“They’re going to come here, and I don’t want them finding you. Go,” she commanded.
Cody rolled his eyes and left.
Aria shoved the last of her scone into her mouth, and she noticed Lucas did the same with his potsticker.
Ash was already standing, and he gestured to Dani. “Dani can take them.”
Take them? Aria glanced at him, just as Cara explained.
“Ash and I have to go to Elandriel. The Elders already know he’s seen timelines concerning this, they’ll be seeking his counsel. And I don’t want them to come looking for him, because I’m sending you guys home with Dani.”
Dani merely nodded, as if this wasn’t any news to her. The female shifter rose and gestured to Aria and Lucas. “You two come with me.”
Lucas’s brows dropped. “Where are we going?”
Cara answered. “If Ash is right, you both are key to the most promising of the future timelines. But it means we have to keep you away from the Elders for now.”
Aria’s thoughts swirled incoherently, but she managed, “Why?”
Ash turned his eerie silver gaze on her. “They might try using you to track down Nikolai.”
What?“What has happened to Nikolai?”
“Nikolai has been taken captive.” Cara scurried around, obliterating all evidence of their tea party.
Ash handed her the cups. “It narrows the possible futures down to about twenty.”
Lucas had gone still. “Taken captive by whom?”
Ash’s eyes ignited, and it was as though he looked clear through everyone in the room to some distant vista.
“By his father,” he said.
Aria stared at him. “He has a father?” Her gaze slid to Cara. “Did we know he had a father?”
Cara shook her head and kicked the dishwasher closed. “We never discovered who his father was.” She straightened and regarded Ash. “I take it you now know?”
Ash narrowed fogged eyes, as if consulting his inner Oracle. “His name is Galeran.”
Cara’s mouth opened and closed. “Crap.” She spat the word.
“Who is Galeran?”
“He’s trouble,” she hissed.
Aria’s heart slammed against her rib cage. “Is Nikolai all right?”
Cara waved a hand. “As all right as someone can be when kidnapped.” When Aria stiffened, the Watcher paused long enough to reassure her. “Galeran won’t kill him—he needs what Nikolai can offer.”
“The core energy.” Lucas whispered to himself, and Cara nodded.
“But... you said Nikolai can’t use his power,” Aria pointed out.
“Galeran has circumvented that problem,” Ash growled. “I’d hoped that timeline wouldn’t manifest. I couldn’t see who was behind it, but—” he cut off, shooting Cara a look.
Dani trailed a hand down his arm as she passed by him. “It’s okay, Ash,” she murmured.
His mouth straightened. “It’s not. But it is what it is.”
