careful distance, keeping to the edges of the hall where the floorboards were less likely to creak. My heart pounded in my ears, but I didn’t dare slow down. If he noticed me, this whole plan would fall apart-and I needed answers, whatever the risk.
Liam slipped outside through a side exit, the door groaning faintly on its hinges. I reached it seconds later, carefully easing it open just enough to follow. The cold night air hit me like a slap, sharp and biting. Beyond the safehouse, the city ruins stretched in jagged silhouettes against a moonlit sky.
Liam moved swiftly, his figure blending into the shadows as he weaved through the debris-strewn streets. His path wasn’t aimless-he was heading somewhere specific.
I hesitated for a moment, glancing back toward the safehouse. Every instinct told me this was a bad idea, that I should wake the others. But something deeper compelled me forward, the same pull that had led me to the orb in the first place. This could be the key to understanding what’s really going on.
I quickened my pace, staying far enough behind to avoid detection. Liam’s route was indirect, winding through alleys and ducking beneath fallen beams as if to avoid being followed. Twice I nearly lost him in the maze of rubble, my breath catching each time before his figure reappeared ahead.
Finally, he came to a stop. My heart sank as I realized where we were-the clearing where the orb had first awakened, its fractured energy still faintly lingering in the air.
Liam crouched low, his fingers tracing runes in the dirt with practiced ease. A dim, sickly green light flared around him, casting eerie shadows across his face. The runes pulsed faintly, their glow twisting unnaturally in the air.
I pressed myself against a crumbling wall, holding my breath. Whatever he was doing, it wasn’t good.
“You’d be smarter to come out now,” Liam said suddenly, his voice calm but laced with menace. “I know you’re there.”
My blood ran cold, but I didn’t move. His gaze swept the area, lingering just shy of my hiding spot.
“You really think I’d leave without covering my tracks?” Liam chuckled softly, his tone sending a chill down my spine. “Fine. Stay hidden if you like. But you won’t find the answers you’re looking for that way.”
My fingers tightened around the orb, its faint pulse syncing with the hammering of my heart. Steeling myself, I stepped into the moonlight, my voice steadier than I felt. “What are you doing, Liam?”
He straightened slowly, his expression unreadable in the shifting green light. “The real question, Audrey, is what you think I’m doing.”
“Enough games,” I said, keeping my distance. “Those runes-what are you summoning? Who are you working for?”
Liam tilted his head, the shadowy glow of the runes dancing across his features, lending them an unnatural sharpness. “You’re bold, Audrey,” he said softly, his voice carrying an unsettling calm. “But you’re also naive.”
Before I could respond, his form began to shift.
It was subtle at first, like a shimmer of heat off pavement, but then his entire body rippled. His limbs elongated, his posture straightening with an unnervingly smooth grace. Muscles shifted under his skin, and his face began to twist-reshaping, reforming. The air around him grew heavier, colder, and the green light flared brighter, casting his transformation into stark, horrifying detail.
When the glow receded, Liam was gone.
Standing in his place was Warwick.
My breath hitched, and I stumbled back instinctively, clutching the orb like a lifeline. “No… No, it can’t be.” My voice trembled as the pieces began to snap into place. “Logan was right… You’re-you’re evil.”
Warwick-Liam-smirked, the expression razor-sharp on his cruelly handsome face. “Evil?” he echoed, stepping toward me with an unhurried confidence. “Let’s not be so dramatic, Audrey. The world isn’t split into heroes and villains, despite what Logan may want you to believe.”
I shook my head, trying to piece together the betrayal that was unraveling before me. “You’ve been pretending this whole time. Manipulating us-manipulating me. Was anything real, Liam? Warwick? Whoever you are?”
He stopped just short of the rune circle, his piercing eyes catching the faint glow of the moonlight. “I prefer Warwick, if you don’t mind. And no,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery, “it wasn’t all a lie. My interest in you? That was very real. You’re more than you realize, Audrey. More than they know.”
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to hold his gaze. “If you think I’ll let you use me, you’re wrong. I don’t care what you’re after. You won’t win.”
Warwick’s smile widened, a dark, mocking laugh escaping him. “That’s the thing about power, Audrey. It doesn’t care about what you let happen. It demands submission, whether you’re ready for it or not.”
The orb in my hand pulsed stronger, its heat biting against my palm as if responding to Warwick’s words. The runes behind him flickered, casting eerie shadows over his looming figure.
“Why are you doing this?” I demanded, my voice rising despite the fear threatening to suffocate me. “What do you even want from me?”
Warwick leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “Because, Audrey, you’re the key. The Nexus chose you for a reason. And whether you like it or not…” His hand twitched, dark energy pooling at his fingertips, “…you will help me open it.”
I gritted my teeth, the orb in my hand humming louder, almost vibrating with an energy of its own. “You think I’ll just let you take me? You think I’m that weak?”
Warwick tilted his head again, studying me with a cold amusement. “I don’t think you’re weak, Audrey. Quite the opposite.” His expression darkened, the playfulness draining from his features. “But strength doesn’t make you invincible. Not when the people you love are involved.”
His words sent an icy jolt through me. He was threatening Logan. Mal. Everyone.
My hand tightened around the orb, and I stepped forward, heat building in my chest alongside a determination I hadn’t known I was capable of. “I’m not afraid of you,” I lied.
Warwick chuckled, his dark energy flaring briefly. “You should be.”