Chapter 26 · Untitled Chapter

"Marcus." Danny's voice came through the wall again, flat and wrong. "Don't let Reina see me."

I shoved Reina back as dust poured through the breach. "Stay here."

"Like hell." She stepped toward the broken concrete. "That's not Danny."

"I know."

"Then why are you—"

"Because if it's wearing his face, I need to see it first." I caught her wrist. "You rush in, and it pulls the trigger just to watch you flinch."

She ripped free. "You think I haven't seen worse?"

"Not Danny turned into a bomb with a smile."

That stopped her for half a second. It was enough. I rounded the corner into the old armory wing with Reina right behind me.

Danny stood in the corridor, boots together and hands loose at his sides. He was breathing steadily. His eyes were open.

Wrong.

"Hey, Marcus." His mouth moved, but my voice came out. Exact cadence. Exact gravel. Even the clipped edge he used when he was angry. "Took you long enough."

I stopped ten feet away. Reina's breath brushed my shoulder.

"Danny," I said. "You in there?"

"He's sleeping." The thing wearing his face smiled. "Doesn't hurt. He won't even know.