“I’m glad Calla convinced you we’re the good guys,” Adne said, her voice more confident now.
Ren nodded. “I’m sorry about your father.”
“Our father.” She hesitated and then took a step forward, reaching her hands toward Ren.
He wrapped her small, slender fingers in his. They stood like that for a moment. Then Adne leaned into him, resting her head against his chest.
Ren looked startled, but he quickly wrapped his arms around her.
He had to clear his throat before he could say, “You know, I always thought it would be cool to have a kid sister.”
“Be careful what you wish for.” Adne looked up at him and grinned. “I’m kind of a brat.”
Ren laughed.
I couldn’t help myself. “She’s not kidding.”
“Thanks, Lily.” Adne glared at me, but she was laughing too. “What do you say we continue trading insults where we’re less likely to be in mortal peril?”
“She calls you Lily?” Ren was gazing at her, astonished.
I groaned. “She does.”
“Great minds.” He flashed a wicked smile at me before winking at her.
Maybe this reunion wasn’t such a good idea after all. But something inside me that had felt hollow since the attack on Vail was giving way to a comforting warmth. Hope.
“So how are we getting out of here?” Ren asked. “Do you have a car? Or a snowmobile?”
Adne pulled the skeans from her belt, flipping them high in the air and catching them again. “Just wait till you see your sister’s mad skills.”
When Adne first started to weave, Ren shifted back into wolf form, ears flattened, snarling at the lights that sparked through the air. She paused, glancing over her shoulder.
“This is a lot harder if you interrupt me. I don’t want to have us landing in Greece instead of Italy.”
Ren’s bark was full of surprise. I smiled at him and he changed forms.
“Italy?” He stared at me. “That’s a joke, right?”
“No joke,” I said. “I haven’t seen much yet, but what I have seen is beautiful. It’s on the Mediterranean coast.”
“I’ve never seen the ocean,” he murmured.
I threaded my fingers through his. “I know.”
Adne turned from admiring the finished portal and looked at us. Her eyes flitted to our clasped hands and she threw me a questioning glance. I averted my gaze. Her question was one I couldn’t afford to answer.
“You ready?”
That question I could answer. “Let’s go.”
“Are you sure it’s safe?” Ren asked as I pulled him forward. I didn’t know if he was dragging his feet to give me a hard time or if the portal actually made him nervous.
“We only lose one out of every five travelers,” Adne quipped, stepping behind us and shoving us into the light.
On the other side of the portal Ren was gripping my hand so tightly it hurt. I shook my fingers free, flexing them.
“Sorry.” A blush slid over his cheeks. “Where are we?”
“My room,” Adne said, closing the portal.
“This is the Academy,” I said. “It’s where the Searchers live and train.”
“The Searchers live in Italy?” Ren frowned.
“Sometimes.” Adne looped her arm through his.
“Where are you going?” I asked, hurrying to chase her through the door.
She called over her shoulder, “We need to tell Anika about this right away.”
“Really?” I was already nervous about introducing Ren to the Searchers. Working our way up to Anika struck me as a more appealing idea.
“Trust me,” Adne said, sensing my anxiety. “The sooner we tell Anika about this, the less trouble we’ll be in. Hopefully.”
“Great,” I muttered.
Ren was staring at the walls of the Academy just as I had when we’d first arrived. His body was tense; I could see the tightness of his shoulders and back. I couldn’t blame him. This place reeked of Searchers-and theirs was a scent we’d been trained to recognize as a threat.
When we reached the doors of Haldis Tactical, Adne squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and knocked.
I heard muffled voices on the other side of the doors; a moment later one door opened, revealing a Searcher I didn’t know. She eyed us suspiciously.
“We need to speak with Anika,” Adne said before the woman could question us.
“We’re in the middle of Council,” the woman said stiffly.
“I’m aware of that.” Adne straightened to her full height, which wasn’t very tall, but she managed to appear menacing. “This is an emergency. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
The woman pursed her lips. “I’ll inquire as to whether she’ll see you.”
“She’ll see us.” Adne pushed past the now-sputtering woman. I threw her an apologetic glance and darted after Adne, taking Ren’s hand and pulling him into the room with me.
Anika and about a dozen other Searchers were gathered around the table. I didn’t recognize most of them. Connor was there, as were Ethan and Silas. They were all watching Logan. The Keeper leaned against the table, looking far too much at ease for my liking.
“Like I said.” Logan took a drag from his cigarette. “I don’t know that I can reveal the location of Shay’s parents without further reassurance about my own safety.”
Anika was rubbing her temples. “Would you please put that out? I don’t want to ask again.”
“I’m simply acting according to my current circumstance.” Logan blew a smoke ring, scenting the air with tobacco and cloves. “I thought prisoners were always granted a cigarette before their execution. And since you all keep threatening to kill me, I believe I should always have this small luxury afforded to me as long as my life is at risk. Don’t you?”
Ren and I growled in unison when Logan gazed at us, a slow smile curving one corner of his mouth. He began to laugh, shaking his head as he took another drag off his cigarette. Silas stared at us openmouthed. Connor stood up as Adne approached the table. He frowned at her, but then his eyes found Ren and me.
“Holy shit,” he breathed before turning to Adne, his voice quickly becoming a shout. “What the hell did you do?!”
Adne balked but gave him a steely look. “What I had to.”
“Ariadne, what’s the meaning of this?” Anika had risen.
Adne opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, a snarl ripped from the room. I heard a crash as a chair was thrown back, smashing into the bookshelves behind the table.
“What is he doing here?” Shay’s face was like a thundercloud. He didn’t bother to come around the table. He was over it in a single leap, leaving me no time to launch into an explanation.
The air around Shay rippled, tinged with the rusty hue of his rage. I caught the scent of Ren’s own fury, sudden and violent, as he stepped in front of me, blocking Shay’s approach. It was an act of possession, as unmistakable as if he’d thrown a gauntlet at Shay’s feet. Ren was an alpha, and he was reclaiming his place.
He dropped to the ground, a massive charcoal wolf snarling at the golden wolf, who bared his own fangs, bristling, muscles bunching as he prepared to strike.
I tried to speak, but it was as if an invisible hand was strangling me, my words choked off by own rising horror.
The Searchers were drawing their weapons. Swords slid from sheaths; daggers flashed in the sunlight. Crossbows took aim. At Ren.
Shay launched himself forward, slamming into Ren. They tumbled across the floor, a mass of teeth and claws slashing out from golden and dark bodies. The furious struggle moved with such speed as the rival alphas tore at
