Her eyes glint as she sees the hurt in mine.
“Really? And how are you going to do that?” I say, shoving my hands into my hips.
“We’re going to find the wolves and we’re going to kill them all.” She leans back, crossing her arms, her smile sure, almost serene.
I know that she’s just spouting the words of someone else’s conspiracy, but the way she says it, the conviction in her voice scares me.
Eliza turns back toward the crowd. “Let’s go everyone! The rally is about to start!” She races off toward the quad and lifts her sign in the air. It’s a picture of a gray wolf’s head, gold eyes wide, and mouth open with huge white fangs. The blood drips from the wolf’s neck as its head is impaled on a spike. Her friends catch up with her and they march together, their signs bobbing in time with their chant. “Find the wolves! Kill the wolves! Find the Wolves! Kill the Wolves!”
“What have I done?” I bend over as my vision tunnels. My heart races and my hands feel clammy and I am overcome with nausea. I run toward a tree and vomit.
“I did this. This is my fault,” I say.
Roz rubs my back. “Breathe. Just breathe. These people are fucking crazy, and nobody could have foreseen this.”
I stand up and look again at the crowded quad. There’s so much anger and fear emanating from all the people, it’s overwhelming.
I squeeze Roz’s hand. “I have to go. I have to make sure they’re all right.”
Marco throws open the front door and runs to meet me before I get to the stairs. He picks me up and swings me around, holding me in a bear hug. “Oh my god. I am so glad you’re all right. You are okay, right?” He looks me over and then meets my gaze. “Please tell me you’re all right.”
“I’m all right,” I say, and I can’t help but smile.
Angus is at the door when we get inside. He kisses me gently. “We were worried about you.”
“I’m okay. I was with Roz. Where is Van?”
Angus steps aside. “Upstairs.”
I take the stairs two at a time and find myself frozen in front of the room I’ve only seen glimpses of. I knock once.
“Come.” Van’s voice is calm.
I push the door open and wait for him to see me. He’s standing in front of a wall-sized bulletin board that’s covered with years of information. This is where they’ve done all the work to find Damon Underwood. The Headmaster founded the Society, but there have been huge swathes of time where he was gone from here, and Van had to search for him. The wall is like a history of Damon Underwood. It shows all his properties, all his friends, places he frequents, and even those he’s crossed.
“Hey,” I say.
Van checks one of the lists on the board and compares it to a paper in his hand. He doesn’t look up. “We’ve decided that we have to go to him. We don’t want to waste any more time waiting, or risk him disappearing again.”
“Van,” I say.
He drops the paper on the table and picks up a marker. Then he walks over to the whiteboard and makes some notes.
“Will you look at me? I just came from campus. It’s not safe. They’re looking for you.”
He stops writing and turns to face me. “You were right when you said that we weren’t in danger. We’re dire wolves, and we can defend ourselves against all of them. But you…”
“What about me?” I feel my hackles rise and force myself to stay calm.
“You can’t go back out there. I’m surprised you managed to get here safely. From now on, you’re going to stay here in the house. I spent the morning working on concealment spells so nobody will find the place, but it only works if you stay put.”
“What? No. You can’t—”
“Can’t what? You’re the one who dropped a bomb on everything. I’m just cleaning up your mess.”
“So now I am your prisoner? That’s rich, coming from the guy who is hunting the man who held him captive.”
“That’s different.”
“I do not belong to you!” I turn to leave but Van grabs my wrist.
His chest is heaving with his breaths. “Yes! You do!” He closes his eyes and inhales deeply and I can feel him calm down. “Yes you do, Joely. You belong to us. You belong to me. And I belong to you.”
The passion in his words is visceral. His cool fluid essence wraps itself around me like a protective cocoon as he lets go of my wrist. I stand there, basking in his energy, feeling like we’ve finally broken through to a place where maybe, just maybe, we can get a little bit closer.
“God.” I sigh and close my eyes, letting myself experience the fullness of Van’s power. The tendrils of him lick my hair and my skin, like tiny cool kisses. I arch my neck, enjoying the feel of him coursing through me.
Van clears his throat and the sensation falls away. “We are stuck with each other whether we like it or not. You’re the Nightbird. And I have no idea how, but we need you if we have any hope of seeing this through. I’ve been waiting for this since forever. I owe my brother this, at least. And I can’t change what the prophecy says, no matter how much I might want to.”
He leaves the room without closing the door.
When I get downstairs, I find Angus alone on the couch.
“Where did they go?” I ask. I can tell that Van and Marco are no longer in the house.
Angus puts his arm around me. I nestle into his chest and weave my fingers through his.
“There’s a meeting for Allbright and his people at the Society. Van’s making sure he stays close in case he gets a line on Underwood.”
“And Marco?” I ask.
“Marco’s the Society’s newest
