us on Michigan A

the mark burning beneath his skin. Bjorn had given him one

. The mark will try t

ed, leaving Marcus alone

stars. Cars sat abandoned at intersections, doors hanging open. E

had three hours until dawn

sed with each heartbeat, warm against his chest. It whispere

. Clos

the street behind him. Not natural shadows. Thes

per's h

e shadows passed within feet of him, tendrils reaching, t

cl

e sat on the corner, windows dark. He tried the door. Locked. The mark flared hot

his pockets. His hands shook. Six months of captivity had left

o think. Ne

y did the same thing. But Marcus had survived the Crim

he did

Suicidal. But somethi

ard where he had last seen the Vesper's shadows. His mark burned

gnor

struction site, half finished tower reaching into the nig

s cli

him forward, lending him strength he should not have. He rea

was fierce up here, cold enough to cut. Chicag

e shadows,

shifting between woman and nightmare. Shadow creatures flanked he

e blocks awa

ago, but someone had returned it to his pocket in Valhalla's Ga

ill w

diale

is your e

er," Marcus said quickly. "She is not human. She is

alm down. Can

phone off the building. Let

in darkness and silence. Marcu

d his location. The Vesper stopped, her head tilting as she listen

saw

Marcus felt the weight of her g

sm

wings. Her hunters followed, climbing walls, defyin

d sec

dging equipment. Behind him, shadows poured through the scaffol

t cleverness wi

nd looked down. Twenty five s

burned

u

. From Ares's final gift. From the rage tha

us j

tore at him. Death

exploded wit

his fall. He hit the ground hard enough to cra

a stop around him. Office

e! Han

ly, her shadows pulling back, hiding. She could not attack him here. Not

top across the stree

an officer shouted, ap

holding cell was safer than the streets ri

atrol car, Marcus caught the

r throat in a

sage wa

as not

ng. Marcus leaned back against th

vived the

re unt

r always kept