what?”
Veronica tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “It only happened a few hours ago. He killed three guards and held the other at gunpoint, forcing him to open the locked doors.” She looks away. “Then he killed him, too.”
White hot rage bubbles in Tristan’s veins. McNary’s killings have already started. Who knows how many others will die as he tries to find the Zodiacs.
Brielle’s hand flies to her mouth. “He’s going to come looking for us.”
Tristan has to lock his knees as the need to go to her overwhelms him. He presses the soles of his feet to the floor, imagining them melding with the cement. “Which means we need to be ready for him.”
Brielle’s sweet features set in determined lines. She nods. “Of course. And we will be.”
Tristan grins, impressed at how quickly she’s taking this in her stride. “Damn right, we will be.” He turns to Veronica. “You’ll keep us posted as any news comes up?”
She rolls her eyes. “Kind of like I just did with McNary escaping?”
“Basically.” He pauses. “Thanks.”
Tristan knows that means Veronica has essentially become a spy against her own father. That’s no small ask.
And a testament of how deep her love for Jareth is. And of her support for the Zodiacs.
She grips Jareth’s hand more tightly. “My dad is going to do everything he can to catch him. McNary will probably be back behind bars before we know it.”
Tristan doesn’t answer. The feds are the ones who let McNary escape in the first place. Not to mention, Jack never realized that evil had infiltrated the FBI…
Tristan stills as another thought hits him. With McNary gone, does the fragile truce Jack agreed on even hold? Is Tristan going to have to deal with Jack breathing down his neck, on top of everything else?
Shoving the distasteful thought aside, Tristan decides he needs to focus on the issues at hand. He glances at the others. “Until McNary is dealt with, we need to stick together as much as possible. Always in twos, never alone.”
Jareth wraps his arm around Veronica’s shoulder. “Consider it done.”
Tristan suppresses an eye roll of his own. He doesn’t point out they’re already joined at the lips.
He turns to Brielle, ignoring the little spark of joy the words he’s about to say spark. “If you’re not with your parents or at school, then you’re with me.”
Brielle blinks. “Ah, sure.” She straightens her shoulders. “We should probably train more.”
Tristan nods, his throat tight. Even with Jareth and Brielle there, those hours after school are the sweetest torture Tristan has ever experienced. Sparring with Brielle is exhilarating. Fun.
Excruciating.
She leans forward. “You said firstly. There’s more?”
Wishing the note of caution in her tone was unwarranted, Tristan nods again. “I was given a message today, one meant for Zarius. It said Chardis is manipulating dark matter.” He sighs. “He might be growing a wormhole.”
Veronica gasps, the news a first for her, too. “As in a black hole out in space somewhere? To do what?”
“We don’t know, nor do we have the technology to trace it, but we do know he’s getting closer and stronger.”
HQ fills with heavy silence, and it feels as if Chardis’s presence is far closer than Tristan hopes. He jams his hands back in his pockets, hating that there’s no plan to respond to this threat.
Even if they knew where the wormhole is, how do they close it? And what will manage to get through before they do?
Or who…
Brielle chews on her bottom lip in thought. “We need to find the next Zodiac Heir. Soon.”
Tristan’s gut clenches. She’s right. It’s the only way they’ll become stronger.
Her moss green gaze traps his. “You said you thought you’d found one?”
“You did?” Jareth asks in surprise.
Tristan turns to look at him, finding it much easier than Brielle’s trusting, perceptive gaze. “I thought I did.”
Veronica frowns. “And?”
Except Tristan can’t say anything unless he knows for sure. The last thing their team needs right now is upheaval.
And Cassandra would be upheaval.
She could possibly tear apart every hard-won connection they’ve forged.
He clenches his hands. “I need a little more time before I point any fingers.” Three mouths open at once, and Tristan quickly continues. “You’re going to have to trust me on this.”
They snap shut, one by one.
Jareth is the first to speak. “Time isn’t something we have a lot of, but we’re not a team without trust. I can wait.”
Veronica nods. “Me, too. I’ve always said my boyfriend is wise beyond his years,” she adds solemnly.
Tristan looks to