The man was in a truckload of pain, but Shaney had to ask. “Did you see Hudson?”
Maximus shook his head. “No, but I heard Cassie talking.” The way Maximus was breathing, short and staccato, probably meant he had a couple of broken ribs as well. How was he even still conscious? “Said she didn’t know how...but he’s still alive.”
Shaney let out the breath he’d been holding.
“Why the hell are we in here? What’s he waiting for?” Todd yelled at the door.
“Shaney,” Maximus said his voice low and shaky. “Have to tell you...”
The door opened and bright light filled the room. Shaney squinted as two dark figures entered. The door closed. Shaney blinked and focused on the man in the black suit and Dan, who looked like shit. His hair stuck up everywhere, deep purple circled his eyes, and lines of stress crossed his face— nothing like the crisply dressed and neatly coifed man that Shaney had always encountered.
Todd jumped up. “You fucking asshole!” He was about to rush Dan when the other man pulled out his gun. Todd froze.
“Stay back,” the man warned.
“Michaels, you can leave us,” Dan said to him.
Michaels shook his head. “No one comes in here without me or Cassie. Silas’ orders.”
“He didn’t mean me,” Dan insisted.
“You especially.” Michaels grinned.
“What the fuck do you want?” Todd asked, all restraint apparently going to keep from attacking the man who’d betrayed him.
Dan looked as if he wanted to say something, but when he glanced at Mr. Personality next to him, he hesitated.
“S-Shaney, come with me. The rest of you wait here,” Dan said.
“No, we all go,” Todd insisted, stepping in front of Shaney.
This could be Shaney’s chance, to deal with the situation without putting the rest of them into danger.
“It’s okay,” Shaney told Todd.
“Shaney!” Maximus called out, but before Shaney could turn, Michaels pointed the gun at Todd.
Panicking, Shaney stepped between them. “I’m coming. The gun isn’t necessary.”
Shaney followed Dan into the brightness of the barn. As the door closed, Shaney heard Caleb yell, “Shaney don’t use your energy in the circles. They—”
The door snapping shut cut off the rest. Something thumped against the door and the entire wooded structure rattled. Todd screamed as he beat at the door. Cassie ran past Shaney and Dan to assist Michaels.
“Todd, stop!” Shaney yelled. Todd was going to get himself hurt.
Before he could speak again, Dan grabbed Shaney’s elbow and led him to the back of the barn.
“How could you do this, Dan? Your father is a class-A psycho. Why’re you helping him? You could do the right thing here.”
Dan shoved Shaney toward the stairs, and then ran a shaky hand over his mouth.
“I hated you,” Dan said bluntly. “Since I was a kid, all I’ve ever heard about was the great Shaney. You weren’t even around and you were first with my father. Everything I did was compared to some glorious prodigal son I’d never even met. Then I was sent to the ass end of nowhere when I was twenty to watch over you while my father ran off to find the key to the lock Hyrum had placed on you. I hated you for stealing my life, stealing my father.”
Shaney gaped at him. “So you think it’s okay to hurt people—innocent people. If your father succeeds, do you know what he will be capable of, what power he will be able to wield?”
Dan nodded. “I’m well aware of what my father is capable of.”
Cassie appeared and grabbed Shaney’s arm hard. “What do you think you’re doing, Dan?” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Just taking Shaney to my father.”
Cassie sneered and pushed Shaney up the stairs. Turning the corner, Shaney found the loft had been cleared of the messy chaos of yesterday. Shaney quickly spotted Hudson, kneeling before a post, ropes wrapped around his chest to hold him up. Slumped over, he struggled to breathe, and his skin had a sickly, grey pallor. If not for the rapid rise and fall of his chest, Shaney would have believed his boyfriend was dead.
“Hudson!” Shaney bolted toward him, but before he’d taken three steps, a ball of red light landed on the floor before him, exploding in a shower of sparks. Shaney felt the energy blast against his skin. Shielding his face, he stopped.
“That’s far enough, Shaney. We have work to do,” Silas said.
Silas stood in the center of a large, round symbol drawn on the floor. Around Hudson’s chair, was another smaller circle, which overlapped with the one in which Silas stood. Looking down, Shaney smacked himself in the forehead, seeing he was in the middle of another one of those complicated circles. He tried to move, but like that night at Hudson’s cabin, he was stuck. Fuck his impulsiveness.