Chapter 9 · The Dead Know His Name

"You should've listened."

The other Cade's voice came out wrong. Too flat. Too empty. Like someone reading words off a card.

I couldn't move. Couldn't look away from those black eyes. They weren't just dark—they were hollow, like someone had scooped out everything human and left the sockets open.

"Cade." Iris grabbed my arm from behind. "We need to go. Now."

"What the hell is that?"

"A mistake," she said. "One of yours. From three loops ago. You died before I could—"

The thing wearing my face stood up. The other bodies in the room started moving too. Slow at first. Jerking. Like puppets with tangled strings.

"Before you could what?" I yanked my arm free and spun on her. "What did you do to me?"

"I didn't do this." Her voice cracked. First time I'd heard her sound scared. "You did. Every time you die with a power you can't control, it leaves something behind. A shell. And if you don't burn it before the next loop—"

One of the bodies lunged.

I shoved Iris sideways and the corpse slammed into the doorframe where she'd been standing.