Shadow Flare (The Ruby Callaway Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  “You’ll get a message later today.”

  “Which is?”

  “Have a little patience, Malcolm.” I reached the all-glass exterior of the clinic. “And make sure that note is at my apartment when I get back.”

  “And if it’s not?”

  “You’re gonna have a bigger problem than the one you already have.”

  I hung up and went inside.

  The teenage intern saw me come in. “Serenity is busy.”

  “Come on, not again.”

  The girl held up a bag. “She filled your prescription.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “She said it goes great with water.” The girl gave me a funny look. “I don’t get it.”

  I looked inside the bag and nodded with a small smile.

  “It’s good for all of us.”

  Bag in tow, I headed outside.

  Into the light, where Roark was waiting in his car.

  I stepped inside.

  “You ready for this?” I asked.

  “We’re in it together.”

  “Supervisor can’t be committing crimes.”

  “Best we don’t get caught, then,” Roark said, his blue eyes glinting.

  We looked at each other for a moment before the car screamed off, headed straight toward the water treatment plant.

  48

  Long story short, Roark and I dumped Serenity’s vaccine into the water supply. That put MagiTekk’s latest innovation out of business permanently. Surely they’d return to fight another day, but for now, they were reeling.

  The mess at the cathedral was a PR nightmare, and their latest revenue plans had gone up in a cloud of dragon napalm.

  Roark’s cruiser stopped outside my apartment. I went to get out, but he grabbed my arm. For a second, I thought he was gonna kiss me.

  Not quite so lucky.

  “You could’ve told me, Ruby. About Silvia. Why you needed the cube.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “Should’ve told me.” Roark’s handsome jaw was set in a stern expression. “I think—I think this is it.”

  My chest tightened, and I asked the question, even though I knew the answer. “What does that mean?”

  “I’m not gonna be out in the field any more, and—well, shit, I just can’t trust you.”

  “What about when I saved your life back in the loop, huh? Or brought down a cult?”

  “I didn’t say you were evil.” Roark looked down, at a loss for words. “Fuck, I just—”

  So I made the decision.

  I kissed him before he could say anything else we’d regret.

  Time paused for a split second, his aftershave lingering on my skin as I pulled away.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Colton Roark.”

  He cracked a smile and said, “Okay, Ruby.”

  “See you tomorrow,” I said.

  “What about tonight?”

  “Don’t get any ideas.”

  “I know how you work.”

  “What’s that mean,” I said, feigning mock indignation. “You have shit to attend to, Supervisor.”

  “Duly noted, Miss Callaway.”

  I went to get out, but he pulled me in one more time. Through the slit of my eye, I could see the wisps turning all sorts of colors.

  Confusing indeed.

  I let go and got out of the car. Waving him away, I contemplated the turn of events.

  Maybe I was lucky after all.

  Heading upstairs to my apartment, I sensed a disturbance within. Unholstering the shotgun, I crept toward my doorway. I’d been burned too many times by unwelcome visitors to go in blind.

  The door was ajar, but my apartment was empty.

  Nothing was taken.

  On the glass table was the note Malcolm Roark had waved around at the construction site.

  I picked up its yellowed edge and breathed in deep.

  If you’re reading this, it began, then I’m dead. And everything is as it should be. Because now your training is finally complete. And you can set out to do what I always meant for you.

  It was signed in a familiar script with an unfamiliar name.

  The Oracle of Delphi.

  But the writing was my mentor Pearl’s.

  My breath caught, and I sat down in the chair, skimming until the last line.

  When the time comes, Ruby, you will have to kill the father. Even if it means risking the hatred of the son.

  My handset buzzed. A text from Roark that made my chest hurt.

  I got off tonight.

  I smiled forlornly and folded up the note.

  Too bad things could never just be easy, right?

  THE END

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48