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“He’s right, Raven. I may not know you, but I don’t have to. I can see the person you are by looking at the men around you. I’ve been warned that you refuse to be labeled as a hero, that saving the realm, or anything else, isn’t in your plan, and that’s what makes you different, not just from anyone else, but from any necromancer that has ever lived.” I rub my lips together as I stare at Brax’s mother. Her smile only widens and she stands, coming around to stand beside me as she offers me her hand. “Hi, Raven. I’m Marieta, and I pledge to help with all that I am, all that I could be, and all I wish to be.”

I peer at Brax, completely overwhelmed, and he offers a subtle nod in response. Turning back to Marieta, I place my hand in hers and a sudden golden swirl sweeps over our joined hands, dancing for the briefest moment before settling against our skin and disappearing a second later.

“What was that?”

“That was a pledged oath,” Brax’s father answers, coming to stand beside his wife. “It’s the kind of promise we give to The Monarchy, to a cause, a belief. And that’s what you are to us, Raven. Belief. Hope.” I don’t know how to respond as he offers his hand to me. “Hi, Raven. I’m Peta, and I pledge to help with all that I am, all that I could be, and all I wish to be.”

What is actually happening right now?

I place my hand in his and the same thing happens.

“Why?” I manage to croak. “What don’t I know that you guys seem to?”

“What makes you think that’s the case?” Creed asks, and I cock a brow at him.

“I just show up here and suddenly I’m learning about pledged oaths? To me? I don’t understand why, and I’m not saying that because I’m looking for someone to shower me with praise, quite the opposite.”

Brax grins. Actually fucking grins. Marieta circles around the table to come to a stop behind him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. “Stop looking so smug, Son. It suits you far too well.”

“What does that mean?”

Marieta winks at me as Peta chuckles, taking his seat casually like the pair of them haven’t just pledged themselves to me. What the fuck?

“It means my son has been here for a little over an hour and has already taken charge of everything. Right down to predicting how you would respond to the pledged oaths,” she explains with a chuckle.

I glare at him but he doesn’t falter under my stare. I exhale, a calmness settling over me as I look around the table. “Has Brax got everyone up to date on our end?” I ask, redirecting the conversation, and Marieta sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, trying and failing to stifle her chuckle.

I look at Eldon and Zane, helplessly confused, but they only smirk back at me too. “We said you would immediately try to distract the conversation away from yourself too.”

Fuckers.

Of course they did.

Rolling my eyes, I turn my attention to Peta, hoping someone here is focused on something else. “Help me out, Peta. What do I need to know?”

“What don’t you need to know would probably be the easier question, but that’s not useful, is it?” He winks, leaving me no wiser.

Despite the stress and anxiety that insists on following me everywhere right now, I can’t help but appreciate the moment. Surrounded by Eldon, Creed, Zane, and Brax, with his parents casting a calming environment around us with their mere presence, is something to appreciate. Especially when we don’t know how many more moments we may get like this going forward.

Gulping down the remainder of my hot cocoa, I lean back in my seat, letting the tension ease from my shoulders.

“Is there anything we can be doing from the other side?” I ask. “I want us all together as soon as possible. Whatever it takes, I don’t care. I can’t continue like this.” Creed’s hand falls to my lap, squeezing in comfort as Eldon’s arm drapes over the back of my chair.

“We need you to investigate some things.”

My eyebrows rise to my hairline. “More things to investigate?”

Creed nods, his face falling solemn. “Erikel wasn’t a skinwalker, Raven. Burton was, or is. I don’t know.” I freeze, letting his words settle in my mind as I try and fail to process them. “I know it sounds insane, but that’s why we need to figure it out.” My gaze travels to Brax and I can see in his eyes that they’ve already told him this, but it doesn’t stop the furrow between his brows from growing stronger.

“What are you dealing with out there, Raven? Is there anything we can help with?” Marieta asks. “Our main focus right now is trying to communicate with the shadows in your absence, to convince them to help us. Now they’ll acknowledge our pledged oath to you, so we may see more assistance from them. I can’t explain how much that helps us, but I meant the pledge wholeheartedly. If there’s anything I can offer, just ask.”

Taking a deep breath, I think about all of the thoughts keeping me up at night, tearing them apart and piecing them back together.

“Are you able to help with wards or familiars? I think I’m going to need to get to Ari to be able to stabilize things on the other side. I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to hide the fact that the guys are here. Erikel is going insane over the Potens Ruby and the guys’ disappearance. I need to strengthen my defenses, and Ari is my key to that. I feel it.”

“Ari?”

“He’s her familiar, a griffin,” Brax explains, and both Marieta and Peta stare at me with wide eyes.