Page 34 of Lock Up the Darkness

I’d thought I’d killed it, that I could rise above all those idealistic notions that came along with it, in order to carry out this mission, so that nothing would get in the way.

Then the incident at Fusion had happened where I’d saved Liza, proving me wrong.

I didn’t want to be anybody’s hero anymore.

Heroes compromised.

They stopped themselves from going over the edge.

They kept their souls intact by ensuring they didn’t cross certain lines.

And doing what I was, being where I was, and going up against what I was, I couldn’t afford that weakness, anything getting in the way.

So, I’d save Liza and get whatever was left out of my system.

And then that was it.

I’d become the dark that I needed to fight.

8

~Aurora~

The photos, files, and plans I’d studied weeks ago hadn’t done it justice.

The creep factor of the gothic-style mansion came through in a whole other way in person, an eerie aura resonating from it that absolutely couldn’t be denied.

Hexwood House as it was termed around these parts.

The off-campus home of the Infidels.

And their security team, which I’d taken note of barring the way through the wrought iron gates into the courtyard that was currently packed with vehicles of the many Hexwood U students attending the Blowout. I’d watched from the concealment of the trees and heavy foliage lining the quarter-mile dirt road leading up to the building as they’d scanned the digital invitations on everyone’s devices, then conducted a pat down search on each person, before they’d then granted them access into the creep show through those arched oak entrance doors.

I’d parked my car down a side street out of the way and out of sight.

While I may have technically had an invitation through Liza, I couldn’t risk going through the security check. I hadn’t brought any weapons, not even one of my blades, because doing so in this kind of situation when I was amped up and going into a place surrounded by all their cult followers posed too much of a risk of compromising me. All it would take was one person catching me on camera via their cell phones wielding a knife to defend myself and it would all be over for me.

No, actions like that could only be taken in the shadows away from all witnesses.

But I did have my device with me, something I couldn’t risk being confiscated until I’d gotten it within range to do what I’d programmed it to do.

It was the key to turning around this unfortunate change to my plans tonight, and making something positive out of it.

I took another look at my phone.

It had been thirty minutes since Liza’s last contact.

She hadn’t responded to my texts or calls since.

I still had no idea where the hell she was on the property, or what had happened to her, what I was walking into as a result.

I gritted my teeth as I made my way along the east side of the property line as I sought out a back or side access point into the party that circumvented the guards and said security check.

Halfway through, I located a meandering stone path that led around to the east side of the mansion and a small garage attached, basically hidden off to the side, unlike the large three-car garage over on the west side that was far more prominent.

I followed the path, hurrying along as fast as my boots would allow.

When I reached it, I flattened my back against it and took a beat to calm my racing pulse and to try to control the surge of adrenaline coursing through me.

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