Chapter 10
1269 Words
Selene’s POV
The desert night stretched endlessly, black and empty except for the slick ribbon of road under Cassius’s bike. Rain had stopped, leaving everything wet, reflecting the moonlight in eerie silver patches.
My shoulder throbbed, a dull reminder of how close I’d come to death, but my mind wasn’t in pain. It was on the flicker I’d felt the flash of my father’s voice echoing inside me, whispering a warning I couldn’t fully understand.
Cassius didn’t speak as we rode. His eyes scanned the horizon, sharp, alert. Every muscle in his body tense, ready to react, ready to fight. I held on tighter, not just for balance, but because somewhere deep inside, I couldn’t bear the thought of letting go.
“Where are we going?” I asked finally, my voice small, unsure.
“Somewhere, Kane can’t find us tonight,” he said, jaw tight. “Safe for a few hours. That’s all I can promise.”
“Safe…?” My voice wavered. “Safe doesn’t seem like a thing anymore.”
His hands tightened on the handlebars. “I’ll make it a thing.”
The wind whipped my hair into my face, and I blinked through the sting of rain and tears. I wanted to tell him about the flash, the memory fragment, but I didn’t. Not yet. I wasn’t sure I could even explain it to myself. All I knew was it felt important. Dangerous. Like the first domino falling.
We reached a clearing where the highway split, abandoned and quiet. Cassius killed the engine, and silence fell heavier than the storm ever had. The only sound was the soft hiss of water dripping from the bike, and my own ragged breathing.
Cassius swung the bike to the side, letting me slide off first. I stumbled slightly, clenching his jacket for balance. He followed, landing softly on the gravel behind me.
“Walk,” he ordered, scanning the shadows. “Stay close.”
I followed, legs trembling. My shoulder burned when I moved, and every sound, the creak of a branch, the scrape of gravel, made my pulse spike. The desert had never felt so alive, so dangerous. Every whisper of wind sounded like someone hunting us.
We stopped behind a low ridge. Cassius crouched first, motioning for me to stay down. From there, I could see a small structure in the distance, barely more than a shack. A dim light flickered inside.
“That’s where we’ll stay,” he said quietly. “It’s abandoned, insulated enough for a night. We keep moving after sunrise.”
I swallowed. “And Kane?”
Cassius’s jaw clenched. “He’ll come. And when he does, I’ll be ready.”
I wanted to believe him, desperately. I clung to the promise, though my mind screamed that this time might be different. Kane wasn’t Luca. He was smarter, calmer, and methodical. Ruthless in a way I didn’t understand yet. And I was the key.
We reached the shack, its wood warped from age and rain. Cassius kicked the door open carefully. Inside, the air smelled of dust and rot. A small fireplace sat cold in the corner, and a torn mattress lay on the floor.
“Sit,” he ordered, moving to barricade the door with a rusted plank.
I sank to the floor, cradling my shoulder. Cassius crouched beside me, producing a small first aid kit from his backpack. His hands were steady, precise, gentle as he cleaned the graze, wrapping it carefully.
“You’ll bruise,” he murmured. “But it’s clean.”
“Thanks,” I whispered, voice raw.
He caught my gaze. “You’ve been through hell tonight. More than anyone should.”
“I know,” I said softly, my voice shaking. “I just… I can’t stop thinking about Kane.”
His expression hardened. “And you shouldn’t. He’s dangerous. Smarter than anyone who’s ever wanted you before. And he knows something about your father you don’t yet.”
“I don’t even know what I remember,” I said, the words tasting bitter. “Sometimes it’s like a puzzle missing half its pieces.”
Cassius didn’t answer immediately. He leaned back against the wall, eyes dark, restless. “Memory isn’t just about what you see. It’s what survives. Sometimes it waits until the right moment to resurface. You were meant to find it, but not yet. Not until you’re ready.”
I chewed my lip. “And if I’m not ready?”
“You will be,” he said, firm, almost harsh. Then softer, almost a whisper: “And I’ll be with you when it happens. I swear it.”
I wanted to believe him. More than that, I needed to. But fear lingered, a shadow curling in my chest. Not for me, though part of it was, but about what Kane might do when he finally caught up with us.
Cassius noticed my stare. “Selene,” he said, voice low, pulling me back to focus, “Look at me. You’re alive. You survived tonight.
That’s everything right now. Tomorrow is a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, we survived. Together.”
His words were steadying. His presence…solid, and real. I let myself cling to it, letting the panic ease just a fraction. My fingers brushed his arm, almost involuntarily. He didn’t pull away. Instead, his hand lingered, reassuring.
Then a noise outside snapped us both to attention. A soft crunch of gravel, deliberate. Someone was coming.
Cassius’s hand went to his gun. Mine froze, heart hammering.
“Stay down,” he whispered.
The door rattled. A shadow fell across the threshold.
“Cassius…” I breathed.
He didn’t answer. His jaw was tight, eyes sharp. The figure stepped inside.
“Evening,” the man said, voice smooth, cold. “I wondered how long it would take before you found a place to hide.”
Kane. The name hit like ice.
Cassius’s body tensed, the energy around him shifting. “You shouldn’t have followed,” he said.
Kane smiled faintly. “Oh, I wasn’t following. I was waiting.”
I realized then that my pulse wasn’t just racing from fear. It was from anticipation, a sickening twist of curiosity and dread. Kane knew me. He knew my father. And now… he was holding the key to everything I’d buried, everything I didn’t want to remember.
Cassius stepped in front of me. “Stay behind me. No matter what.”
I did, my teeth clenched, watching as Kane’s eyes flicked over me, like he was assessing me as both threat and leverage.
“You’ve got something that belongs to me,” Kane said softly. “And I’ll get it. One way or another.”
Cassius growled. “You touch her, I’ll end you where you stand.”
Kane laughed, low and cold. “Bold. I like that. But let’s see how long your courage lasts. Not just yours, but hers too.”
I swallowed. My father’s voice flashed again inside my head: Remember, Selene. Remember, or it’s all lost.
My breath caught. The fragment of memory, the warning, the ledger, the stakes, suddenly felt sharper, and closer.
Cassius’s grip on my wrist tightened, his eyes locking with mine. “Whatever comes, you stay with me. Do not think. Do not hesitate. Just…trust me.”
I nodded, fear and something else, something warmer, tethering me to him, mixing into determination.
Kane stepped closer. His presence was suffocating, and calculated, every movement designed to unsettle.
But for the first time, I felt… ready.
Not because I remembered everything.
Because I wasn’t alone.
And for tonight, that was enough.
- Writer
