There's a simple text on my phone, from an unknown number.
[UNKNOWN: Co to Dakota Sanctuary. We have a place for you. Now that you've unlocked your power, you're a danger to everyone around you.]
"Is everything okay?"
Marcus' eagle eyes must have noticed the blood draining from my face.
I don't want to lie to him, but I don't know how much he should know about the situation.
Then again, the man's my bodyguard.
How can he effectively guard if he doesn't know what's going on?
Tell Lucas, Selene says, sounding grim.
I will. "This text. Probably the sa as the unknown call from before." Handing Marcus my phone, I watch as his face zones out to inform Kellan or Jericho of the situation. Or both of them. Probably both.
My gaze flicks to the book, but the words that had appeared monts ago are gone, leaving only those illegible runes once again. The cryptic ssage lingers in my mind, unsettling in its implications.
I don't like this, Ava, Selene says, her voice laced with concern. It feels like we're being herded into sothing.
The thought of being manipulated, of being led down a path I didn't choose, brings nothing but unease.
What are our choices right now? I ask, hating the tremor in my ntal voice. If my power really is a danger to everyone around ...
I trail off, not wanting to finish that thought. The idea that I can hurt the people I care about, that my re presence could put them at risk, is a heavy weight on my chest.
I've already hurt so many people.
But leaving isn't an option.
So what the fuck am I supposed to do?
It feels like I'm being forced into making a bad decision. There has to be another way, right? Like Vanessa said—I was always thinking in black and white. So, now I need to find gray. Or orange. Or whatever other color it could possibly be.
Sohow.
Lucas' face flashes through my mind, and I can already imagine his reaction to this new developnt. Can he really keep safe from my own power? Can I keep him safe?
The Unregistered city is an unknown, Selene says. We need to talk to soone we can trust.
But the only lead we have is Sister Miriam, and Lucas doesn't trust her.
I don't necessarily trust her, either—but I don't think she intends harm.
Your power is a concern, Selene admits, though I can hear the reluctance in her voice. But…
Her concern mirrors mine.
Funny; before, when we had no one to rely on, we were ready to take so many risks. Selene wasn't as worried as now.
But with the people we care about warning us, ti after ti, about our safety?
After the vampire attacks?
She's learned caution.
So have I.
Marcus clears his throat, drawing my attention. "Kellan and Jericho are on their way," he says, handing the phone back to .
I nod, trying to quell the rising panic in my chest. Kellan and Jericho will know what to do. They'll have a plan. They have to.
Don't always rely on others to do your work for you, Ava. You have to do it, too.
Fair. But there's nothing that cos to mind…
And my plans in the past have led to trouble.
But you successfully found freedom in Cedarwood, didn't you?
Did I?
With Mrs. Elkins' arrival, it's been a niggling doubt in my head.
Did I find freedom?
Or was it the first stage of soone's grand plan?
That's just paranoia, Selene murmurs, but I can tell she's not sure, either.
The Unregistered city. A place where the laws of the world don't apply. Where vampires and other creatures roam unchecked. The thought of venturing into such a place…
And Lisa's already there.
She's been there for so long.
I could go. I could save her.
But I don't have the training, and I'm… what, so sort of exploding ti bomb of magical power?
My brain just keeps rushing in circles, making dizzy with the force of my indecision and panic.
If only I were like my family. A bizarre thing to think in a mont like this, but even I have to admit that Jessa was never one to panic. Phoenix, either. And my father? I don't think I've seen him at any level past moderate concern in his entire life.
Then there's .
Paranoia. Secrets. Worries. Uncertainty. I can't even figure out how to nd my relationship with a pack without getting advice from Vanessa.
I didn't even realize how much damage I had done until she'd pointed it out.
It isn't like your family realizes how much damage they've done to you, either. Don't try to emulate them, Ava. They're nothing but flaws.
Selene's dry words bring a little relief, easing the pressure in my chest. And mortification.
Why would I ever look at my family as people to emulate?
Because you've been trained to, all your life.
"Sounds like a flimsy excuse when you know better," I mutter.
Marcus, to his credit, ignores as he always does when I talk to Selene, glancing up only when Jericho and Kellan co rushing in.
Kellan holds out his hand, concern on his face. "Can I see your phone, Ava?"
I hand it over, watching as he scrutinizes the text ssage, his frown deepening with each passing second. Jericho's gaze is intense, studying like I'm a puzzle he's trying to solve.
"We should talk to Steve," Kellan says, looking up from the phone. "See if she can get any information from this ssage."
I shake my head, doubting that Steve will find anything more than what's already there. "I don't think it'll help. Kellan, It feels like I'm being herded to the city, like I don't have a choice."
Jericho sits on the window ledge and leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "We've been dancing around this for too long. We know you're different from other shifters, and we know that Selene is your wolf. But these powers of yours? We need to know more. From you, not anyone else."
I take a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. "It's hard to explain. It's like I have this hidden well of energy inside , and sotis it just... spills out." I pick up the book, flipping through the blank pages. "And then there's this. It shows things, but I don't understand what they an, and no one else can see them."
Jericho stands abruptly, leaving the room. He returns a mont later with a pen and paper, handing them to . "Copy what you see in the book."
I nod, opening the book to the first page. The symbols are there, as always, and I begin to sketch them out. But as soon as I finish the last stroke, the design vanishes from the paper, leaving it blank once more.
I stare at the empty page, shocked. "What the..."
Ava, Selene says, her voice grim. Write down every symbol, one by one. Hurry.
"You think you know what this is?" I ask, already starting on the next symbol.
It might be a coincidence, but it's similar to an ancient language I learned long ago. My mories are a bit fuzzy, though, so we need to get this down quickly.
I nod, my hand flying across the page as I copy each symbol, watching as they disappear in turn. Kellan and Jericho watch silently, their expressions growing more concerned with each vanishing design.
I finish the last symbol, setting down the pen with a shaky hand. "That's all of them. Do you know what it ans, Selene?"
I caught a few that I recognize. Mostly elents, and the Fae. I didn't understand them all. It hurts my head to think of them.
"Elents and… Fae? As in, a specific Fae, or just in general?"
In general.
"Ava," Jericho warns suddenly, "Being a witch will co with a lot of problems. Especially if you're intending to beco the Luna of a wolf pack. Have you and Lucas discussed this?"
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