Page 26

T ansy’s power rushes around us, a wave of pressure, and I’m aware of the way that everyone else she’s transporting—Peyton, Archer, Jonah, and even Slade—drop where they stand, their eyes closing and knees buckling as if a massive weight is bearing down on them.

But for me, the air seems to become weightless.

I’m acutely conscious that Vanguard also remains standing and fully conscious, his focus zipping to me. I’m certain I see a spark of alarm in his gaze before he hides it.

The whole experience lasts only a few heartbeats before our surroundings become clear again, and the others right themselves before they hit the ground, including Peyton, whose snakes dart out to coil around her waist and chest as if they’re checking that she’s okay.

Ignoring Vanguard, whose shadowed expression is unsettling, I take stock of our new surroundings.

We’re standing in a clearing surrounded on either side by enormous trees with trunks so thick they could be thousands of years old. The sound of rushing water fills the air, making me think of a surging river or maybe a waterfall. My suspicion is confirmed when I take a few steps forward.

The edge of a ravine rests only ten paces ahead of me, with a steep fall hundreds of feet down to a wide, crashing river.

Directly to my right, a gray stone bridge stretches across the ravine, positioned right in front of a waterfall.

The spray mists the air around the bridge, making it hazy as I lift my eyes to try to see the top of the waterfall.

It’s impossible to see past the mist. The water may as well be falling from a cloud.

What’s even more intriguing is that each end of the bridge—on this side of the ravine and on the other—is blocked by an enormous tree.

The trunk of the tree in front of the bridge on this side is at least seven feet wide.

Wider than the bridge itself, which means there’s no way to step safely onto the bridge.

My senses prickle, and my beast is on alert. A glance at Peyton tells me the hairs on her arms are standing on end.

The magic within this place is impossibly strong.

Slade recovered from our transportation as quickly as Peyton and doesn’t miss a beat, heading straight for Vanguard. “The bones.”

As he speaks, Tansy and Archer take up positions in front of the giant tree blocking the bridge.

I have no doubt that in the short space of time between when Slade left the previous realm to when he returned with Tansy and Archer, they would have come up with a full plan.

They’ve shown me many times how quickly they move as a team, take into account any number of contingencies, and plan for the risks that could arise.

They will have discussed every move and will play to each other’s strengths.

It strikes me how much I already miss being part of their lives.

Ever since the assassins took me in, I’ve had the chance to see the family they’ve made, the way they respect each other’s strengths and protect each other.

I have to believe that I can build a family like that for myself, too.

Vanguard hesitates, but only for a moment. “In a show of faith, I will tell you where the bones are hidden, and Striker Draven can retrieve them. That way, you can be assured I won’t attempt to use them against you.”

I find myself looking at Peyton again, trying to read the deepening crease in her forehead and the purse of her lips.

Is she concerned?

“Yes,” she says, raising her beautiful eyes to mine, her voice quiet. “But I won’t stop you.”

Far from disconcerting, it’s reassuring that she can hear my thoughts so clearly at this moment?—

“Is it?” she asks, her eyebrows rising.

I can’t help my smile. Fuck . I clearly need to rein my thoughts back in.

Taking a breath, I draw my sense of calm back into my mind, at which her forehead smooths out once more.

To Vanguard, I ask, “Where are the bones?”

He points to the edge of the ravine. “Right beside that tree, hidden within the lip at the top of the ravine. You will need to reach down past the edge to a cavity in the rock face where the box is wedged.”

For some reason, this causes a stir among Slade, Tansy, and Archer.

Archer immediately goes on the offensive, storming toward Vanguard. “What are you playing at? Nobody can get past the edge of the ravine. Nobody .”

Vanguard stands his ground even as copper-colored power swirls around Archer’s form, and I have a sense that her wings are only seconds from being released.

“With respect, Keres,” he replies very quietly. “That is not entirely true. There are a handful of creatures still walking this earth who can gain access to that ravine. I am one. And…” He pauses, his focus returning to me. “If I’m right, Striker Draven is another.”

His speech doesn’t seem to allay her rising anger. Or quell Slade or Tansy’s wrath, both of whom are converging on Vanguard, while Jonah quickly steps up beside him.

“I’m happy to be wrong,” Vanguard says, raising his hands. “Is there any harm in trying?”

I clear my throat, trying to defuse the tension. “What am I missing here?”

“There’s an invisible wall all along the edge of the ravine,” Archer grinds out. “A shield through which no human or supernatural can pass. So if Vanguard is claiming that he hid the bones beneath the edge of the ravine—which would require reaching past the shield—then he’s lying.”

“He isn’t.” Peyton’s soft whisper cuts through the friction in the air. “Or, at least, he believes it as vehemently as you believe he’s lying.”

Turning to Vanguard, she narrows her eyes at him. “I don’t like your games.”

Despite the snarl in her voice and the sudden descent of her claws, Vanguard grins. “Of course you don’t. You are a Fury, through and through.”

“I’ll do it,” I say, causing them all to look at me, at which I shrug. “I have nothing to lose. If there’s a shield, maybe I’ll bump my head. If I can reach past it, well, the bones will be mine.”

“Indeed,” Vanguard says, his eyes glittering. “They will be.”

Without waiting for permission from anyone else, he picks his way across the mossy ground toward the edge of the ravine.

Stopping a step away from a very sharp fall, he points downward. “The cavity containing the box is located at this point. About twenty inches down the rock face.”

The lip at the top of the ravine extends out a little bit, making it impossible to visually confirm if he’s telling the truth. Given that Archer said there’s a shield all along the edge, it would explain why she can’t simply fly out to verify his claim.

I quickly judge that I’m going to need to lie on my stomach so I can slide my hand down the rock wall to find the cavity.

“How big is the box?” I ask since I have no way of knowing how large the bones are. For all I know, I might need both hands.

“Slightly smaller than a shoe box,” Vanguard replies. “It’s locked, so the lid won’t fly open and drop its contents.”

Peyton suddenly darts to my side. Her presence makes me freeze, but not in a bad way. Her scent fills my chest, and her eyes consume my view. Eyes turning crimson with power.

She places both of her hands on my chest, stealing my breath away with her touch, before she raises herself up to eye-level with me and whispers, “Choose carefully, Striker.”

You must choose.

That’s what she said to me before I destroyed the White Wand.

For some reason, it feels like she’s warning me again now. Or maybe challenging me. I’m not sure which.

I let my inner calm crumble for a moment, allowing my beast to surge and taking a chance to speak with my heart, but not aloud.

Within my mind, I growl, I choose you .

Confusion floods her features. I read it in the crease in her brow and the press of her lips, the tilt of her head. Her fingers claw against my chest, becoming hard, and I berate myself for expressing my thoughts as if my words should, or even could, mean something to her.

Quickly, I calm my heart and close off my mind.

Peyton draws back from me, but she doesn’t stop studying me.

Neither does anyone else.

Archer is on her front foot near Slade, while Tansy has remained close to the tree. Jonah is hanging back, his arms folded across his chest.

Vanguard steps aside, and I take his place at the edge of the cliff, extending my hand outward into the air while I’m still standing, testing the location of the shield.

The wind grows strong around my palm, but I don’t feel a barrier. Maybe I’m not close enough to it.

Fuck it.

I drop to my stomach, army-crawl forward until I’m right at the edge, and then I hold my breath as I extend my hand forward.