Page 20 of Fallen
Amand chuckles, his arm around Lev’s shoulders. “Let’s go, princess.”
Chapter 17
LEVIATHAN
I’m hunched over a glowing holographic map in Essence PI’s command center, my eyes burning from staring at the blinking dots that mark potential bomb locations across the city.
Elias is cuffed in a holding cell downstairs, but his parting shot about a bomb set to wipe out shifters and humans alike has us all on edge. The command center is a chaos of controlled panic. Gerald is barking orders at a team of operatives, his forked tongue flicking with agitation. Lily is hunched over a tablet, muttering spells to trace Elias’s magic. Jace is coordinating with Marcus, who’s typing furiously on a glowing keyboard.
The stolen unicorn horn sits on a table nearby, its enchanted light dimmed but still pulsing, a reminder of the chaos we just escaped. I’m supposed to be the key to finding this bomb, but all I can think about is how my past with Silas led us here.
“Lev, focus,” Rowan mutters. His hand rests on my thigh under the table, his touch warm through my jeans, and I lean into it, craving the touch.
“I’m trying,” I shoot back at him, rubbing my temples. “But unicorns and their dramatic flair? A bomb? Really? Overkill much?” I force a laugh, hoping the humor hides how freaked out I am, but Rowan’s not buying it.
Amand’s gaze meets mine from my other side, his hand brushing my shoulder. “You’re doing fine, Lev,” he says, his voice softer than usual. “Your nose is our best shot. Just breathe.”
I nod, closing my eyes and letting my magic flare. I focus on the map, the city grid glowing in shades of blue and red, and inhale deeply, sifting through the magical signatures in the air. I catch all of the employees’ scents, Gerald’s, and even my mates’ but there’s another one, fainter but definitely there. It’s Elias’s signature, but it’s mixed with something familiar—Silas’s scent.
My eyes snap open, my heart trying to leap out of my chest. “Fuck. It’s Silas. Lily said that the bomb is infused with blood magic but the reason we can’t find it is because we’re using Elias as the base to find the spells. It has to be that it’s linked to Silas.”
Gerald’s head whips around, his eyes narrowing at me. He looks both intrigued and amused… which is odd. “Silas? Your ex? Explain.”
I swallow, the guilt clawing at me. “Elias said the bomb’s linked to his life force, right? But the magical signature I’m picking up—it’s got Silas’s scent all over it. They’re twins, their magic’s linked, but this feels deliberate. Silas must’ve helped set it up.”
Lily curses, her fingers pausing on the tablet. “That explains why the spell’s so complex. Blood magic’s tricky—ties the trigger to both of them. If Elias dies, it goes off, but Silas’s blood is the anchor.”
I lean back, my head spinning. “Fuck,” I whisper. “I trusted him, and he’s been playing me this whole time. The notebook,the enclave—he’s been using me to get to Elias, but he’s in on the bomb, too.”
Rowan’s hand squeezes my thigh, his voice a low growl. “This isn’t your fault, Lev. Silas is a manipulative bastard. You couldn’t have known.”
I shake my head, my throat tight. “I should’ve. I let him charm me in college, let him get in my head. Now people could die because I was too stupid to see it.”
Amand’s hand slides to my neck, his thumb brushing over my pulse. “Stop, Lev,” he purrs. “You’re not stupid. You’re the one who got us the horn, who got Elias in cuffs. You’re saving people, not hurting them.”
I want to argue, to let the guilt swallow me, but their warmth brings me back to reality. “Right, yeah. Let’s find this bomb.”
I focus again, my nose sifting through the magical signatures. The unicorn’s scent is stronger now, like a beacon, and I trace it on the map, my finger landing on a blinking dot in the city’s east side. “There. Abandoned shifter community center, near the old warehouse district. That’s where it’s hidden.”
Gerald nods, already relaying coordinates to Jace. “Good work, Leviathan. I’m going to assume Silas is there as well.”
Lily sighs, falling back into her seat. “With the location, I should be able to disarm the magic surrounding the bomb. Then it’s just a regular old piece of shit. As long as you get whatever he’s using to detonate it, then he won’t be able to make anything go off.”
Gerald stands and moves toward the door. “Great. We move now. Lily, prep the horn and let us know when it’s disarmed. Rowan, Amand, you’re with Lev. No heroics.”
I manage a weak grin. “No heroics? You’re talking to the wrong Chameleon.”
Lily snorts, tucking the horn into a satchel. “Keep that snark, Lev. You’re gonna need it.”
We pile into SUVs, the city blurring past as we speed toward the old community center. Rowan and Amand stay close, their bodies bracketing me in the back seat, their hands never far.
Chapter 18
LEVIATHAN
“Lev, you sure he’s in there?” Rowan asks, his brown eyes scanning the warehouse’s boarded windows. His hand brushes my back, a grounding touch that keeps my magic from fading me into the graffiti-covered wall.
“Yeah,” I say, my nose twitching as I catch Silas’s scent. “He’s close. And he’s nervous.”
