Page 44 of Nemesis

My skin prickles.

She slams the door. The scrape of her deadbolt is audible from here.

Swallowing sharply, I press myself to the shadows and watch the car. It turns down another street, headlights swinging away. As soon as it’s out of sight, I jog in the direction of the university. I pat my pockets, cursing that I didn’t think to bring my phone with me.

Cyclopes.

What did they do? Towho?

I have to hide three more times before I make it to the university. The sheriff’s office is nearby, and I head for it. I don’t give a shit that it’s the middle of the night—he has to know about this. One of his deputies can get him there faster than I could.

But when I arrive, his car is already in the parking lot.

Butterflies—the bad kind—take wing behind my rib cage. I ignore my apprehension and keep moving. Going back just isn’t an option.

I get to his office and pause just beyond the open doorway. His secretary’s desk is dark and unmanned, but light spills from his. Voices, too.

I peek around the corner, and my shoulders hike.

Seated across from Bradshaw’s large desk is Jace King. My brother’s best friend.

The urge to burst in is overwhelming until I catch what they’re talking about.

“They’ve been missing for almost a week,” Jace tells the sheriff. “It’s not like them.”

I bite my lip.

“They could’ve just left town,” Nathan points out. “You run a tight ship. Maybe they wanted out. I’m not sure why you decided to storm in here in the middle of the night.”

“It’s not like we initiate them,” Jace growls. “Wepaythem for their information. And I’m here because you’ve been avoiding my calls.”

The informants?

Suddenly, Wolfe telling me that they went missing rings in my ears.

And the woman’s ominous words about what they did towho.

Does Jace not know about the Cyclopes?

Does the sheriff not?

A chill sweeps down my spine, and I step back. Growing up in Sterling Falls, I knew the sheriff’s office was corrupt and Jace knew everything. Wolfe, Apollo, Jace… they had their fingers on the pulse of Sterling Falls.

“How’s Kora?” Nathan asks suddenly.

I shake my head in disgust. I love Kora, I do—but now’s not the time to ask about her.

Not when I have a feeling something bad has just arrived in Sterling Falls… and they’ve decided to make it their new home.

12ARTEMIS

I showup at Antonio’s house bright and early. The man barely sleeps, so the dawn arrival isn’t off-putting. Even if I normally call first.

But I couldn’t stomach going back to my condo. Saint would ask questions, or he’d simply look at me like he wants to peel apart my skin.Or, even worse, he’d be waiting for me to bring up the tattoo. Maybe he’d even goad it out of me.

Antonio sets a cup of espresso in front of me in his warm, sunshiny kitchen. Vittoria, his wife, repainted it after…

Well.After.

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