“In all seriousness, I think the shield and your connection with the Maiden are linked,” he said.
“That means whatever is causing the shield is strong enough to block out the Maiden.” Holly suddenly felt sick. What could be that powerful. “The Maiden once mentioned there were others like her,” Holly said. “Could it be one of them doing this?”
“Others?” Trevor furrowed his brow. “I’ve never heard of any others.”
“She told me one has dominion over war,” Holly continued. “Golden Oak and Silver Spruce are technically at war.”
“There’s a third party,” Trevor said. “I told you, I didn’t recognize half the shifters at the silver mines that night.”
“Have you seen any of them in town since?”
“No.” Trevor shook his head. “I can ask around and see who knows anything.”
“I thought we couldn’t trust anyone here,” Holly said.
“We can’t, but they haven’t realized they can’t trust me.” He flashed his teeth.
“Can I ask you something?” Holly asked.
“You didn’t get enough during honesty hour last night?”
She took that as a yes. “Why couldn’t you just send a message to me, the other firstborns, or even your sister?” Holly asked. “Something like, hey, I’m not really insane. I’m undercover. Don’t blow it. You know?”
“Too risky.” He shook his head. “If I’d grown up in town like everyone else, the other firstborns might’ve trusted me enough to take me at my word. Despite our shared lineage, I’m a stranger to them. Would you trust a random note from a stranger?”
“No,” she admitted. “But why not Elise? She would’ve believed the letter.”
“I kept her in the dark so she wouldn’t be implicated. She can’t be punished for something she didn’t know was happening in the first place. As far as anyone knows, she was loyal to the cause and died of her injuries during the battle.”
“That’s not the truth, you know?”
Trevor raised his brow.
“I figured as much. I didn’t see her at all that night.”
“She’s the one who carried me there,” Holly said. “She made a spell that allowed her to shift. It only lasted a short while. When it faded, it hit her hard. I don’t think she ever made it to the mines.”
“And you left her alone?”
Trevor had the audacity to look angry as if he weren’t part of the reason she had to charge into battle in the first place.
“I did,” Holly said. “Garret saw her fall. You don’t know him well, but he’d never leave anyone alone and injured if he knew he could do something about it.”
“Am I supposed to take your word for it?” Trevor asked.
“What other choice do you have?” she replied.
“Isn’t this supposed to be the other way around?” He laughed sharply. “Shouldn’t you be questioning my trustworthiness?”
“Oh, I am,” she assured him. “We’re each other’s best option right now. We can debate that fact if you’d like, but I’d rather not waste time.”
“Someone put on her sassy pants this morning.” He smirked.
“I’m not sassy. I’m cranky. I slept sitting up last night. Are you going to help me or not?”
“I don’t remember you asking for help.”
“With the shield!” she exclaimed. “What else would I need help with? We have to figure out what’s causing it. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the only one imprisoned anymore. You’re just as much a prisoner as I am.”
Trevor went pale. “I didn’t think of it like that.”
“How were you thinking of it?” she asked.
“I…wasn’t. I’ve spent the last five years trying to think of every last little thing. Something was bound to slip through the cracks eventually.”
“All the more reason for us to go back to the park,” she said. “Now, you have a second brain to help you think. It’ll be much harder for crap to slip through the cracks.”
“Will you be able to act like nothing is wrong?” he asked. “You’re about as subtle as an earthquake.”
“I did fine yesterday, right?” she asked.
“Yeah, but that was before I dropped a bomb on you.”
“For the last three months, my life has been nothing but bomb after bomb. I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.” Trevor’s voice softened. “You sound like you’re about to commit arson.”
“I can commit arson and be fine.”
“By definition, no, you can’t.” Trevor grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her toward the door. “That’s why we’re going to start problem-solving.”
Holly dug her heels into the floor. “I don’t know about you, but I need to shower and change,” she said.
Trevor released her. “Right. That’s a good place to start.”
“You’re kind of a dork, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me?” Trevor sputtered.
“When you had me locked up in the silver mine and when you were slicing through the battlefield, you spoke like someone from another time.”
“It wasn’t like I could stroll up to people and say, wouldn’t it be mighty nifty if we went full bear and fucked shit up?” He laughed. “I needed everyone to believe I knew more than they did, that I was willing to go further than they ever could.”
“You did a damn good job,” she muttered. The memory of him taking a life on the battlefield rose to the forefront of her memory.
“I need to tell you something about the man I killed,” Trevor murmured as if he’d read her mind.
“I’m not sure I want to hear it. He was a father.”
“He was a traitor. He was on my side,” Trevor explained. “He worked as a double agent between Silver Spruce and Golden Oak. He wanted to go dark. The guy was fucking twisted.”
“He was at my home. He rallied with Keller and Garret when they brought the shifters together.”
“He infiltrated your home. As soon as
