Page 124 of Axis of Fire

But strangely—

I couldn’t feel the energy clearly.

Like something was suppressing it.

Or suppressing me.

“They’re still out looking for you. They left me here in case you came back.”

Dwayne paused, concern darkening his expression.

“Gwends said your parents’ house was destroyed. And there was some kind of message—”

His words died the second I glanced toward the unfamiliar guy still watching us.

Dwayne understood immediately.

So did the stranger.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” the guy muttered, standing and wiping his palms on his jeans.

“I’ll text you,” Dwayne nodded, finally sparing him a glance.

A second later, the front door slammed shut.

“What the hell did you get yourself into?” Dwayne asked immediately.

Then he nodded toward Airis, who had apparently moved up beside me without me even noticing.

“And who’s this?”

“This is Airis, and I—”

I stopped abruptly, suddenly remembering that Dwayne should have Adeline’s number.

“I’ll explain everything, but I need to call Adeline first. You still have her number, right? I don’t know where she is, or where my parents are, or what happened to them—”

“They’re alive,” Dwayne said immediately.

I froze.

“Your parents are in the hospital, and Adeline’s staying with Aunt Eliza.”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“Mike found them after he and Gwends searched the house.”

Relief crashed into me so suddenly that the crushing weight in my chest vanished all at once.

My knees nearly gave out beneath me.

Both men caught me before I hit the floor.

“What’s wrong with her?” Dwayne immediately shot Airis a sharp look, clearly unhappy about him touching me.

But Airis didn’t even react.

His hands never left me.