Shadow I stood outside the alleyway of the fight club, my cellphone pressed up against my ear.

"How's she doing?" I asked. I swallowed hard as I remembered the look of hurt on Aria's face when I had brushed her off after having s.e.x on the kitchen table. It was a d.i.c.k move-I knew that-but it was the right thing to do. I was sure of it. No good would come from her loving a man like me.

"Why don't you ask her yourself, you jerk," Lincoln replied.

"Where is she now?"

"Sleeping." Lincoln whispered. "She saw me having s.e.x with Juno by the way."

I grinned. "Well that's not awkward at all," I said. "You couldn't keep it in your pants for all of ten minutes?"

"I didn't make the first move," Lincoln protested. I could tell he was smiling. "And don't go changing the subject. You need to talk to Aria. You're ripping her heart out."

"I can't," I said.

I'm falling in love with you. I closed my eyes and remembered how those words just rolled off my tongue so easily. I was happy then-or at least I thought I was.

Every time I thought of Calisto pulling the strings attached to my heart and my head, playing me like a marionette, a bright light flashed against the back of my eyes and I felt as if my head were engulfed in flames.

Did I truly love Aria? Or was it all part of my programming? I didn't know if I'd ever figure out that answer. Because of that, she deserved better than me. She deserved someone who could give her the love she needed, someone who could protect her and keep her safe. I failed at all those things.

I cursed Calisto for what she did, especially since I had loved my sister more than any other.

She was my twin.

She was the only family I had.

And she was psychotic.

"Give Aria the truth," Lincoln said, pulling my thoughts back into the conversation. "If it's over, then say it's over. Give her that much."

"How about you let me deal with my own relationship," I retaliated.

"What are you scared of?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Lincoln said. "What are you scared of?"

I was scared that by being with me, Calisto placed a bulls-eye on Aria's forehead and that she'd suffer the same fate as Abraham, Lucien, Brevin, Donald, and James.

I was scared of what other ideas Calisto had poisoned my mind with. Who knows what the extent of Calisto's brainwashing was? Until I figured out what parasites were crawling inside my head, I couldn't be trusted. I wouldn't be able to protect Aria from Calisto, nor from me.

"Well?" Lincoln asked impatiently from the other end of the phone.

I could have given Lincoln any of those answers. Instead, I replied, "Nothing. I'm scared of nothing."

There was an exasperated sigh.

"Do you still love her?"

I did. Whether the love was real or artificial was a different story.

I wanted to hold Aria in my arms again and kiss her. It had been so long since I felt the warmth of a human touch. I had lived without it for years before, but since I felt it again-felt Aria's warmth-it was a struggle to live without it. I wanted to turn back time and relive that night in Cambodia, where we danced in the streets and spent the night naked, wrapped in each other's arms. I wanted to freeze that moment and live within it forever.

I swallowed hard. It was too dangerous for her to be with me-now and perhaps forever. Cambodia was just a foolish fantasy, a temporary escape from reality.

My existence now involved finding my sister and putting an end to her insanity. I needed to avenge Mom and Dad. It was the only way I could protect Aria from Calisto's harm.

"Look Shadow, I'm going to give you some words of advice, and these will probably be the most important words you'll ever hear from me," Lincoln said.

"Okay," I replied.

"Stop being a b.i.t.c.h."

Refreshingly blunt as always.

"Keep Aria safe," I replied.

There was a long pause. "I guess that's the closest I'm going to get to an admission that you still love her."

I paused, taking time to gather my thoughts. "I spoke to Nathan Tse. He promises me that he can deliver me Elena Zhao, Calisto's current right hand," I finally said.

"Who the h.e.l.l is Nathan?" Lincoln asked.

"New leader of the Triad."

"What happened to Fat Tsung?"

"He lost his footing at the top of the mountain," I replied. "Nathan is younger, smarter, and more a.s.sertive. He'll deliver Elena to me once they have complete control of their money with no Midnight Society interference."

"First step of the plan complete then," Lincoln said.

I watched as the steel red door to the Dragon's Tooth opened, and a couple of seedy looking men came out for a smoke in the alleyway. I had to cut my conversation short.

"How are things on your end?" I asked.

"We both had makeovers," Lincoln said. "When I see you again, I'll show you my tats."

"No thanks."

"Aria looks different now as well," Lincoln said. "She reminds me of a cross between Carey Mulligan and Emma Stone; very cute. You'd probably want to hit it."

"Look," I sighed. "Don't say anything to her. While I sort all this out, I need to distance myself from her. She needs to stay far away from me."

"Liar," Lincoln said. "You're guilty of manhandling Aria, in the kitchen, with your d.i.c.k in your hands. What did you call that?"

"A moment of weakness, Professor Plum," I replied. "During these two weeks, just try to keep me out of conversations. The more she forgets about me, the better."

"Why?" Lincoln asked. "Are you forgetting about her?"

No. She lingered in my mind like the embers of a flame.

"When are you going to drop this?" I replied.

"When you stop being a selfish p.r.i.c.k."

"Just do as I say. That's an order."

Lincoln laughed. "Like I ever listened to you in the first place."

I noticed the two men in the alleyway had turned their attention towards me.

"I have to go," I said.

"Danger?"

"Maybe," I replied. "I'm about to see Cairo West."

There was a long pause.

And then Lincoln spoke, but the cheerfulness in his voice had faded into remorse. "Tell him I'm sorry," he said.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"I shot and killed his dad."

"No you didn't," I said, my voice overcome with anger. When was he going to stop blaming himself for their deaths? "Calisto did, and don't you ever forget that."

Another pause.

"Just tell him sorry anyways," Lincoln said.

"Fine," I replied, though I had no intention to. Lincoln did nothing wrong.

The two men flicked their cigarettes onto the ground approached me. "I have to run. Remember say nothing to Aria about me."

I hung up and shoved my phone back into my pocket.

"Who are you?" one of them asked, his hand reaching into his leather jacket.

"Nathan Tse granted me access to enter into the Dragon's Teeth. You can check with him."

The man turned to his friend. There was a nod of confirmation.

He turned his attention back to me.

"What do you want?" the thug asked.

"I'm here to fight the Black Devil," I replied. "I'm here to fight Cairo West."

Chapter Nine.

Aria The m.u.f.fled sounds of a woman's voice, screaming from inside the trunk of our car, eventually woke me. It was a change from my usual panicked awakenings, when my nightmares reached the point where the flames engulfed Justin.

I gathered myself and rubbed my eyes with my hands.

More m.u.f.fled howls were coming from the trunk of the car.

I peeked through the air hole, punched through the fabric of the backseat of the car. Kara was inside, blindfolded, and struggling.

Still groggy from the dream, I moved with the speed of a baby seal on dry land. I opened the door of the car and stepped out for some fresh air.

The new Lincoln-covered in tattoos, piercings in both ears, and sporting the close-cropped hair-cut I gave him-was standing a few feet away from the car, a cellphone pressed against his ear. I managed to make out the words "Just tell him I'm sorry anyways," just before the conversation ended.

He placed the phone back in his pocket and looked up at the darkening sky, painted with the afterglow of dusk. I turned my attention to the sky as well, marveling at the shades of purple and orange for a moment, before finally walking over to him.

"That was Shadow wasn't it?" I asked.

Lincoln turned to me and nodded.

"Did he say anything about me?"

He smiled. "Shadow still thinks about you, though he tries to deny it," Lincoln said. "From the sounds of his voice, I think he misses you."

"I see," I said as I lowered my head and stared at the dirt beneath my feet.

After a moment of silence, I looked up again, successfully fighting off urges to cry, and tilted my head towards the car.

"Kara's getting restless."

Lincoln looked around his surroundings and nodded.

"How about here?" he asked.