Page 114 of Third Offense

But maybe that was the edges of whatever shield those Nora guards had been trying to penetrate. Some sort of runes or magic that protected the compound.

Or perhaps this mirage had created those sentries.

“Raven!” Sorin shouted, causing me to whirl back toward them just as she lost consciousness beside Ketos. “Fuck.”

Zian ran for them, his concern a palpable wave that had me shivering behind him.

But I didn’t move to follow, my gaze suddenly distracted by the whole scene.

The room.

The carnage.

The strange blood.

Iston.

The fallen Noir.

The… fake ones, too.

I frowned.Not everyone here was a true Noir.

Which suggested the sentries outside might not have been real, either.

There’d been an influx of them appearing to guard.Because of our arrival,I thought, frowning.Which led to all this.

So soon after we’d arrived, too.

Because we led them here,I realized, my eyes widening.We somehow led them here.

It suddenly made so much sense. My parents had survived in this realm without detection for hundreds of years.

Yet I arrived…

And the Nora Warriors did, too.

That couldn’t be a coincidence. They’d found my parents… because of me.

Or maybe Auric.

Maybe both of us.

My father—King Sefid—had sent me to Noir Reformatory to reform.

But it was never about reform.

He’d known that the Noir Royals would come for me eventually.

And he’d used me as bait.

But that doesn’t explain Sayir…

Unless…

Unless Sayir had unwittingly fell into his brother’s plans. Or perhaps he’d helped him orchestrate the entire thing.

Regardless, this had always been one massive end game with me as the final chess piece on the board.