Page 17

“And multiple times when he first arrived. When he was introduced to us for one. They were both there. Side by side,” Creed adds, backing my thoughts.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Peta says with a sigh, swiping a hand down his tired face.

“None of this makes sense,” I agree. “It hasn’t since it began.”

That’s the truth.

I’ve never known life to be as fucked as this, but here we are. I can’t keep drowning in it. We need to learn how to navigate these waters. We can’t succumb to it, and we can’t do just enough to survive. I’m through with just staying afloat, barely managing to tread water. We need to take action and we need to do it now.

Glancing around the room, I’m reminded that my location doesn’t make that as possible as I would like, but as the doubt tries to cling to my thoughts once again, I shove it to the back of my mind.

“Burton could have projected himself as Erikel while standing in the room. Again, I’m not certain, but as insane as it sounds, it’s possible,” Marieta offers, making my eyebrows pinch in surprise.

“That sounds like a lot of magic all at once.” My magic thrums through my veins in agreement.

“Burton is a powerful man, Zane. They don’t give the role of head professor at Silvercrest Academy to just anyone,” she replies gently, the words much heavier than her tone.

“That still seems like a lot,” Creed states, agreeing with me, but the way Peta shakes his head makes me pause. “And if Raven brought him back from the dead, wouldn’t that allow Burton to travel to the Realm of Shadows too?”

My eyebrows rise at Creed’s realization.

Fuck.

“That could have been his plan all along, yes,” Marieta murmurs, flooding my veins with a nervous tingle.

“When you’re a man on a mission, fueled by the hunger for power, anything is attainable. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but things really are as crazy as they seem sometimes. We will get a better understanding of this, I swear it.” He brushes a kiss to Marieta’s temple before turning back to me. “Go and get some rest, love. I think I’ll spend some time in the room with these guys. Hopefully, we’ll get information overload and pass out.” He chuckles, making Marieta smile as she rises from her seat.

“Goodnight, boys. Please do try and sleep, though. You’re going to need it.”

She slips from the room without a backward glance, and it’s only when her footsteps echo from above that Peta moves. He doesn’t speak, waving his hand for us to follow him. If Creed and Eldon are unhappy with the delayed bedtime, they don’t utter a word of complaint.

Stepping back into the room filled with the proof of their adventures, I let Peta take the lead. He doesn’t go to a drawer or pull a scrap of paper from anywhere. Instead, he moves to the words practically carved into the wall to our right.

His fingers run over each letter, obstructing my view of what has his attention. After a moment of shuffling from foot to foot, I’m ready to nudge him to the side, but he turns to face us before I can overreact.

“I never understood what these words may mean, but now I think I do.” He takes a step back, and the three of us fill the spot the moment he vacates it, eyes scanning each word. The first pass-over turns to garble in my mind, and the second helps me focus a little, but it’s the third pass that has the words settling in my soul.

Follow your heart, find solace in the shadows, and take down the dawn.

SEVEN

RAVEN

Fitch parts the sea of students remaining, not bothering to glance back to see if I’m following. He knows I will, even though I know with certainty that my parents aren’t awaiting me.

I don’t have to say a word to Brax. He’s at my side, so pretending to want to face whatever awaits me alone is pointless. He’s never going to leave my side. This morning proved that.

He slugged those fuckers effortlessly, and I’m not embarrassed by the fact that I’d much rather be back at the house, on my knees, licking at his scuffed knuckles before I get another taste of his cock, showing my appreciation in the best way I know.

That will have to wait for now. Instead, we have the joy of discovering whatever bullshit awaits us.

I use my mind to call out to Ari, praying to hear his voice again, but nothing comes. I feel him in my gut, though. Our connection is still there, which is a relief, but I’m confused as hell with what’s changed overnight. I was hoping to ask Figgins, but she disappeared with the students when Fitch made his public declaration.

“Where are we going?” I ask, speaking a little louder than necessary, but it’s clear he’s not waiting around and I would like to pepper him with questions on our way.

He doesn’t offer a response, which pisses me off. A quick glance out of the corner of my eye at Brax reveals that he looks even more irritated than me. He grips my hand like a vice, storming toward Fitch, forcing me into a jog as I work to keep up with him.

We don’t slow until we’re in front of Fitch, and even then, he doesn’t stop, but it’s a little easier to keep in step with him.