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“What are Miscretes?” I whisper to Laurel.

“What was that, Mari?” Susan raises an eyebrow.

I clutch my hands, not wanting to proclaim my lack of knowledge to the entire group.

“If you have something to say, tell all of us.” Susan glares at Laurel as if she is an accomplice to my crime.

Part of me is glad Susan looks so petty calling me out while there are much more important things to discuss. “Who are the Miscretes?”

“The mutants who serve Arazian both willingly and unwillingly. The real term is Miscreations, but we call them Miscretes for short. When Avren’s little test tube experiments go wrong, the Dark King has someone there to clean up the mess and deliver more followers to his ever-growing army.”

“That’s terrible.” All my life, I thought growing babies in a test tube was a good thing—more parental choice, less disease, fewer Undesirables. But the idea of having a whole new class of people deemed mistakes makes me cringe.

“And that is one reason the Council needs to be stopped.” Bastian is beside me, a stalwart tower, his deep voice resonating through me. With relative ease, he scoops up a sword and sheathes it at his hip. “Have you gathered a group of fighters from the village?”

Mav’s father shakes his head, lowering his hat to his heart. “We’re simple farmers, you know that. Our pitchforks and shovels will be no match.”

“Then we’ll go.” It’s not a question but a definitive statement. “Gray and Evie can join us, making us seven strong. My lucky number.”

I silently count the numbers in my head.

“We leave first thing in the morning for the Ringlet Forest. Don’t worry, Carl. We’ll come back eight strong with Lyden.” He rests a hand on the man’s shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “Come, Mari. I have work to do.”

As he walks away, I rush over to the logs to gather the quiver and bow. Bastian’s ideas differ from mine. Earlier, I hit the tree with an arrow. Maybe it wasn’t a tiny piece of fruit, but since leaving Avren, it was the first time I felt proud of an accomplishment. With the bow and arrow, I could help on this mission.

When I finally catch up to him, I’m out of breath and determined to find my place in my new family. “The count back there didn’t include me.”

He keeps his eyes forward, pulling a square piece of paper and more powdery substance out of his pouch. Stopping, he strikes a match against a rock and lights the end of the paper like Evie had done on the way home yesterday. “No, it didn’t.”

“With my bow and arrow skills, I can help.” I slip an arrow out of the quiver, ready to prove myself again.

He lets out a stifled laugh. “What bow and arrow skills?” He snatches the arrow from my hand and taps it against the bark. “You mean hitting one tree earlier today?”

“Come on, Bastian.” I hate begging, but I can’t imagine sitting around the cabin with Levi, both of us locked inside and bored out of our minds. “If Gray and Evie go, who’s going to take me to work?”

“You won’t go. It takes at least a week for the dumbass soldiers of Avren to organize a search party for missing workers. Truth is, they’re too scared the Supes will snatch the Undesirables and all they’ll find is the blue anklet in their lair seconds before they’re the next meal.” He takes a long drag on the end of the paper, making me suddenly fascinated with his lips. A small scar is visible on them as they curve around the smoking stick, too alluring to focus on for longer than a few seconds. “There’s no telling what has Lyden. You being there puts the rest of us in more danger.”

With a little more drag in my step, I follow behind my commander, determined to help rescue Mav’s brother somehow.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Bastian taps the edge of each boot on a stump outside the cabin, knocking away any loose mud. Voices come from the living area. My shoulders relax at the thought of Levi and Grayson making it back home. I don’t like the secrets kept from me, but even I must admit two days is a little soon for anyone to be fully trusted.

With a thud, Bastian drops his bag on the table. “They’ve found Lyden. Arazian’s lackeys dragged him to their hideout in the Ringlet Forest. My crew from the Grove will join us in the morning to assist in the rescue.”

Grayson curses, his arms elbow-deep in dishwater. “When will I ever get a decent rest around here? First, I travel to collect Mari, then Levi and I go to see…” He stops, his face pale as his eyes flick to mine. “And now this?”

Unless my two brothers went to see the Grim Reaper to plan for my untimely death, I really don’t care where they went. What I do care about is not being included in the current mission.

“Where were you?” I settle onto the arm of the red chair where Levi sits and flick him in the arm. “It scared me. You weren’t in bed this morning.”

“We had some things we had to take care of,” he says as he signs. “Nothing big.”

“You know how it is, Mari.” Grayson dries his hands on a towel before joining us. “Oh, wait. You don’t know what it’s like to travel to get essential supplies. You press a button, and it arrives on your doorstep.”

I glance around the room. “There’s a button like that here? You’ll have to show me.”

Bastian removes his hair tie, and his dark hair tumbles over his shoulder. “I’m going to pack for the morning. I suggest the two of you do the same.” He glares at Levi and Grayson in warning.