“Silence,” he called. The troop hushed immediately. Even Tenn’s inner monologue snapped off.
“There is much we do not know,” Cassandra said. “But trust me, we are going to find out. Tomorrow, a few of our finest will be sent out into the field. Our sources know of those who might have insight into the runes. We are making it our prerogative to seek them out. Those selected will receive their orders by nightfall.”
She took a deep breath and surveyed them all.
“Remember this moment, comrades. This is the day we cease being the hunted. This is the moment we take back what they have stolen. This is the moment we remake our world.”
The crowd broke into applause.
Tenn couldn’t join in.
If they had found the language of the Dark Lady, what did it mean when She was speaking directly to him?
*
“A word, Dreya?”
He and the twins had waited in the hall to meet with Jarrett. He hadn’t expected Cassandra to pause by their side as she left. Up close, he could smell the spice of her perfume—a rarity, anymore. Her green eyes looked only at him. If Dreya’s gaze felt like being stared down by a hawk, hers felt like being inspected by a goddess.
“I would like to speak with you.” Her eyes flickered from him to Dreya. “All three of you. I’ll meet you in your room in five minutes.”
She didn’t give anyone a chance to respond. She was gone down the hall before anyone could get a word in. Devon and Dreya exchanged another look. Tenn really wished they’d stop doing that and talk like normal people; it just meant he stood there in silence while they shared some secret language. It didn’t help that Jarrett never came through the doors they were haunting. When the gym was cleared, Tenn and the twins returned to their room.
“What do you think this is about?” Tenn asked when the door closed behind him. He didn’t expect Dreya to answer; he just knew if he was silent anymore, Water would take control.
Dreya leaned against the wall, and Devon took a chair. They did another long look exchange, leaving him to his thoughts. The room was exactly like his—sparse and clean, with a wardrobe and flickering hurricane lamps—though there were two small beds, rather than just one.
“I cannot say,” Dreya said. Her voice made him jump. “We are reaching into territories we should know nothing about.”
“What do you mean?”
She didn’t answer the question. Instead, she peered at him with that intense look again.
“What happened to you back there?” she asked.
He’d hoped she’d forgotten, or passed it off as stress. Of course she wouldn’t—she already knew to keep an eye on him for...irregularities.
He opened his mouth, not sure if he would tell the truth or make something up, but the door opened behind him and Jarrett and Cassandra entered, saving him from having to answer.
Cassandra strode into the center of the room like it was her own and looked them over, weighing them, judging them. Jarrett stayed in the corner. Tenn knew he should be focusing on Cassandra, but his eyes kept looking back to Jarrett. Cataloging the way the man stood. The scars and planes of his face that hid the boy he’d known as Kevin. The slight gray in his pale blond hair, from magic or stress, Tenn couldn’t tell. Somehow, though, the years of fighting didn’t seem to weigh on Jarrett the same way they did on Tenn—Jarrett stood tall, light. Something about him defied the darkness of the Resurrection. Something about him made Tenn feel like things could be okay.
Until Cassandra started speaking. Then his heart fell from his throat to his feet.
“Let me get to the point. In light of recent developments, I’m afraid I must send you back out into the field.” Her gaze narrowed on the twins. “I hear you know how to find the Witches.”
The silence that answered was deafening. Fire flickered in Devon’s chest, just for a moment, but that was enough to make Tenn take a half step back. The guy seemed like a ticking time bomb. He could practically hear Devon’s teeth grinding.
“How did...?” Dreya started with obvious surprise. Then she looked at Jarrett, and her mask slipped back into place. But colder. “You swore you would say nothing.”
Jarrett looked down to the floor. “These are dark days, Dreya. I had no choice.”
The glare Dreya cast between Jarrett and Cassandra could level mountains.
“Our ties to the clans have been severed,” Dreya said, her voice flat and an octave lower than normal. “We cannot help you.”
“I am not asking for your help,” Cassandra replied. She stepped forward. Even with her hands in her pockets, she spoke like she was brandishing a weapon. “I am telling you. If you know how to find the clans, if you have even the slightest inkling of an idea, you are bound by duty to do so.”
Dreya pushed herself from the wall. Air flickered in her throat, and her hair billowed in the sudden breeze. Devon wasn’t able to hold back his agitation anymore; sparks flared around his fingertips where they clenched the chair, sending the scent of burning wood through the room. Tenn’s skin went cold. He didn’t want to see what would happen if the twins tried to mutiny. He doubted he’d get out alive. Even Jarrett stared at them with a hint of fear.
“You know of our agreement,” Dreya said, her voice still taut. “We are not bound by the laws of your guild. We are not governed by your commands. We fight those battles which we deem necessary. And this is not our battle. You know not what you ask.”
“Are you so naive?” Cassandra demanded. The two were barely inches apart. In her high-heeled boots, Cassandra towered over Dreya by a good foot, but Dreya was far from cowering. Hell, Tenn expected her to hover. Cassandra opened to Earth, and somehow, just being open to the Sphere gave her a presence, a solidity, that said she would not be toppled. “Do you truly believe this battle ends with you? If you fail to aid us, how many lives do you think we’ll lose? I’m not speaking dozens or hundreds or even thousands. Millions will die, Dreya. Because we. Are. Losing. And you...you will be responsible for those deaths. Are you really comfortable with more innocent blood on your hands?”
Dreya gasped. Air winked out, and she took a step back, her eyes darting between Jarrett and Cassandra with a look that tore at Tenn’s heart. Betrayal. Pure and utter betrayal. She looked like a little girl who’d just been told Santa wasn’t real.
“We cannot,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. Her voice was soft, tinged with hurt. “Our ties are severed. There is no way—”
“We’ll do it.”
The room silenced in an instant, all tension gone like a snapped violin string. As one, they turned to Devon, who was studiously looking everywhere but into the eyes of those he’d spoken to.