Colson

Chaos Is a Team Sport

Colson POV

Well.

That went better than expected.

Which, historically speaking, usually meant something catastrophic was about to happen.

I leaned against a rusted loading dock railing while Zane and Sage argued quietly a few feet away, pretending I wasn’t listening. Which was adorable, really, because vampires hear everything.

Zane’s voice was low and irritated.

“We shouldn’t trust him.”

Sage snorted.

“I didn’t say I trusted him.”

“You agreed to help him.”

“I agreed to cause chaos. Those are two very different things.”

I grinned to myself.

I liked her.

I had always liked her.

Even when she punched me in the stomach and called me an i***t.

Especially then, actually.

Zane crossed his arms.

“He knows my name.”

“So do a lot of people.”

“He knows things he shouldn’t.”

Sage shrugged.

“So do I.”

That made me laugh.

“Hey!” I called. “If you’re going to discuss my suspicious personality, at least include me.”

Zane glared.

“You’re enjoying this.”

“Oh, immensely.”

Sage looked at me like she was trying to decide whether to stab me or tolerate me.

“So,” she said finally, “explain again why a future witch wants to rip your spine out.”

“Book piece.”

“That’s not helpful.”

“World-ending spellbook piece.”

She blinked.

“…Okay that’s slightly more helpful.”

Zane’s eyes narrowed.

“And you’re carrying it.”

“Yes.”

“On you.”

“Yes.”

“Right now.”

I tapped my chest.

“Snug as a bug.”

Zane stared at me like I had personally offended the concept of intelligence.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Professional risk.”

Sage rubbed her temple.

“And this witch…”

“She escaped a trap I set.”

Zane raised an eyebrow.

“You trapped a witch.”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Very creatively.”

Sage leaned forward slightly.

“You’re avoiding the answer.”

“I enjoy mystery.”

“You enjoy being punched.”

Also true.

I pushed off the railing and walked closer to them.

“Look, the short version is this: she knows I’m not supposed to be here, she knows something important is on me, and if she connects those two dots before I leave this timeline…”

I spread my hands.

“Game over.”

Zane’s voice dropped.

“For who?”

“Everyone.”

Silence settled over the rooftop.

The wind carried distant city noise up from the streets below—sirens, shouting, the low rumble of traffic.

Sage studied me carefully.

“You’re not lying.”

“Nope.”

“You’re also not telling us everything.”

“That’s also correct.”

Zane sighed heavily.

“Why involve us?”

“Because you’re already involved.”

They both frowned.

“In about twenty-four hours,” I continued, “you two are going to become a massive problem for the vampire leadership in this city.”

Zane’s brow furrowed.

“What does that mean?”

“It means Ezra's journey to losing his head.

Both of them stiffened.

“And before you ask,” I added quickly, “yes, that’s literal.”

Zane’s eyes narrowed.

“You expect me to believe that.”

“I expect you to remember you’re already planning something.”

His silence told me everything.

Sage smirked slightly.

“Oh, that’s interesting.”

Zane shot her a look.

“Don’t.”

She shrugged.

“Relax, alpha. I already knew he was hiding something.”

I clapped slowly.

“See? Teamwork.”

Zane turned back to me.

“What exactly do you want us to do?”

“Cause trouble.”

Sage grinned.

“I knew I liked this plan.”

“Specifically,” I continued, “I need enough noise that anyone tracking me can’t tell where I’m actually going.”

Zane frowned.

“You’re meeting the witch again.”

“No,” I said. “I’m avoiding her.”

Sage tilted her head.

“And while we make noise, you’re doing what?”

“Protecting the book piece.”

Zane looked unimpressed.

“That sounds vague.”

“It is.”

Because honestly?

I didn’t have a perfect plan.

I had a moving timeline, a broken watch, a pissed-off witch, and two vampire lords sniffing around my life.

Not ideal circumstances.

But it was the best I had.

Sage hopped down from the crate she had been sitting on.

“Okay. Hypothetically… what kind of chaos are we talking?”

I smiled.

“Casino robbery levels of chaos.”

Her grin widened.

“Oh I like you.”

Zane pinched the bridge of his nose.

“This is a terrible idea.”

“Yes,” I said cheerfully. “But it’s a productive terrible idea.”

Sage cracked her knuckles.

“So what’s the target?”

I pointed toward the eastern district.

“Ezra’s secondary money route.”

Zane blinked.

“You want us to rob Ezra.”

“I want you to attempt to rob Ezra.”

Sage laughed.

“Subtle.”

Zane stared at me.

“You’re trying to bait him.”

“Yes.”

“And while he focuses on us…”

“I move.”

Zane shook his head slowly.

“You’re insane.”

“Correct again.”

Sage looked between us.

“I’m in.”

Zane groaned.

“Of course you are.”

She smirked.

“What? You scared, alpha?”

That did it.

Zane straightened immediately.

“I’m not scared.”

“Good.”

She pointed toward the street below.

“Then let’s go rob a vampire lord.”

I clapped once.

“That’s the spirit.”

But as they moved toward the fire escape, Zane stopped and looked back at me.

“You said we won’t remember this.”

“Correct.”

“And you’re sure of that.”

“Fairly.”

He studied me carefully.

“You’d better not be lying.”

I smiled faintly.

“I’ve lied about a lot of things in my life.”

Then my voice softened slightly.

“But not about protecting the people I care about.”

He nodded once.

Not trust.

But acceptance.

Close enough.

They disappeared down the fire escape.

And suddenly I was alone on the rooftop again.

I exhaled slowly.

“Well,” I muttered to myself.

“This is either going to work…”

I adjusted my coat, feeling the hidden weight of the book piece against my chest.

“…or I just accidentally robbed my past self of his friends.”

Which, in hindsight…

Would be a very Colson thing to do.

And somewhere in the darkness of the city, I could feel it again.

That witch.

Watching.

Waiting.

Hunting.

“Alright,” I whispered into the night.

“Let’s dance.”

And I jumped from the roof into the chaos about to begin.