Page 84 of Nemesis

Asshole.

“It means you don’t normally…” I gesture. “Something is wrong, isn’t it?”

He’shere. In Nyx’s old family home.

Of course something is wrong.

He grunts and sits back down. There’s no television, no entertainment of any kind. Just us facing a picture window with the blinds and curtains drawn. It’s fully dark outside, and the lamp on the side table is the only light source.

“Did you find my phone?”

He shakes his head.

I sigh, imagining it flew loose in the crash.

Can I call it a crash? What else would I call it?

Stop it.

He pulls his from his pocket and hands it to me. “You should call your brother. We’re going to need…” He makes a face. “Some sort of extraction.”

I shiver. “Because of…?”

“Some lady warned me that you had a target on your back.”

“And what makes you think my brother would be any different?”

He frowns. Considers. Then drops his phone to his thigh. He runs his hand down his face, exhaling noisily. “Well, I don’t know what the fuck to do. We can’t leave.”

“How didyouget here?”

He blinks at me. “I walked.”

“You walked.” I twist to face him, ignoring the twinges of pain. “You walked from my condo?”

“No, from Mars.” He glowers at me. “Where else would I come from?”

If I didn’t know how much it hurts to roll my eyes, I’d do it at him. Walking is the worst. Running at least serves a purpose… kind of. If you tell me to run around the block, I’d just scoff. But if you tell me to run for my life, sure. I’m on board with that.

Butwalkingis akin totrudging, and I do not trudge.

I like fast.

“I don’t have anyone to call,” Saint says, crossing his arms. “I’m not calling Jace.”

It clicks, and I smirk. “You don’t want the almighty Jace King to know you were hanging out at your…” I don’t know what to call Nyx to him, so I skip over it. I skip over calling herdead, too, which is how I do often describe her. Because she is, even if he acts like she’s still alive. So I end, rather lamely, with, “Nyx’s house.”

His brow lowers.

“It’s fine.” I snatch his phone. “I’ll call Malik.”

He grabs the phone right back. “Are you fucking crazy? He wouldn’t come into West Falls unless he wants to start a war.”

“With…?”

“The Cyclopes,” he says under his breath. “I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”

Oh, I hate him.

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