(Jace's POV)
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"…and you're not gonna like it."
Casey's voice crackled through the phone line like a spark in a dry forest, setting my nerves alight. My grip tightened around the phone, knuckles pale against the dark casing. Her words hadn't even landed yet, but something in her tone—tight, urgent, and laced with dread—made my chest constrict.
What now?
Was the universe conspiring to unravel every thread of control I had left? What fresh hell was about to drop from the sky?
I inhaled slowly, bracing myself, and stared at her face on the screen. "Okay," I said, voice lower than I intended. "Tell me. Whatever it is, just say it. I have to know, even if it rips everything apart."
She hesitated for a moment. Just long enough to make my heart stutter.
Then she exhaled shakily. "I saw him at Paragon Gates."
My reaction was instant.