with the Institute. He never pulled any punches, and was always straight with me, with everyone. It takes balls of steel to sacrifice it all for the right thing, and what he was doing here, with the SRT, protecting his family, that was the right thing.
“It really ain’t. There’s something else I gotta tell you. It’s been tearing me up. I hate what I did. Every time I saw you, I wanted to tell you. Every time, Muse. I had to push you away. I didn’t have a choice.” He held my gaze, his lips twisting, and then looked away. “You can’t do anything with this info. If Adam knows I’ve told you, he’ll… I don’t know what he’ll do to my kid, but I can’t risk her, Muse. Promise me.”
My heart fluttered. What the hell was he about to say? I didn’t have anything left to ruin, so why was he looking at me as though terrified of what I was going to do. “Of course. I know we’ve hit a rough patch, but you’re the best friend I’ve got. I would never put your family at risk. I promise you that.”
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and rubbed his hands together. “Shit…” Hesitating, he settled his gaze on me one last time, before straightening and breathing in, as though drawing strength. “The little half blood girl you fought so hard to save. She ain’t dead.”
I blinked, not sure I’d heard him right. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Dawn’s alive. I reckon they’re keeping her locked deep in the facility.”
“But…” Dawn was alive? How was that possible? “I saw you shoot her,” I mumbled. “I saw her die.” When I wasn’t dreaming of darkness, I dreamed of her death, over and over and in precise detail.
Ryder shook his head. “I grazed her with an anti-elemental round, just like Adam told me to. They wanted the world to believe she’d died. The enforcers took her away. She’s alive, Muse.”
I reached for the wall and stumbled. “Oh, my God.” The little girl I’d failed. Dawn, who nobody but me had tried to save. A pawn in Akil’s game to rattle the Institute. A weapon. I couldn’t process it. She was a killer, but she had deserved more from those around her, those who knew better.
“I wanted to tell you, but they threatened my kid. You can’t do anything, Muse. Please. If Adam suspects you know…”
She was alive and in the hands of the Institute, probably in the same place as the other half-bloods. I’d been so close to her. In the same building. “Is she okay? Have they hurt her?” My voice floated, distant and detached.
“I don’t know.” Ryder stood and jammed his hands into his pockets. “I’m so damn sorry, Muse.”
I nodded, not really hearing him. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”
“You won’t say anything?”
“No. I…” I offered him what I hoped to be a reassuring smile. “I won’t say anything.”
Ryder hesitated, clearly wanting to say more. The background city noises ebbed and flowed like the back and forth thoughts in my mind.
He sniffed and pushed off the wall. “I should get back.”
I bobbed my head. “Sure, just give me a minute, okay?” As he left me alone on the roof, I sunk to a sitting position on the wall and bowed my head. Dawn was alive. That was good, wasn’t it? I’d tried to save her, but after her death, I’d come to realize my actions had been misguided. Dawn was chaos all wrapped up in the body and mind of a nine-year-old girl. She’d killed enforcers and admitted she liked it. She’d pulled a Prince of Hell apart. Even Akil was afraid of her. And now the Institute had her. They’d try to mold her, shape her, like they did an early Stefan. Given how destructive she could be, the Institute had one hell of a weapon. Could they control her? And Akil was there… Oh. My thoughts exploded. Akil was there! He knew. The bastard knew. She had to be the reason he was there. Was he there to save her or kill her? He’d already admitted she frightened him. He’d ushered her toward her death once already. I had to go back. But how? Adam wasn’t going to let me back inside.
“Sister.”
I snapped my head up and froze. Pure, unfiltered terror locked my body down, muting my thoughts as I stared at the horrible beauty of my brother’s demon form. Shadows rippled across his pale