it. Leave everything. We’ll head for the Neutral Zone until I can figure out a better plan.”
I took her to the window. Better to get the hell out of this building as quickly as possible. With J.C. dead, there was no telling how it would change over the next few minutes.
I tried to slam a fist through the glass. I bounced right off of it. J.C. had done something to it. Apparently even half-fae magic was strong enough to survive the caster’s death. At least in the first few minutes.
“Can you?” I said to her.
Phaedra still looked shellshocked. She blinked hard then lifted her hands. She sent a blast of fire into the glass. It took a few seconds, but the metal warped and the glass melted down in syrupy streaks.
“Good job,” I said. I took her hands. We were two floors up. I pulled Phaedra against me and jumped. She let out a little shriek, but we landed. I didn’t put her down, I just ran for the treeline as fast as I could go on two legs. Which was very fucking fast.
An ungodly sound filled the air. Metal on metal with thunder wrapped around it. It came from behind us, the Golden Taurus. I didn’t look back, but over my shoulder, Phaedra did.
She screamed. “Archer, it’s folding in on itself.”
I kept running. Storm clouds gathered. The air had a strange, metallic taste to it. Something was happening. Something bad.
“We need shelter,” I said. Instinct drove me. I don’t know how I knew, but this was Krall’s magic. They knew J.C. was dead now. And they knew how.
I knew a place. Not far. I followed the riverbank, going downhill until it came to a natural ridge. Here, the water dropped off over the falls. Behind it, I knew a tiny cave where we could hide. As much as I drew on the strength of my wolf, I always felt my mother’s magic here the strongest.
Tightening my grip on Phaedra, I leapt into the water. She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face against my shoulder.
Within seconds, we were both drenched. I pulled Phaedra behind the falls and went to the deepest part of the cave. I prayed we were hidden well enough.
“They’re coming,” I said. “It’s you they want.”
She had an odd look on her face. Not fear. Not shock. She looked...sad.
“They’ll be okay,” I said, guessing the source of her concern. “Topher and the others are trained for this. We have a plan in place for when shit hits the fan. They’ll get out. They know how to take care of themselves.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Good. They’ll need to. It’s gone. The Taurus. It was held together by Jameson Cruz.”
“Good riddance,” I said. Then, something else hit me. It was gone. All of it. Gone. In the moment, I hadn’t thought to grab the flash drive we’d stolen. The records. My fucking personnel file. Whatever intel Cruz had on me...gone.
“Shit,” I muttered. “You didn’t happen to grab that flash drive, did you?”
Her lips parted. Color still hadn’t come into Phaedra’s cheeks.
“You’re cold?” I asked. “How can you be cold? You run hotter than I do, usually.”
Alarm raced through me. I grabbed Phaedra. “Did he do something to you? When J.C. was dying, did he put something in you?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s not that.”
I didn’t believe her. I needed to know for myself. Lacing my fingers through her hair, I tilted her head. Phaedra’s body responded instantly to mine, even now. Her lips parted, and I found them. I kissed her slow and deep, drinking in the taste and scent of her. I felt her pulse kick up, her desire flood through her.
“You’re sure?” I said when we both came up for air. “Dammit, I shouldn’t have let you get near him.”
“It’s okay. It’s not J.C.’s magic. He’s dead. He can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
I let her go. “Then what is it? Something else is wrong.”
She put a hand on my chest. I wanted her. God. Even now. Even with God knew what or who about to come crashing down on us, I wanted to be inside of her.
“Archer,” she said. “J.C. told me something just before he died. He told me who your father is.”
I shook my head. “What?”
She slid her hands down and threaded them with mine. “Your father. We don’t need that flash drive. I already know the answer.”
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t form words.
“It doesn’t matter, okay? I told