He closed all the windows.
Lucian turned off the computer screen and stood straight up.
The recruitment plan could not wait.
He casually grabbed the black jacket off the coat rack.
Cate lay on the bed, watching him.
"Where are you going?"
"To do something bad." Lucian slipped on the jacket and zipped it up.
Cate pursed her lips.
"You're sure you're not going to see that little bitch Starlight?"
"Of course not." Lucian walked over to her and met her gaze.
Cate stared at Lucian for a few seconds.
Completely open.
Not a trace of guilty evasion.
"All right. Tell me if you need my help. You know I don't care about any of that."
Lucian reached out and cupped her cheek.
"I'll call for help if anything comes up."
Lucian turned and pushed open the door.
Detroit.
The city of abandoned cars.
Following the address he had found, Lucian activated super speed and set off.
About an hour later, he stopped in a run-down neighborhood.
Lucian stood in a dim stairwell.
He activated the shapeshifting ability within his body.
In just a few seconds.
The face of a white homeless man perfectly covered his original features.
He sensed only one steady rhythm of breathing behind the door.
Lucian raised his right hand and pinched the brass cylinder of the rusty lock.
He twisted hard.
The sharp snap of breaking metal sounded especially piercing in the silent stairwell.
Once he opened the door.
The floor inside was littered with leftover pizza boxes and mountains of books.
Sister Sage sat in a chair, reading.
Hearing the noise, she whipped her head around.
Lucian vanished from where he stood.
The air was violently torn apart.
A hand clamped tightly around her throat.
Lucian lifted her completely off the floor.
Flakes of