‘Put someone else on it,’ I fired back.
She shook her head. ‘He’s the best. Would you suggest we did less for Spencer?’
I took a breath. There was no question when she put it like that.
‘Violet, there is no way to avoid him.’
‘We’ll see,’ I replied.
‘He’s running a strategy meeting right now. If you want to find out what the latest is, I’d suggest you listen in.’
‘I’d rather go to see Chloe,’ I threw back, ignoring my racing heartbeat.
Josephine stood and started for the door. ‘Priorities, Violet. Chloe is unconscious and is not going anywhere. The intel you need to help find your friend is just down the hall. What will it be?’
Shit.
I took a deep breath and pushed my scrambling thoughts aside. ‘I’m not going anywhere I’ll be seen.’
Josephine smiled. ‘I thought you might feel that way. Don’t worry, you’re covered,’ she said, pulling two black silk robes from a hook on the back of the door, handing them to me.
I held them up and noticed their hoods. I passed one to Gray who gave it the same once-over.
‘Really?’ he groaned.
I should’ve just legged it and found another way to track down Spence. But I knew I’d be taking a risk with his life and that he would never do that with mine.
Damn it.
‘Really,’ I replied throwing on the cloak and pulling the hood down to cover my face while I concentrated on keeping my guards locked tight.
‘This way,’ Josephine said, an unmistakable sound of victory in her voice. Suddenly I felt like everyone’s plaything.
Each step down the quiet hallway broke me further in two. Half of me felt each movement like I was wading through quicksand, while the other half was tripping over itself to urge me on, knowing what was behind the door ahead.
Gray grabbed my arm as Josephine reached for the door handle. ‘You can do this,’ he said into my ear, his voice showing no doubt.
I nodded, relieved that he was here with me. ‘I know.’
And I would do this. I had to. I’d spent the past two years doing nothing but growing stronger. I could stay in control of this situation.
For Spence.
We shuffled quietly into the back of another meeting room. Most members of the Academy might have been tucked into bed for the night, but here I could sense a couple of dozen people surrounding me. Ignoring the particular awareness that was overwhelming me, I peeked out from beneath my hood. The room was about twice the size of the one we’d just left and was full of Grigori. Some were seated around a central table, but most were without chairs and standing around the edges, providing enough of a crowd that we were able to remain unnoticed at the back of the room. Mostly.
Someone I couldn’t see from my position was talking about Spence and Chloe, discussing their last known location before Spence had dropped off the grid.
‘They were in Austin. But we found Chloe at the airport, so we have to assume Spencer was going somewhere from there. He could be anywhere in the world by now.’
Someone else went on to explain Chloe’s current condition. While the long-winded run-down went on, I looked around a little more. The first people I recognised were Salvatore and Zoe. I smiled when I saw Steph positioned near the head of the table. It had been more than six months since I’d seen her. She’d let her hair grow a little longer and had given up her old spritzy style for an edgier blunt cut. It really worked for her. I also noted the diamond ring on her wedding finger I’d only seen before in pictures and my smile increased.
On the other side of Steph sat Rainer and Hakon, and Josephine had just moved into position beside them at the head of the table, seeming content at this stage to simply listen. Drenson, the head of the Academy, was not at the table.
Rainer moved her chair closer to Josephine as she looked towards Gray and me – the two cloaked strangers. Most people had remained oblivious to our entrance, but Rainer had noticed and was enquiring.
Before putting my head back down to maintain my anonymity, I saw Josephine swing a graceful but dismissive hand towards Rainer who, clearly unhappy, moved her chair back to its previous position.
Finally, though I forced myself not to look, my attention drifted to the right, my entire being humming with the effort.
Torture of any description would have been kinder. I took one agonising breath after another, but it didn’t stop it; the distinctive impression of honey lazily trickling its way into my throat and settling over every inch of my body. I could sense the very spot where he stood, could imagine his posture, his eyes, his lips.
Does he sense me? Would he still want me? Would he ask me to stay? Would he hate me and order me to leave? Would he show me the pain in his eyes that my Sight forced on me on those nights I unwittingly travelled to him?
My hands started to shake.