Then, frenzied sound rushed back—sirens, shouting, and the crackle of persistent flames.
I turned my head, my vision blurred. Marcus lay beside me, motionless, eyes half-lidded. Blood trickled from a gash on his temple.
"Marcus," I whispered, reaching for him, my fingers trembling.
His lips moved, a breath of sound lost in the chaos.
And then…
A shadow stepped through the smoke.
Not running. Not hiding.
Elliot.
Standing less than ten feet away, calm and composed, as if he were simply observing his masterpiece.
His eyes locked with mine while a slow, deliberate smile spread across his face.
Then, he raised his hand.
And pointed directly at me.
The world tilted, my breath catching, as realization dawned.
I wasn't merely a witness.
I was next.
Chapter twenty-four
Marcus
Pain kept me on the ground. My ribs were on fire, my legs barely responding, and every breath screamed in my lungs. The chaos around me blurred—flashing red and blue lights and wailing sirens cutting through the cacophony of terrified voices. My body begged to shut down and surrender to the exhaustion weighing me down like cement.
Then I heard James’svoice.
Sharp. Alarmed. Cut off.
My head snapped up, instincts overriding pain.
Across the field, near the med tent, James was frozen—a knife at his throat.Elliot.
My vision tunneled, every ounce of remaining strength sharpening into a single, laser-focused point.
James didn’t struggle. He was toosmartfor that. His entire body tensed, muscles locked in a desperate attempt to minimize movement. Elliot’s arm coiled around his neck like a python, the gleam of the blade reflecting harsh floodlights.
A bladecoated in accelerant. I couldsmellit from here.
I forced my legs under me, but my body rebelled. My limbs trembled from exertion, my skin slick with sweat andsomeone else’s blood—maybe mine. None of that mattered now. I pushed up, knees nearly buckling until I stood on shaky feet.
I locked eyes with Elliot. He smiled.
“Look at you,” he called, his voice almostreverentover the distance. “You’re still standing. I knew you’d push past the pain.”
James inhaled sharply as Elliot pressed the knife tighter against his throat.
Michael—where the hell was Michael? Iscannedthe field, barely able to register movement through my fraying vision. He wastoo far. Caught up dealing with first responders and locking down the last of an evacuation of spectators and volunteers.
