The rain poured down like a flood, pounding the city streets, making everything cold and slick. It was late, but Caden Hart didn't care about the time anymore. He sat in his small, messy office, eyes staring at the case files on his desk. The dim light flickered, making the shadows in the room dance.
"This is a waste of time," the voice inside his head growled, low and angry. "Let me take over. I'll finish this."
Caden rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Not now, Ares. I need to think."
Ares was always pushing. Always wanting control. He didn't care about thinking or planning. He just wanted to act. Fight. Solve things his way—through brute force.
But Caden couldn't give in. Not with Mara Daniels still missing. Her face was on the file in front of him. Young, blonde, with bright green eyes. Gone for three days now. No clues. No leads. Just another missing person in a city that swallowed people whole.
"She's probably dead," Ares said, his voice cold. "Stop wasting time and let me find the truth."
Caden clenched his fists. "We don't know that."
But even as he said it, doubt crept in. The city was dangerous. People went missing all the time. Some were never found.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes shutting for a second. He was exhausted. The voices, the case, the endless rain—it was all weighing on him. There were moments, like now, when he wondered how much longer he could hold it all together.
The door to his office creaked open. Caden didn't need to look up to know who it was. He recognized the footsteps, steady and sharp.
Detective Carla Mason walked in, shaking the rain from her coat. "Heard you've been digging into the Mara Daniels case," she said, her voice cutting through the quiet like a knife.
Caden opened his eyes, glancing at her. "What of it?"
She tossed a file onto his desk. "Thought you might want to see this."
Caden opened the folder, and his heart skipped a beat. The photo inside showed a man, face down in an alley, his chest carved with a symbol—a crescent moon and jagged sun.
Ares stirred in his mind. "It's them," he said. "The Circle. They're back."
Caden's jaw tightened. The Lunar Circle. He hadn't thought about them in months. After what happened last time, he hoped they were gone for good. But this symbol… it was a clear sign.
Mason leaned against the wall, watching him closely. "Found him near Fifth and Park," she said. "No ID. No witnesses. Just the symbol. And this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, moonstone amulet.
Caden's breath caught in his throat. That amulet… it was the same as before. The same artifact that had changed his life forever. The same one tied to the Circle's dark rituals.
"Recognize it?" Mason asked.
Caden didn't answer right away. His mind was spinning. He could feel the other presence in his head—Lucien, the trickster. Lucien always showed up when things got complicated. And right now, things were getting very complicated.
"Oh, this is going to be fun," Lucien whispered, his voice smooth and mocking. "The Circle's back in town. What are you going to do, Caden?"
Caden took a deep breath, shoving Lucien's voice aside. He stood up, slipping the amulet into his pocket. "I need to check something."
Mason frowned, stepping in front of him. "What aren't you telling me?"
Caden shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I did."
"Try me."
But Caden didn't stop to explain. He pushed past her, heading for the door. The rain outside was even heavier now, pounding the streets like a warning. Something bad was coming. He could feel it.
"Let me out," Ares demanded again, his voice like thunder. "You need me for this."
Caden's grip on the doorknob tightened. "Not yet."
But deep down, he knew he couldn't keep Ares or Lucien at bay for long. Not with the Circle involved. And definitely not with Mara's life hanging in the balance.