Page 119 of Kingdom of Chaos
“Stay there. I’m on my way,” I say, even though I don’t know where I’m going yet. “Have you called anyone else?” I send a silent prayer up to the Creator thanking him that Kade gave us all phones so we can get in touch with each other.
“I tried Becks first, but he’s not picking up.”
I swallow down the panic that something might have happened to him too, telling myself he probably just wasn’t picking up because he was still upset about what he saw in the warehouse.
“Keep trying him. But call Talon first and tell him what happened.”
“Aren’t you with him?” Titus asks, confused.
I shake my head even though he can’t see me. “Not right now, but I’m headed back to the warehouse. We’ll both come meet you.”
There’s silence for a second and then Titus says, “What if they hurt her? I’ll never forgive myself.” His voice is broken. I’ve never heard Titus like this before.
“We’re going to find her and get her back, just like we did Becks.”
“Okay, just hurry.”
“I will,” I say, and then hang up without waiting for a response and break into a run, the wind burning my face, my boots pounding the pavement.
Because no matter what’s happened between me and Talon—or Becks—this isn’t about them anymore.
It’s about getting Ensley back.
I didn’t realize how far I’d wandered until it takes me over ten minutes at a dead sprint for the warehouse finally comes into view. I round the side of the building, breath ragged, legs burning, sweat clinging to me, and find Talon already outside, waiting.
The second he spots me, he pushes off the wall where he’d been leaning. I try to spit out what’s happened between pants, but he waves me off and says, “I talked to Titus. Let’s go.”
I nod, and we head to a more populated area to find a taxi. My anxiety spikes when it takes longer than I’d like. I start wringing my hands, pacing the sidewalk while scanning for headlights, until Talon finally manages to flag one down.
The ride from Brooklyn to Central Park feels endless, stretched tight with tension neither of us bothers to name. We sit in heavy silence, the weight of what’s waiting for us pressing in on every mile.
When the taxi finally rolls up to one of the park’s entrances, I have the door open and I’m jumping out before the car comes to a complete stop. The driver yells at me, but I don’t pay him any attention as I break into a run, forgoing the paved path and heading over grass and through trees, determined to get to Titus.
We have to find Ensley. Nothing else matters.
Talon catches up quickly and grabs my arm, forcing me to stop.
“Locklyn, stop. Look at yourself.” His voice isn’t angry, it’s steady, but laced with an emotion that pulls me up short: concern.
I glance down and freeze.
Shadows are drifting toward me from all sides, curling off my skin in thin wisps. The air smells like smoke, and the grass beneath my feet is withering in patches, the tips browned as if scorched.
“I didn’t even mean to,” I murmur, breath catching in my throat.
“It’s hard to control magic when emotions are involved,” he says, his gaze locked on me. No judgment, just quiet understanding.
I nod, slowly, my pulse still racing, but now it’s not from urgency.
It’s fear.
Because no matter how hard I try to keep it in check, my magic keeps slipping loose. It’s happened before, especially when I was angry, scared, desperate. I already burned Talon once. And this isn’t some harmless trickle of energy. I’m carrying power that was never meant for one creature, let alone one human, to hold. Not like this. Not without consequences.
Talon steps in close enough that his presence anchors me. His hand lifts, slowly, deliberately, and cups the side of my face. His thumb brushes just beneath my eye, not to wipe away tears but to steady me.
“Hey,” he says softly. “You’re okay. You’re still in control. Just breathe.”
I do, because he asks me to. The quiet strength in his voice reaches through the panic clawing at my chest.
