Darian
I went straight to headquarters. I needed to be sure the prisoner was secure. He was our wild card—our only link to Chase Nighthorn. If we lost him, we’d be right back to stumbling in the dark.
Rowan was already at the entrance, waiting. Just like he used to meet Mara and me every day without fail—until four days ago, when Mara stopped coming. She'd retreated from the weight of leadership, and I hadn't blamed her.
The silence left in Lucian’s absence had been too loud for her to lead through. But now that he was back, I knew she’d find her fire again.
“What have we learned from the prisoner?” I asked without preamble.
Rowan glanced around before answering, his eyes cautious. “He’s too cooperative. Answers everything without a fight. That alone makes me uneasy.”
“Where does he
