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“You know the problem with the Weres? Well, I’ve gotten a lead on that.”

“And it’s in a book in the archive?”

“That’s what my source says.”

He paused, then tilted his head. “Knot told you, didn’t he?”

“Does that help or hurt my odds of getting what I want?”

“Grey, I know you trust him for some reason I don’t understand, but he’s dangerous. We still don’t understand what exactly he is.”

“What I know is that he’s helped me before, and there isn’t any harm, is there?”

“How would he even know where the book is without knowing the name? No one is allowed in there—he can’t have gotten access.”

“That I can’t answer, but why not check? If it’s not there, then we’re done. What if it is, though? What’s the risk?”

“Those books have forbidden knowledge in them, things from well before the council was created. There are secrets that would best remain secret. It’s something Justices are taught from the start, something impressed upon us. This idea that transparency is always good is faulty at best. Our job is to preserve the balance, the peace, and sometimes that requires secrets.”

“Yeah, well, I feel the same way about secrets as I do about locks, which is to say, I’m not a fan.” I crossed my arms, mirroring his stance as though that were going to prove to him just how serious I was. “You know the Were situation is getting worse. If we can’t put a stop to it, if we can’t figure out what’s causing it, there’s no way the other clans will just stand back and ignore it. They’ll step in if the Weres keep causing problems.”

“The Justices have kept peace for a long time now. There is no reason to think we won’t be able to again.”

“You’ve never had to face an entire clan. What if the whole clan goes feral? What if they all turn into this? How exactly is it you think you’re going to deal with that situation? There aren’t enough Justices, not nearly enough for a problem of that size. Add to it that if the Weres keep getting out of hand, the other clanswillstep in, and you’ve got a war—the very thing you were set up to prevent.”

A line appeared between his eyebrows, proof that he knew this all and didn’t care one bit for it.

Which made me wonder…

“This isn’t about the Weres or the book, is it?”

He huffed, turning his gaze away. “You keep getting involved in things that nearly end you. Forgive me for not wanting you to have to deal with this one problem, for me not wanting you to have to take responsibility for this one thing. Even if all you say will come to pass does,youare not involved. You are a clan head, but a clan of one. No one is seeking you out, no one will attack you—they have no reason to. However, if you choose to insert yourself into this issue, if you choose to jump into this, you may very well find that you are out of options. You will end up drawn into a fight you don’t want any part of, that you have no business in.”

What was this? Try to save Grey day?

Still, at least he seemed honestly worried about me, not so much because of my skills—or lack thereof—but because he knew just how badly this could go.

So for the millionth time recently, I had to explain myself. “I can’t just sit back and do nothing, not if I can help. This problem is my problem, because this is my world. Sure, I might be a clan of one, I might not have the power of other clan heads, but I’m still a part of this world and I’ll be damned if I see it go to war when I might be able to help. So, please, let me look for that book.”

He pressed his lips into a tight line, and for a moment, I thought I’d lost. His stern expression said he didn’t like this one bit, and I’d bet he didn’t want to help at all. My best hope was that he gave in for the same reason most people did—because he recognized that I was going to do it with or without him, and he’d have a lesser headache if he helped.

I hoped that by this point, he understood that well. Fuck knew I’d gone behind his back enough times that he should have learned it.

“Fine,” he muttered. “The archive isn’t in this building, though. It’s hidden elsewhere. I will get it set up and we can go tomorrow. The trip will take all day, so prepare yourself for that. I will pick you up at seven a.m.—ensure you are ready to go.”

The way he said that last part implied that he really doubted I’d manage it. It made me laugh, the way he didn’t quite trust me.

Which, to be fair, seven in the morning was pretty fucking early.

My phone rang in my pocket, and when I pulled it out, my eyes widened.

“Shit.”

He stood straighter. “What?”

“Um…look, this might seem weird, but could I get a ride?”

“A ride?”