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Amy fell asleep first, and I congratulated myself for calming my little girl.
But the next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing. When I opened my eyes, Heath’s head was trapped between the bars of his crib.
FORTY
XERO
I charge out of the catamaran, flanked by operatives. Motorcycles at the rear roar to life, preparing Jynxson and his crew to storm the asylum.
Trees whip past as I sprint toward the road where I last saw her. She’s only a hundred feet away, but it may as well be a thousand. Everything blurs into the background. My entire being concentrates on finding Amethyst. My colleagues, the gunshots firing ahead, the forest, until I reach the car barring the way between me and the bus where she’s hiding.
Emerging from the trees, I aim my gun at the car window’s integrated firing slot, squeeze the trigger and release a bullet.
It’s a direct hit. The figure behind the tinted window slumps out of sight. A bullet grazes my shoulder. Hissing, I retreat behind a tree.
The drone attacking the tires flies off toward where the helicopter landed, while the other fires at the driver, stopping him from opening his door. Seconds later, the car races away from the bus, its tires squealing against the asphalt. The dronewe left follows closely, trailing the vehicle as it speeds down the road.
There’s no time for me to contemplate whether Father was inside, because I need to reach Amethyst.
I board the bus, scanning the rows of sun-bleached seats. I call out her name, my heart racing, but all I hear is the roar of blood between my ears. I walk down the aisle, checking the spaces between the seats, pausing every few rows to see if she’s curled beneath them in a tiny ball.
She’s hiding somewhere, terrified of getting caught and taken back to that hellish place. My gaze darts to another emergency exit. Could she have snuck out through that door and closed it without the notice of the drones? It’s possible.
“Amethyst,” I say, my voice hoarse. “Are you there, little ghost?”
She shifts, giving me a glimpse of a bandaged limb. My heart lurches, anger mixing with fear. What the hell did they do to her? Crouching, I feel beneath the seat at the back.
Her sweet voice reaches me from the rear of the deserted bus, making my knees buckle under a wave of relief. The tight bands of anxiety constricting my chest dissolve with an exhale, and my muscles finally relax.
She’s alive.
I step back, giving her space to crawl out from her hiding spot. She’s pale, her eyes bloodshot. Her hair is a tangled mess of leaves and twigs and curls. Plant particles cling to the bandages encasing her legs, making me wonder once again what the hell they did to her at the asylum.
“She’s in there?” an operative asks from outside.
“Affirmative,” I reply, my heart swelling so much it’s about to burst.
I move towards Amethyst, my steps hesitant. On instinct, my arms reach to pull her close, but the look in her eyes makes me pause. Her gaze is empty, unseeing, seemingly lost in terror.
“Amethyst?” I pull back my arms.
Will the touch of a man dredge up her trauma? I don’t want to make her condition worse. My breath hitches when her eyes flicker with recognition, then stills as her pretty features twist with hatred.
She charges like a wild animal, her eyes crazed, her fingers curling into claws. I step forward, my hands reaching for her wrists as she releases a primal scream.
“Amethyst!” I yell. “It’s me. It’s Xero.”
She’s so immersed in the nightmare that she can’t see that I’m not her enemy. Sobs tear from her chest, loud and guttural, each one ripping my heartstrings.
Her punches barely register, but the intention behind them stings. Is this temporary, or have I lost my little ghost to insanity?
Fingers closing around her wrists, I turn her around and pull her into my chest. She struggles against the bear hug, her movements becoming more frantic. With a sudden burst of strength, she throws back her head, hitting my nose with a sharp jerk.
Pain explodes through my skull as she kicks and thrashes to break free. I tighten my grip, blinking away a wave of dizziness.
Growling, she bites at my arms like a rabid animal. Blood trickles down my nose, but I shake it off and hold on tight, refusing to let her go. No matter what happens, I will never allow her out of my sight.
“Fuck, little ghost. You’re safe!” I yell over her shrieks.
