Phoebe rushed into the garage. The knife in her hand felt useless as the sound of gunfire rang through her ears.

Her plan was to grab the knife and lock herself in Cat’s study, but her feet had carried her here instead.

“Silver!” she hissed. Julia was already gone, along with Yuli. In their short absence Silver had managed to slice free from his prison of thorns and vines. Strands still clung around him but he was standing now, off the mattress he’d once been confined to. Her grip on the knife tightened. It was the same one she’d used at the lake.

“Listen to me. People are here, I think they’re with Connell.” Phoebe crept closer to him. He was gnawing on a vine coiled tight around his wrist- obviously he didn’t need her help, but she reached out regardless. Sliding the spine of the knife up, she began cutting through the plant matter that he had difficulty reaching. His fur bristled under her.

Every time she had gone to see him, Silver had seemed more and more wound up. Getting close to him like this was dangerous. But with no supervision, Avernus could easily become his personal henhouse. That was why she came here- of course.

“I need your help.”