CHAPTER 36

The Ambush

The gunshot pierced the simulated silence.

Flora had slightly a moment to reply before Jace seized her, yanking her to the floor as an alternate bullet ripped through the wall above her head. The air filled with the sharp scent of gunpowder.

" Stay down!" Jace barked, his voice slightly audible over the unforeseen barrage of gunfire.

Lorne cursed, ducking behind a capsized table and drawing his weapon." You led them then?!"

" No," Adrian gritted out, floundering to sit up. He was still weak, his body slightly recovered from the last fight." It's not just them." His breath came suddenly." It's worse."

Flora's palpitation pounded. She risked a regard toward the door, but the murk outdoors made it insolvable to tell how numerous enemies there were.

also, out of the chaos, a voice cut through the night like a blade.

" Adrian," the figure said, stepping into the dim light of the doorway." You should've no way come back."

Flora's stomach twisted. The voice was full of venom but with something more layered beneath- relationship. Whoever this was knew Adrian.

Adrian's face was impassive, but his knuckles paled as he wrapped his fingers around the edge of the settee and hauled himself up." So, it's you," he said, voice tight.

The masked figure cocked their head, gun resting lazily at their side." Took you long enough."

Another round of gunfire erupted. Windows shattered. The group had no choice but to scramble for cover.

Lorne fired back, cursing under his breath." We are girdled."

Jace pushed Flora further behind him, blocking her with his body." We need a way out. Now!"

Adrian let out a sharp breath, clinging at his side." There's no out." His aspect locked onto the figure in the doorway, and something in his expression shifted- something dangerous." They do not want us gone. They want me alive."

" Why?" Flora asked, her voice little further than a tale.

A soft chuckle echoed from the mask." Oh, Flora. You still do not know, do you?"

Flora strengthened incontinently when her name was called. Who did this?

" You know me?" she asked trying to keep the growing fear outside.

The figure took another slow step forward." I know everything about you. About him." The gun in their hand lifted — aimed directly at Adrian's heart." And I know exactly how this ends."

Before they could pull the trigger, Lorne fired first.

The bullet grazed the figure's shoulder, forcing them back, but the moment it hit, the entire room erupted into further chaos.

The frontal door burst open. Three further numbers stormed in; their munitions raised.

Flora's heart lurched. This was not just an ambush. It was a trap.

" Move!" Jace roared, shoving her toward the reverse.

A hail of pellets rained down as they climbed for cover.

Adrian moved unexpectedly snappily for someone wounded, clinging Flora's wrist and pulling her after him as he dived behind an old press. His hot breath hit her ears." hear to me, you need to get out of then."

" Not without you I will not," she fired right back.

" You do not have a choice," he growled, the grasp on her wrists tensing." This is not some hit team. They came for me."

" And what? You suppose I am just gonna walk down?"

" Flora —"

" Adrian, shut up and concentrate on not getting shot!"

Another pellet slammed into the wood beside them, cutting the argument short.

Jace took out one of the attackers with a clean shot to the leg. The man crumpled, cursing, but two further took his place.

" This is not working," Lorne growled, reloading." We need an opening!"

Adrian's jaw gripped." I will make one."

Flora saw it in his eyes before he indeed moved. He was about to do something reckless.

" No," she snapped, grabbing his arm." You’re not going out there alone."

He didn’t hear.

Before she could stop him, Adrian surged out of cover.

A shot chimed out.

For a split second, time stretched.

Flora slightly registered the pellet grazing Adrian’s arm as he dived at the masked figure, knocking them to the ground.

The impact transferred them both sprawling, Adrian cascading them down. The mask slipped, revealing a face Flora did not fete.

But Adrian did.

His entire body went rigid." You?"

The man beneath him beamed, blood trickling from the side of his mouth." Hello, little brother."

Flora's breath caught. Brother?

" What the hell is this?" Jace demanded, gun trained on the man's head.

Adrian didn’t move, his hands tensing around the man’s collar. His voice was dangerously quiet." You’re supposed to be dead."

The man — Callum — just laughed." So are you."

The words transferred a cold surge through the room.

Flora’s heart pounded as realization set in. This wasn’t just a megahit. This was particular.

" You planned this," Adrian murmured, voice slightly above a scowl." You’ve been watching us."

Callum sniggered." Had to make sure you were still worth killing."

Adrian's fritters fluttered, like he wanted it over with there and also.

But Callum was not relatively done. The boo widened on his lips." Go on. Kill me. Will not change a thing."

Adrian faltered.

And in that split second of time, Callum moved.

With a quick, rehearsed movement, he twisted out of Adrian's grasp, somersaulting them. The coming thing Adrian knew, he was on his reverse, Callum's knee pressed into his chest, and a blade pressed to his throat.

Flora's breath caught." No —"

Jace fired.

Callum slightly avoided the shot, rolling out of the way at the last second. The bullet grazed his shoulder. He whizzed but did not lose his smile.

" Not bad," he reflected." Still predictable, however."

Also, in a moment, he was gone, backing down until he dissolved from sight.

" Get back then!" Lorne snarled, but Callum was formerly gone, evaporating into the murk as enchantresses wailed in the distance.

The gunfire stopped. The remaining attackers scattered.

For a moment, everything was still.

also, Adrian moaned, floundering to sit up.

Flora was at his side in a moment." Are you okay?

He did not answer him. His eyes no way left the door Callum had faded before. His fists were gripped." It's him," he murmured." It's really him."

Jace swore vocally." That was your brother?"

Adrian exhaled sprucely, his shoulders tightening." Yeah." His jaw hardened." And that was only the beginning."

Flora swallowed.

Because no matter how important she wished to suppose it was over, she knew better.

Callum was not done.

And neither was Adrian.