“What happened?”
His expression tightens. “A group of them came in, led by the one that smiles too much.”
“Gabriel,” I supply.
“Right. I was in the back, but we were already aware of the wanted posters for me, my second, and the road captain. My guys got us out the back…” He quiets.
My gut twists.
“They killed everyone who tried to hold their ground. Lost a few of their own, I’m sure, but it doesn’t even seem to fucking matter. They burned everything to the ground.”
“Fuck.”
“The Hell Hounds will rise again.” He scuffs his toe on the floor. “They know where to meet me. But we’re fucking laying low until we can get a better advantage.”
“Understandable.”And, same.
“Here.” He holds out a piece of paper. It has a number scribbled on it. “That goes straight to my road captain. Only call it if there’s no other choice.”
I take it and stuff it in my pocket. “Thank you, Malik.”
He hesitates. Then, “Artemis…?”
“She’s out of the city,” I tell him. “Safe.”
My heart hurts to add that, but it’s true. She’s away from Sterling Falls, away from Gabriel’s influence and the possibility of drugs. For now, that’s safe enough.
“I trust you because of her,” he says.
“I know.”
He nods and glances around, then laughs a little. “I can’t believe Jace slept here for six months.”
It’s a mess. There’s a cot. A sink in the corner, a camping stove on a table with only two chairs. There’s a showerhead over a drain practically in the middle of the room.
“Well, I’d rather be here than a captive of the Titans.” I touch the center of my chest. I often brush over that time. I was tortured—there’s no other way around it. Artemis and Elora came to my rescue. Kora, too. They risked a hell of a lot to get me out, and I still barely survived.
“Kronos was one sick fuck,” Malik agrees. “Cerberus wasn’t much better at the end.”
I hum my agreement. Then something occurs to me?—
Ouranos is keeping his identity secret.
Would blowing his cover hurt him or harm him?
“You know who Ouranos is, don’t you?”
He eyes me.
“The brother of Kronos.”
Malik tips his head back and laughs. It bursts out of him, a wild sound that doesn’t stop until he’s wiping tears from his eyes.
“Oh, that’s fucking perfect.” He shakes his head. “Is that why your face is posted around town?”
I don’t answer.
He claps my shoulder. “Good luck, brother.”
