From Darkness (Hearts & Arrows Book 3)(98)

She wouldn’t rest easy until they were safe.

Perry elbowed her. “Dude. Hot.”

“They’ve been waiting a long time for that,” Dita said with a nod.

“How come you don’t look completely blissed-out jazzed right now?”

“Because they’re still chasing a serial killer.”

Perry watched her for a breath. “They’re going to be okay, Dita.”

But Dita only watched the sleeping players on the screen. “I hope so.”





The forest was dense, the tall trees thick and lush, the golden sun cutting rays through the trees, dappling the mossy ground in patches. Josie stopped in a column of light, the long white gown brushing her skin, featherlight, the spongy ground cool under her bare feet.

Something moved in the trees before her, and from the darkness of shadows walked a doe, her eyes meeting Josie’s with understanding and sentience, with knowledge of ages heavy in their depths.

Josie took a step toward the creature, connecting with her, needing to touch her, to feel her soft fur and know she was real. And the doe held her head high and steady, watching Josie approach with an outstretched hand and a pumping heart.

Their heartbeats matched, their breaths in and out in rhythm.

And the doe bowed her head and said, It is time.

Josie woke with a start to her phone blaring. It was still dark out, and she blinked, confused for a moment, not comprehending where she was.

And then Jon stirred against her, and she remembered everything with a rush that took her breath with it.

The ringing from the nightstand wouldn’t quit. She reached over him to grab her phone.

“This is Josie,” she said before clearing her throat.



Jon stretched for his own phone to check the time. It was ten.

Jesus.

He couldn’t believe they’d slept so long and sat up in bed, hoping it was good news on the other end of the line. He tucked his hand behind his head and listened to her half of the conversation.

“Yeah. Okay. Hang on, let me write down the address.” Josie waved at Jon, who handed his phone over. She pulled up the notes. “Go ahead.” Her fingers flew as she banged out an address. “Thank you. Give me a call if he leaves before we get there, and we’ll give you a bonus.”

She hung up and laid a hand on his chest, her eyes relieved and ready and afraid. “This is it.”

He tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling the silky strands and the warmth of her skin as he cupped her cheek.

She leaned into his hand with a sigh, but worry passed across her face as she looked down at him.

“Jon,” she said gently, “I want to figure all of this out—you and me—but we have to get through Rhodes first. I have to get through Rhodes first.”

“I know,” he assured her, not needing answers. He just needed her. “It’s okay, Jo. First things first. We’ll get to the rest when we can.”

Her eyes shone in the low light of the room, grateful and soft. She leaned in and kissed him, smiling when she broke away just before her eyes flew open. “Oh my God, Jon. The Jeep.”

He sat up fast. “Oh, fuck. Fucking shit fuck.”

Josie was already twisting her hair back and climbing out of bed. “Maybe we can find out where the mechanic lives. This town is tiny. Come on, let’s get moving.”

He got out of bed and pulled on his shirt and jeans. When he turned, Josie was stepping into her jeans, her silhouette black against the blue moonlight through the curtain, and he shook his head with a sigh at the sight.

So much he’d missed, so much he’d waited for, and now it had finally arrived. They just had to catch Rhodes, and then they could move on. Together.

Josie clicked on the lamp, and they threw what little they’d unpacked back into their bags before rushing downstairs in a panic.

The front desk had Jon’s keys and a receipt for the tire patch, and Jon was thankful for small-town hospitality. Once they thanked the owner and left extra cash for the mechanic, they trotted to the shop where the Jeep was parked, hopped inside, and were on their way.

He reached for her hand as they pulled onto the interstate, and she gratefully took it.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”





The large fire crackled in front of Artemis, lighting her Oceanids’ faces in orange highlights and black shadows, all turned to her.

She rose, looked them over, and smiled. “The hunt is on.”

They cheered, and Artemis found small joy in the rush of the chase as she waited for them to quiet down.

“I have heard the whisperings of your opinions on the competition and my decisions.” She scanned their faces. “This game has not been easy for any of us, myself included. I…” Her throat tightened, and she swallowed to force it open. “I am sorry. Reason has escaped me, and I fear the competition might be lost for my mistakes.”

Murmurs rolled over the nymphs.

“That does not mean I have given up.”

The chatter turned to soft laughter.

“Tonight, we will focus on the chase and the hunt. I have done all that I can to help her, even giving her Rhodes’s location, and now they are on their way to face the end. The rest, my friends, shall work itself out with or without our help. And now, we drink.”