"Alaric," she rasped, spitting blood onto the grass. "He… he took the amulet. He was here."
Lucas felt his entire body go cold. The world tilted. For a split second, he couldn't hear anything; not Dennis's ragged breathing, not Missy's wheezing gasps. Just the deafening echo of her words. Alaric. The amulet.
His chest clenched as he turned to Dennis, who looked just as horrified, his face drained of all color. They said two different names at the same time, yet it meant the same thing.
"Ava," Lucas whispered.
"Zoe," Dennis said, barely breathing.
*****
Lucas drove like a man who'd gone rabid with fear. Dennis had to grip the dashboard. The world outside was a blur of colors and lights.
"If he hurt her… If he touched a single strand of her hair…" Lucas's voice broke. "I'll tear him apart, Dennis. I will fucking rip his soul out and hand it to the gods myself."
