My pulse had become a frenetic staccato. He must have found out somehow.
Ren rubbed his temples. “I had company.”
“Excuse me?” My voice took on a high pitch that I didn’t like at all.
Silas stumbled in, gasping. If it hadn’t been for his cobalt and black hair, I might not have recognized him. He’d traded in his wannabe rocker wardrobe for classic Searcher garb. There was even a sword in scabbard hanging from his waist.
“Did I miss it? Am I late?!”
Anika frowned. “Considering I granted you a special dispensation for this mission, you certainly could have been more timely.”
“Sorry, Anika.” Silas shoved his mad hair out of his face. “I couldn’t decide which writing tools would travel best. I settled on pencil and pen-one each, and a Moleskine.” He held them up proudly. “Plus I was up most of the night tutoring our new recruit.”
Ren sighed loudly enough to catch Silas’s attention.
The Scribe made a sour face. “He was a rather difficult student.”
“Silas?” I glanced from Ren to the mad-haired scholar. “He was your company?”
“Still jealous?” Ren winked at me.
“I was not jealous,” I said.
“Really?” Ren said. “So that harpy-ish tone was your normal speaking voice?”
My cheeks flamed again, but this time had nothing to do with my clandestine sleepover with Shay.
“Dude, if you want to change teams, welcome aboard.” Mason grinned. “But you could do way better than that punk-a-doodle-do.”
Silas went beet red, sputtering, “I was giving him vital information about our mission.”
Mason shrugged. “Everything that happens in the bedroom is vital.”
“He’s not wrong.” Nev slung his arm around Mason’s shoulders.
Silas was opening and closing his mouth, but no sound came out. Ren took pity on him.
“He told me about how special you are,” he said, flashing Shay an unfriendly smile. “Because of your great- great-times-a-hundred-grandmother Eira who got us into this mess when she became a demon’s mistress.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Shay said. “So now you know why you and Calla were supposed to cut my throat instead of a cake at your wedding. Too bad that didn’t happen.”
Ren stiffened. “I’m not sorry you made it out of Vail alive. As for the rest of it… we’ll just see how that turns out, won’t we?”
Shay smiled slowly. “We certainly will.” I held my breath, waiting for him to strike back with a hint about my visit to his room. But he only glared at the other alpha. Luckily for all of us, Shay’s brain did not seem to have been completely overrun by his male ego.
“I didn’t give all the background you needed.” Silas had recovered a bit as his lessons were rehashed. “You kept growling at me.”
“You called me an abomination.” Ren’s teeth were sharp. “What did you expect? A kiss?”
Mason coughed. “You could do better.”
Silas ignored him. “I’m merely stating the facts. Guardians were created in violation of natural laws. You
Ren’s hand was around Silas’s throat, lifting him to his tiptoes and choking off his words. “Say it again and you’ll be very sorry.”
Adne grabbed Ren’s arm and jerked him away from the Scribe. “He doesn’t mean any harm.”
Ren smiled at her as he dropped Silas. “Just making sure.”
Adne returned his smile, laughing. “We all know you’re not to be trifled with, big brother, you don’t have to prove it.”
“He’s lucky you came to his rescue.” Ren slid his arm around her shoulders. “That’s twice now.”
“Twice?” I asked.
“Last night and just now,” Ren said.
“I was up late,” Adne said. “I heard Silas’s lecturing when I walked by Ren’s room and figured I should get in there before things got ugly.”
“We were past ugly,” Ren said. “But we hadn’t reached violent yet. Your timing was impeccable.”
“I’m awesome like that.” Adne grinned. “Besides, you and I have a lot to catch up on.”
Ren turned a smile on Adne more tender than I’d ever seen from him. Connor was also watching the pair. A twisted smile, bittersweet, flickered across his mouth and I knew he wished Monroe was here to see his children together.
“What’s the bookworm doing here anyway?” Connor pulled his gaze off Ren and Adne to glance at Anika.
“I’m going with you.” Silas shoved his notebook and writing tools back into the satchel slung over his shoulder.
“The hell you are!”
Silas puffed up his chest. “These are the final days. The events about to transpire must be recorded.”
Connor cast a pleading glance at Anika. “Please tell me this is a joke.”
“He’s right, Connor.” Anika smiled thinly. “And there’s precedent. Scribes make up the core teams for missions we designate as ‘historic.’”
“The professor could mess with our game,” Ethan jumped in.
Anika shook her head. “Despite your personal feelings, Silas is fully trained in operations and combat as all Searchers are required to be. He’s going.”
“Can’t you just give us a dictaphone and we’ll record the play-byplay for posterity instead?” Connor asked.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Silas said. “You couldn’t string a sentence together, much less observe the nuances of what will mark the Scion’s epoch.”
“Epoch?” Shay laughed. “I’m epochal now?”
Silas glared at him.
“Fine.” Connor turned away from Anika, heading back to Adne’s side. “Just don’t get in our way.”
“Are the teams set?” Anika asked.
“Almost,” Ren answered. “Sabine, I was hoping you’d come on the decoy run.”
Her eyebrow shot up. “You’re leading it?”
He nodded.
She glanced at Ethan, who shook his head. “I’m heading into Tordis with the Scion.”
Sabine folded her arms over her chest, jerking her chin toward Ethan. “Where he goes, I go.”
“The Searcher?” Ren cocked his head, regarding her curiously. “Really?”
“Ask another question and I’ll take a bite out of your ear, Ren.” Sabine smiled, her fangs bright.
Ethan remained silent, but I saw the corner of his mouth trying to twitch into a smile. Beside Ren, Adne jabbed her elbow into his side when he tried to object again. The alpha glanced at his sister. When she shook her head, he shrugged.
“If it’s what you really want,” he said.
“I’ll take her place on the decoy team,” Nev said, throwing a wink at Sabine. “Sabine can go to Tordis and stand by her man.”
“Bite me,” Sabine snarled, moving an inch closer to Ethan. Ethan looked like he couldn’t decide whether he should laugh or bolt.
“Where’s Bryn?” I asked, though I thought I already knew the answer.
“She’s staying with Ansel,” Mason said. “Tess got permission to do some work in the garden with him today. Bryn won’t leave his side.”
I nodded, having expected something like that. Knowing Bryn would be with Ansel was a relief. As much as having my beta fighting by my side would be helpful, it was better still hoping that her unwavering devotion might pull my brother out of his cycle of self-hatred.
“It’s for the best,” I said. “She’s where she belongs.”
My eyes met Shay’s for a brief moment and my heart skipped a beat. Other than a subtle gleam in his moss green eyes, he gave nothing away. No matter how deeply love, lust, and jealousy ran between the three of us, this morning we had another battle to face.
