Page 92 of Liar
I’m way more cautious, allowing my forehead to appear over the frost-bitten ground. “I don’t see anyone.”
“Go ahead and climb out.”
I do, my hands barely denting the dirt as I heft myself out. An owl hoots nearby, adding to the eerieness of a moonlit forest. I sidestep to allow Malcolm some room, Jaxon appearing soon after.
“Give me your phone,” Malcolm says to Jaxon.
Jaxon hands it over without argument. Malcolm punches the screen with his thumbs for a few seconds before saying to me, “Dash is on his way. I’m chartering a plane to get us out of here. He’s packed what he could in the gap between our abduction and now and was idling in the car, waiting for my call.”
I don’t bother to ask what would’ve happened if Malcolm never made it through. He’s lived through enough lasting madness to have a plan C. Or Z.
“You’ll forgive me for not disclosing where I’m taking my daughter,” Malcolm says to Jaxon. “Thank you for getting us this far. I can take it from here.”
Jaxon looks askance at me. “Is this what you want?”
What he’s not saying is, are you sure you want to leave Thorne behind?
Thorne, the guy who yanked my soul straight out of my body and devoured it like sugar. The boy who harbored terrible secrets yet didn’t bother to disclose them and save me the pain of hearing it from the devil himself.
Thorne, who is the devil. My demon.
I find my voice. “Yes. I’ll go with Malcolm.”
We both have a lot of healing to do.
Malcolm sags with relief. I suppose I’m known to constantly argue with him.
“There’s just one thing,” he says.
Jaxon and I look at him.
“I’m taking Julie with us.”
* * *
Dash doesn’t frantically look us over as we stumble out of the brush and onto a private roadway. He slides out of the driver’s seat and opens the passenger door with zero judgment on his face like he’s picking us up from the airport.
“Thank you,” I say to him as I crawl across the seats with shaking legs.
Malcolm comes in after me, wincing when his neck hits the headrest.
The interior light is on, giving me the chance to see in detail the damage Damion’s inflicted.
It’s raw and mottled, but the insignia is obvious. A raven in flight within a perfect circle. A giant X crosses it all out.
“The Nobles and Virtues are everywhere,” Malcolm says to me. He must’ve caught me looking. “They see this, and they’re instructed to either avoid me or hit me. Whichever they choose.”
I blow out a breath. “I’ve never pictured you in a man-bun, but there’s always that moment when a daughter is horrified by her father’s fashion choice. Even if it’s to ensure your safety and disguise this branding.”
Finally, he cracks a smile. “I’m glad you still consider me your father.”
A needy emotion nearly chokes me. “I’m relieved you look at me as your daughter.”
“Always.” He twists to clasp my hands between his own as Dash climbs into the driver’s seat, shuts his door, and the interior light flicks off. “Your existence may not have been a choice I made, but I am so happy I met you. This year has taught me the good that can come out of terrible experiences. And trust me when I tell you I had no reason to believe in the good anymore.”
He lifts his hand to brush an escaping tear off my cheek.
“You are my sweetness, Ember. Anything I had left that Damion didn’t find went into you. I’m sorry about your birth mother and that I don’t know much about her—”