The message burned in Ari’s pocket all day.
Meet me tonight. I’ll show you control.
She tried to ignore it. She trained harder, pushed through drills until her muscles screamed and sweat slicked her skin. Dante watched with that careful distance that hurt worse than any bruise. Kai hovered, restless. Lennox disappeared twice, returning with the sharp scent of blood and rain.
By nightfall, the moon hung swollen and pale over the city—watching.
Ari stood in her room, jacket in hand, heart pounding like it already knew she was about to make a mistake.
She slipped out without alerting anyone.
The address led her downtown, to the bones of the city—an abandoned subway station sealed off decades ago. Graffiti crawled along the concrete like scars. Flickering lights buzzed overhead, barely h
