Felix and Vincent stood at the edge of the road, just beyond the bent and splintered guard rail where Renley’s stolen taxi had unched itself into the ke. Down below, the twisted remains of the cab y half-submerged on a shallow beach, fnked by fshing red-and-blue lights and officers pacing through ankle-deep water. Police drones hummed overhead, snapping images. The whole area pulsed with chaos.

  Vincent clicked his tongue, turning sharply away from the scene. His coat fred behind him, mirroring his irritation.

  "That little gremlin actually did it," he muttered.

  Felix crossed his arms and watched as a group of officers began to hoist the wrecked car from the kebed. "Honestly, I’m more surprised it didn’t explode on impact."

  "Renley getting away wasn’t part of the pn," Vincent said through clenched teeth. "We had her. All we needed was five more minutes."

  "You’re acting like we pnned this like a proper stakeout," Felix replied with a shrug. "You were two seconds from lunging through the window like a pissed-off cat. Luxtra didn’t see this coming either."

  Vincent’s brow furrowed. "That’s what bothers me. What were Elise and Tyrell doing here in the first pce? This is Mystica’s territory. Renley is my target."

  Felix zipped up his coat as a frigid wind rolled in from the ke. He hated how cold Ancaster’s spring nights could get. Vincent, meanwhile, stood completely unfazed, his dark coat barely shifting.

  "Let’s get out of here," Vincent said lowly, his eyes scanning the police below. "Too many eyes."

  They turned and started walking. A few cars slowed as they passed the scene, drivers leaning to catch a glimpse of the chaos.

  Felix had to jog a step now and then to keep up with Vincent’s longer stride. "Y’know, if you grew about a foot taller, we could walk at the same speed."

  Vincent’s gaze didn’t shift, but his tone was ice. "If you’re struggling to keep up, I could always take a few inches off your legs."

  Felix flinched slightly. He remembered the st guy who’d made that joke. The medics never stood a chance. "Okay, okay. Point taken."

  Another gust of wind cut through them. Felix shivered and pulled his colr up. "How are you not freezing?"

  Vincent gnced at him. "Dualist. Fire and ice. Temperature doesn’t bother me. Want a solution, or are you going to keep whining?"

  Without waiting for an answer, he pulled a pair of bck gloves from his coat and summoned a controlled bze into his hands. Orange and crimson fmes flickered, warming the gloves until they practically glowed.

  "Here," he said, casually tossing them toward Felix.

  The gloves sizzled on contact with the sidewalk, steam rising.

  Felix stared down at them. "Thanks for the branding irons."

  "Next time, don’t compin."

  Grumbling, Felix scooped them up. Still hot—like wearing va mittens—but manageable.

  As they continued down the sidewalk, Vincent stopped abruptly.

  "Felix."

  Felix looked up, sliding the second glove on just in time to see what Vincent was staring at.

  Across the street, a young man with spiky blond hair and a girl with snow-white hair stood beside a bench. Their heads turned just as a swirl of purple magic enveloped the space between them—and Vincent and Felix stepped through.

  The pair startled.

  "What do you want?" Tyrell snapped, shielding Elise instinctively.

  Vincent didn’t miss a beat. "Answers. Renley is my target. Since when did Luxtra start poaching leads?"

  Tyrell scowled and gave Vincent a shove—an impressively bold move. "We didn’t see you. We acted. The end goal is the same."

  Vincent didn’t move. "I’m aware. I need her alive for research. Her magic—what she does—it’s something I’ve never documented."

  His gaze slid to Elise. "And speaking of unexpected things… I’m still wondering why little Elise jumped ship to join your squad."

  Elise flinched. Tyrell stepped between them.

  "Leave her out of it. She’s with us now. And we don’t need to expin anything to you."

  Felix gnced sideways. Elise looked like she wanted to disappear into the sidewalk.

  "We’ll hand her over if we catch her first," Tyrell offered ftly.

  Vincent scoffed. "No. That would ruin the fun. I want to observe her in action."

  "You’re insufferable," Tyrell muttered.

  The two locked eyes. The tension spiked like static.

  Felix and Elise stood in awkward silence, neither moving.

  Eventually, Vincent broke the stare and turned away. Felix moved automatically to follow.

  As they walked, Felix pulled out his phone, thumbs flicking over the screen.

  Vincent didn’t have to look. He could hear the typing.

  He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. He already knew Felix and Elise kept in touch. Maybe more than that. He didn’t approve—but at the moment, it wasn’t his priority.

  Further ahead, a girl stood at the edge of the caution tape, staring out at the broken guard rail.

  "Starry," Vincent muttered.

  She jumped at the sound of her name.

  "What are you doing here?" he asked, striding up to her. "You think it’s safe to wander around at night alone?"

  Starry gnced between them, guilt in her eyes. "I—I heard about the crash. I just wanted to see what happened. That’s all."

  Vincent narrowed his gaze. Something about her was... off. Her voice was tight. Her eyes wouldn’t meet his.

  He took a slow step forward. "Felix."

  Starry froze. She knew they were going to drag her back home.