“Dessert,” he answered.
“Fuck’s sake.” Oscar stood up suddenly, jostling his tray. “Let me out.”
He paused when he was out of the booth, glancing back to her and Theodore. “Group movie night,” he said stiffly. “In the common room.”
“Offer still stands,” Theodore whispered.
She dipped her head in a slight nod and he stood up, tugging her out of the booth. “Ready?” he asked Cian.
The other Alpha nodded, following them out of the hall and around the lake. Isobel was about to branch off and head to the residence on the other side of the chapel when Cian caught her arm, encouraging her into the chapel instead.
“There’s another exit through here,” he said, leading the way to a door mostly hidden along the back wall, behind the altar. He tried the handle, showing that it was unlocked, and opened it wide to reveal the outside wall of the Guardian’s residence.
“How’d you know that was there?” she asked.
“I come to the chapel sometimes.” For some reason, his eyes dipped to her chest. To the chain hidden beneath her shirt …?
“You follow the Gifted religion?” she guessed.
He only shrugged, nodding at the open doorway. She skipped past, Theodore following wordlessly, and the three of them skirted the wall, finding themselves at the propped-open gate.
She approached the front door, knocking softly, but it was also ajar, and it squeaked, falling open further as her knuckles connected with it.
A soft, strangled sob carried out to where they stood, and she almost darted forward, but Cian caught her shoulder, holding her back. Theodore pushed the door open the rest of the way, striding into the small kitchen.
“What happened?” He sounded alarmed. “Is anyone else here? Is he okay?”
“It’s just us.” Sophia sounded strained.
Isobel shrugged out of Cian’s hold and pushed into the room, finding Sophia and Luis on the floor, leaning against the kitchen cabinets. Luis was curled into a ball, his arms wrapped around his legs, his sobs small and terrified.
“Carter.” Sophia looked up at her, tension and relief fighting across her expression. “You came.”
“What happened?” Isobel tried to step forward, but Cian caught her again, his hands at her hips this time.
She glanced over her shoulder, catching his apologetic look before he tugged her back, pressing her hard against his body.
With a short sigh, she realised neither of the Alphas were going to let her near any strangers anytime soon.
“He has dreams,” Sophia explained, as Theodore knelt on Luis’ other side.
“You okay, little buddy?” He set a hand against Luis’ shoulder, completely dwarfing the small boy.
“What kind of dreams?” Cian and Isobel asked at the same time, the same note of wariness in both their voices.
Luis lifted his head, looking at Theodore, and then Cian, his eyes wide. When he glanced at Isobel, he paused, his glasses slipping off the edge of his nose, hanging precariously by his left ear, his face soaked in tears.
“We’re g-going to d-die,” he whimpered.
Cian cursed, releasing Isobel. They both fell to their knees before Luis, who kept staring at Isobel like he thought she could somehow save him.
“T-The gods like y-you,” he stuttered out, pointing to where her chain was hidden. “Y-You can ask them for help.”
Sophia pressed her hands over Luis’ ears, her attention passing between Isobel and the Alphas. “He said he heard sirens, screaming, alarms going off. And he said he saw me and mama dead in the chapel.”
She released Luis, popping up to fill a glass with water before returning and pressing it into his hands.
“Hi.” Cian held out his hand after Luis pushed the glass away. “I’m Ashford.”
“I know.” Luis quickly tried to right his glasses, his hand trembling violently as it disappeared in Cian’s grip. “I’m L-Luis.”
“How often do you have dreams that come true, Luis?” Cian reached over and straightened his glasses.
Luis made a squeaking sound, like he suddenly couldn’t talk.
“Maybe once or twice a year,” Sophia answered for him. “They’re never good … but they always come true.”
“That’s his first mistake.” Cian painted on a reassuring smile. “The divination ability is never certain. Unpractised users will make their own predictions come true simply by believing they will.”
Luis’ watery, mahogany stare was growing wider by the second.
“How far apart are the dreams from the incidents that occur?” Cian asked Sophia.
“Sometimes a month, sometimes the next day.” She slipped her hands beneath Luis’ arms. “Come on, grasshopper. Let’s go lie down, okay?”
They all stood, watching as his eyes grew unfocussed, his stance wobbly as Sophia pulled him to his feet.
“He’s about to crash hard,” Sophia explained. “If you have any other questions for him, you have a few minutes until he passes out.”
“I’ll take him.” Cian bent down, banding an arm around Luis’ legs and pulling him up to his wide chest. The little boy’s head immediately lolled onto Cian’s shoulder, his eyes fluttering shut.
“Bedroom?” Cian asked.
Sophia gave him directions before motioning the kitchen table. “Please, sit. I’ll make tea.”
Her accent deepened with a wobble, her eyes filling with tears now that Luis was out of sight. Isobel caught her shoulder and steered her to one of the chairs.
“You sit,” she instructed the other girl gently. “I’ll make the tea.”
Isobel glanced to Theodore as she filled the kettle, hoping he would understand that she wanted him to distract Sophia so she could siphon away some of the worry. His expression darkened, and he glanced once at the Delta girl who was too busy staring at the table and trying not to cry to notice the minute shake of his head. Isobel pushed out her lower lip, silently begging him.
His gaze narrowed, his arms crossing tightly over his chest before he let out a short, sharp breath, turning back to Sophia. “If this is any sort of trick or—”
“It’s not,” Isobel muttered, interrupting the threat before he could voice it. She had cracked open her walls, and was slowly, subtly sipping on Sophia’s emotion. It was a chilling cocktail of terror and disbelief, made frigid with shock.
“I’m not here to play the stupid game,” Sophia snapped, immediately furious with Theodore. “I’m here to help people. I don’t give two shits about tricks and traps unless they might cause harm to my family.”
“Where’s your mother?” Theodore asked, without even missing a beat, his tone unapologetic.
Isobel bit back a wave of nausea, cutting herself off from Sophia’s emotions as she pulled four mugs down from the cupboard, able to see where they were through the mottled glass cabinet doors.
“She’s at the hospital for the next hour,” Sophia answered. “She’ll be mad if she finds out I told any of you this. She doesn’t trust any of these Ironside narcissists. No offence.”
Isobel poured the hot water and carried the cups over to the table before claiming a seat.