Page 49 of Eat. Prey. Love. (Apex Academy Capers #5)

Fitz’s scowl deepens with every second, his eyes dark pools of unresolved anger. I’m holding the jar with a pinky toe that’s definitely female—I can tell by the fancy pedicure—but I haven’t asked who he took this trophy from. I know his small retributions make him feel less out of control in the face of enemies we can’t simply meet head on, and I adore that he wants me to know those who mistreat me are paying, even in this macabre fashion.

Everyone else looks grossed out, but I treasure Fitzy’s body part tributes; it feels fitting to me.

“Fitzy,” I start, my voice a soft lilt that usually calms him down. His gifts normally make him cool off, but he hasn’t quite gotten to a stable mindset yet. That’s worrying Felix and Chess, which is making me anxious. His hyperactivity and snap decision making activate when he’s like this—something we definitely do not need with so many balls in the air.

“No,” he cuts me off sharply, the single word slicing through the heavy atmosphere. His determination is a tangible thing, a force that won’t be swayed by distractions or offers of physical comfort. It’s one of the things I admire about him, but today it’s grating on my already thin nerves.

I watch as he paces frenetically. Felix watches his twin like a silent sentinel, his loyalty to Fitz as unwavering as the north star. They exchange a look, and without a word, they’re set into motion. “Where are you going?”

“Don’t fret, Princess,” Felix says as he winks at me over his shoulder. “We’re going to do some recon—probably in the staff housing again. My brother needs to feel like he’s doing something right now. I won’t let him go off the ranch.”

Resisting the urge to press him for more information, I sigh heavily. I know when Fitz is hell-bent on accomplishing a task he’s better off without us holding him back. So I stay put, feeling my nose twitch, an anxious tick that betrays my own unease.

Those two going off on their own without a solid plan was not on the agenda for today.

The headmistress’ secret meetings have cast a shadow over us all, and Fitz won’t rest until we know exactly what that slippery serpent has planned. None of us are fond of the unknown and there’s not a lot of information on Midori other than PR blurbs and the occasional puff piece in educational journals. It’s infuriating and almost certainly orchestrated by whoever is working on their tech—an Erikson lackey, most likely .

I didn’t need another reason to hate Heather E.; however, her family is ass-deep in this conspiracy, so I have one.

The musty scent of old paper and ink fills my nostrils as I flip through the yellowed pages of the book with a delicate touch. Renard hovers nearby, his sharp eyes scanning the cryptic symbols as if he might divine their meaning through sheer will. Aubrey’s fingers dance across the screen of his phone, pausing only to zoom in on a particularly gnarled drawing before snapping a picture to send off.

“These colleagues of yours,” I muse aloud, “they’re all predators, right?”

Aubrey nods without looking up, too engrossed in his task. “Yeah, top of their field in ancient cultures and shifter histories.”

I nibble on my lower lip, recalling Raina’s whispered confidences during a late-night study session. “We need to reach out to someone from prey academia, too. As I mentioned before, Raina told me what we learn about the Magic Accords isn’t the whole story. The prey perspective is less... glorified. And it might reference the Fae because their archives aren’t controlled by Council lackeys.”

“That seems like something we should investigate further.” Aubrey pauses, considering it for a moment. He tilts his head, a spark of curiosity lighting his gaze. “Their data could be a game changer if it’s not been redacted. I know you mentioned it, but I got so involved in working on this new stuff from the museum that I forgot.”

Chess looks up from his book with a smirk. “It’s not like we haven’t had distractions, big guy.”

“No shit,” I say, feeling a small surge of pride when they jump on board immediately. “Raina says their stories are like shadows— always there but rarely acknowledged by those who don’t need to hide.”

“Shadows can reveal much about the truth of an object,” Rennie chimes in, his voice low and thoughtful. “I will speak to Raina and the Captain about who we can contact to explore this lead. They will be able to point us in the right direction for certain.”

Aubrey nods, already drafting a new message on his phone. I watch him work, a flurry of focused energy, and feel the library’s silence settle around us once more—dense with secrets waiting to be unearthed. “Their assistance will be much appreciated, love. Let me know when you get their contact information.”

My gargoyle leaps to his feet, pacing between towering bookshelves, tail flicking in agitation. “I never considered that they were sitting on a treasure trove of truth, undistorted by predator bias. We could have been further along with all of this timeline shit if I had been paying more attention. I apologize, ma petite .”

“Like Chessie said, we’ve been distracted by a lot of shit,” I say, hopping off the table where I was perched. “Predator narratives are loud—they claim to be the only truth and we’ve all been taught that. it’s easy to forget our smaller friends don’t grow up in that noisy din.”

“ Exactement ,” Renard nods, his expression softening as he stops pacing. “We must look further than our own belly buttons for the answers we seek. Very good, petite lapin . Once Flames has their information, we will work to expand our timeline with new data and perhaps that will lead us to someone who can translate the things we stole.”

Meanwhile, Aubrey’s fingers fly across the keyboard of his laptop, the click-clack of keys punctuating the silence that hangs heavy around us. He’s back to work, having accepted the idea of using outside sources, and now he’s moved on. His focus is impressive, and I smile as I walk over to wrap my arms around his shoulders .

“You work harder than anyone, big guy. Thank you for taking care of us.”

“It’s my job, lunchable—all of our jobs, really, but this is where I am most useful,” Aubrey grunts, a corner of his mouth lifting in a wry smile. “Outside of burning everyone to ash, which my dragon would happily do at any time. But much like Fitzgerald, I know he is simply overreacting to the danger by wanting to eliminate everything without considering the consequences. Your gift for listening to your friends is what will help us in the end, I believe.”

“Who knew my big ears were good for more than just eavesdropping?” I quip, trying to ease the tension in the room. It works, as both Renard and Aubrey chuckle, and I stand up, stretching my arms above my head. “Now I have to go eat or my stomach is going to cave in. Coming, Chessie?”

My cheetah drops his book and shoots to his feet, making me smile softly. “With you? Anytime, Angel. Let’s get you fed and then we’ll come back to help.”

Later, we’re huddled around the ancient tome, its pages splayed open like wings of a moth. I can’t help but feel the weight of centuries beneath my gloved fingertips. The symbols etched into the parchment seem to dance before my eyes—whispers of a hidden language that’s just beyond my grasp. I feel like I should be able to read it for some reason and I don’t know why. Ever since Fitz swiped it, the damn thing has been taunting all of us and I want to scream every time I look at it.

Why is this book calling to me like a siren? Ugh!

“Whatever secrets it holds are important,” I muse aloud. “But until we figure out what fucking language it’s in, we can’t do anything with it. However, Fitz’s software is much closer to unlocking the flash drive, so that’s what we need to focus on.” My voice hangs in the air, a taut string vibrating with our imminent discovery. Progress of any kind is better than spinning our wheels.

Aubrey nods, his gaze not leaving the page as he carefully extracts a few delicate samples from the old book with tweezers. “That data is crucial, but he needs a clear head to tackle it.” He places each fragment into a small, sterile vial. “For now, we’re going to get these samples prepped to go to the Louvre where my friend works.”

Renard’s hands are steady as he assists Aubrey, sealing the vials with a methodical precision. “Farley’s guys will ensure everything reaches the Louvre without interference. Their brawn and quick wit should prevent any interference.”

I’ll say… Monstro and Skelly would twist an attacker into a pretzel without a second thought.

“Okay,” I say, leaning back in my chair, the leather creaking softly under my weight. “The last thing we need is more variables to fuck up our plans. The board is too full as it is.”

Chess packs the vials into a padded container, a miniature vault for the fragments of history that might soon unfold an entirely new narrative. Then Aubrey affixes a label, his handwriting meticulous and unreadable to anyone who doesn’t know him well. Once they’re done, Rennie takes the box, placing it on the top of a shelf carefully. Leaning back in my chair, I let out a slow breath as I think about what comes next.

“The Louvre is in Paris,” I blurt out, a sudden burst of excitement surging through me. “We could go during spring break to check out what your friends find out about the samples.”

It’s a tantalizing thought—for more reasons than just the results.

Renard leans against a bookshelf, crossing his arms with a thoughtful tilt of his head. “That’s not a bad idea,” he admits. “I’ll take you. I’ve been dying to show you my city; it’s a date. ”

“Ooh la la, that sounds fancy,” Aubrey quips, a smirk playing on his lips as he closes his laptop with a satisfying snap. “Will you be visiting the Tower to brood?”

“Only if you têtes de noeud refuse to leave us alone,” Renard retorts, his playful smirk mirroring Aubrey’s.

I can’t suppress my grin at their banter, especially knowing I’ll finally get to see the famous city. “Don’t listen to him, Rennie. I’d love to go on a date to your former home. You can show me all the amazing, beautiful sights since we won’t get a real break like everyone else.”

Chess frowns. “What does that mean, Angel?”

“I have so much work to do that I’ll spend most of my time practicing for the next scrimmage, finishing my homework, and going on whatever secret squirrel missions we have. Vacation isn’t in the cards for me.”

Aubrey snorts, shaking his head. “That won’t do, bite size. You need to rest, too. Our romantically inclined mate can take you on his fancy date, but we will all plan a few distractions here as well. You may have a lot to do, but you can’t push yourself until you break. That won’t help at all.”

“I agree with him,” Chess says as he gives me a concerned look. “We can help with your work, too. All you have to do is tell us what you need. Plus, I can make anything you want to keep you fed and happy.”

My lips curve as I look at the three of them with my heart damn near bursting from my chest. Whatever I did to deserve these wonderful men that everyone else discarded, I’d do it a million times over to ensure I never have to be without them. “Alright. We’ll tackle it all as a family… but remember, you asked for this.”

They have no idea what they just got themselves into and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.