Chapter 24 · Loopbound - Chapter 24: The Thing With My Face

I'm already running before Evan finishes screaming.

The dorm hallway's empty. Third floor, east wing. His door's cracked open and there's smoke coming out, the kind that smells like burnt copper and something wet. I shove through.

Evan's on his knees in the middle of the summoning circle, both hands pressed to his face. The candles are out but the chalk lines are glowing red instead of the usual blue-white. And standing on the other side of the circle, looking right at me—

It's me.

Same height. Same scar over my left eyebrow from the IED in Kandahar. Same jacket I'm wearing right now. It even has the coffee stain on the cuff.

"Cal." Evan's voice is shaking. "Cal, I didn't— I used your hair from the bathroom, I just needed a sympathetic link for the detection array, I wasn't trying to—"

The thing with my face smiles. It's not how I smile.

"Callum Ash," it says. My voice. Exact pitch. "Mara's boy."

I step into the circle.

"Don't!" Evan lunges for my arm but I'm already through. The red glow flares up my legs and I feel it—