I paused over one such signature, but it didn’t feel quite right. Bess, I thought. So I pushed on and found what I sought.
I turned toward the stairs.
“So,” Matt said in a deliberately casual tone as he followed me up. “Are we a psychic bloodhound now?”
“Something like that.”
“It’s the middle of the bleedin’ night,” he said.
“I don’t think she sleeps much.” I pointed to the stairs.
We pushed through the door to the third floor, and I headed for the staff quarters. Before we got there, though, Cara emerged.
“You rang?” she said.
Matt looked from her to me. “Crikey.”
I offered the Watcher an uneasy smile. “I was looking for you, yes.”
“Found me, I’d say. I didn’t think you’d be able to do that.” Her expression reflected her curiosity.
“You could tell I was looking for you?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. I’ll have to teach you how to knock, though. You kinda blew down the door.”
I winced. “Sorry! I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Cara folded her fingers together and leaned against the rail overlooking the foyer. “So. Now that we’ve found each other, what can I help you with?”
I glanced at Matt. “We want to see Aaron.”
Cara didn’t look surprised, but there were shadows in her eyes. “Sebastian has already questioned him.”
Matt’s gaze grew more intent. “Did he ask him about Talakai?”
Cara eyed him. “He did.”
She seemed reluctant to discuss this, but I pushed. “What did Aaron say?”
The Watcher sighed. “You have to let Sebastian handle this.”
“Did Aaron say Talakai wasn’t involved with the twin thing?” Matt asked.
Cara stared at him with her lips pursed. But then she sighed. “He claims an underworld Dragona was the brain behind grabbing the twins. But that Talakai was responsible for coordinating events at the academy.”
Suddenly I couldn’t breathe, and Matt growled.
“So what is Sebastian handling, then?” I asked in a strangled sounding voice.
She didn’t want to tell me—that much was clear.
“Cara, we have to know,” I pushed.
Matt leaned in. “That guy. Ash. He told us to find Talakai.”
Cara rubbed at her temple, but caved. “The problem was that Cody managed to get Aaron awake an hour or so earlier. He wasn’t supposed to go near Aaron, but he’s not himself right now. So Aaron twigged to us wondering about Talakai. And he knows that he’s dead meat unless he can shed the blame onto someone else.”
Effing hell.So now Cody believed he had proof that Talakai was involved. “What do you believe?”
