Page 110 of Kingdom of Chaos
So if something feels off, maybe it’s not him. Maybe it’s me.
Becks smiles, completely unaware of my inner turmoil, and pulls me closer, burying his face in my hair as he whispers, “I missed you, Lock.”
I nod, because I can’t seem to find my voice right now.
Then I look up, and over Becks’ shoulder I watch Talon turn and walk away.
Thirty
We don’t stayat the Order’s headquarters for long. It’s late, and Becks doesn’t even want to set foot inside the front entrance after being held captive there for so many days. We hang around just long enough to agree that we’ll meet the next day to come up with a plan to deal with Kerrim and his ever-growing creature army.
Apparently, even in the short time we’ve been in the city, Kade’s men have reported an unusual number of unfamiliar creatures flooding into New York, more than they’ve ever tracked before. And to make matters worse, leaders of some of the largest and most influential creature factions have been seen entering and leaving the building where Kerrim is believed to be running his entire operation.
One thing is abundantly clear: If we want any chance of stopping Kerrim, we have to strike sooner rather than later. The more time we give him, the more time he has to gather power and support.
I thought Talon might return to the hotel before us, but when we get back to our rooms he’s nowhere to be found. He doesn’t answer any of my texts or calls. I keep trying throughoutthe night, my anxiety growing with each unanswered message. When I wake the next morning, bleary-eyed and nursing a low-level headache from lack of sleep, there’s still no sign of him.
We wait for him as long as we can before leaving to meet up with Kade and other key members of the Silent Order. We aren’t meeting at headquarters, but at an industrial building in an area called Brooklyn. It is a neutral location, since Becks refuses to set foot inside their headquarters again. I can’t say I blame him.
I send Talon a message with the meeting address and hope he shows up. My heart leaps into my throat when we push through the metal doors of the seemingly empty warehouse and see him leaning against the far wall, waiting. As soon as we step inside, he lifts his head, his gaze locking with mine before shifting to Becks’ arm draped over my shoulders. He presses his mouth into a hard line as he pushes off the wall and walks toward us.
“You didn’t come back last night. Where have you been?” I ask.
“Just scoping out the city, trying to get a lay of the land,” he says. “If we’re going to go on the offensive with Kerrim, I want to know our battleground.”
I have no reason not to believe him, yet . . .
“Besides, I wanted to give you guys some space to reconnect,” he says, his gaze shifting to Becks. “Glad you’re back,” he says with a nod.
Becks mirrors the gesture with a nod of his own, then removes his arm from around my shoulders and extends a hand to Talon. My eyebrows lift in surprise. Becks has never exactly been Talon’s biggest fan, but maybe he’s ready to put that behind him after everything we’ve gone through to get him back.
Talon looks a little taken aback. He hesitates for a moment, then reaches out and clasps Becks’ outstretched hand.
“I know it cost you, coming here to get me,” Becks says. “I also know you didn’t have to do it. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” Talon says, then his gaze slides over to me, “but we both know I didn’t do it for you.”
A muscle jumps in Becks’ jaw, a sign that he’s irritated. He drops Talon’s hand and purposefully wraps his arm around my waist, tugging me close. “Well,we’regrateful, then,” he says with a smile that’s a borderline smirk.
I don’t like what’s happening, but I feel caught between a rock and a hard place. If I pull away from Becks, it’ll hurt him, and he’s already endured so much because of me. But I get a yucky feeling inside standing in front of Talon with Becks’ arm around me.
Talon glances my way, and for a moment I think he’s waiting, hoping, for me to say or do something. But I don’t know what the right move is.
So I do nothing.
Talon shakes his head and lets out a dry, humorless chuckle, turning away. “Come on. Kade and his crew are already here.”
He heads across the open warehouse toward a metal staircase that leads to a room overlooking the cavernous space. Through the windows, I spot a few figures already waiting inside.
As we follow him, Imogen jogs forward to catch up with her cousin. They exchange a few words, but they’re too far away for me to make out. Talon says something else, and Imogen glances back at me over her shoulder, her eyes sharp and unreadable.
No love lost there. Good to see some things have stayed the same.
We climb the stairs into the room to find Kade, Ares, and nearly a dozen other Order members already inside. My eyebrows shoot up when I spot a familiar head of purple hair among them.
“Violet?”
She turns when I say her name, and a tentative smile lifts the corners of her mouth.
