Cara rubbed her temple. “Sebastian is pursuing the underworld Dragona who brainstormed the grab. If Talakai isn’t directly involved, his disappearance might still be connected.”
“Who is behind it, then?” Matt asked.
“Aaron didn’t know the name of the underworld mastermind whom he claimed coordinated things with Talakai and Darius. Just said it was a her, and a Dragon. In the underworld, there aren’t females in power. Sebastian said he had an idea as to whom she was, and has gone to pump Jacques for more information.”
“Who is this Jacques, anyway?” I asked.
“He’s a Satyr,” Cara said. “Specializes in the acquisition of information. He’s quite good at it, too. We’ll know more when Sebastian returns.”
She must have sensed my complete lack of patience, because she reached out to squeeze my arm.
“Don’t worry, Anna. Sebastian will get to the truth.”
“And then what?” Matt asked. “Even if we can clear Talakai of the twin kidnapping, it only means something else has happened to him. Will the council care if an assassin is in trouble?”
“The council won’t care,” Cara confirmed. “But we do. If Talakai’s in trouble, we’ll get him out of it, if we can.”
The words were meant to be reassuring, but I didn’t find them so, and Matt’s eyes were glowing with his beast.
I stared at her as all the implications sank in. My gut twisted into a painful knot, and Matt put his arm around my shoulders.
What kind of trouble could Talakai be in? He was wanted by an underworld Dragona. Had she managed to get to him the night the twins were taken?
Cara’s gaze measured me and proved that her thoughts dovetailed with my own. “Jacques says that the the contract out on Talakai states he is to be delivered alive.”
“Alive?” Matt echoed her, but his eyes reflected his horror and the muscles of his arm were like steel around me.
There was only one reason the underworld Dragona would want Talakai brought in alive.
And that was so she could kill him herself.
* * *
Matt and I returned to our rooms to spend the remainder of the night apart, restless and dreamless.
The possibility that Talakai could be in that underworld Dragona’s hands twisted me into knots. When the alarm finally cut off Mari’s snoring, I was bleary as hell but grateful to get up.
Matt emerged from his room looking much the same as me.
“You two look really awful,” Mari said.
During our bathroom break, I told her why. Her orange eyes widened.
“Wow. I sleep for a few hours, and the world changes,” she noted as we rejoined Matt and moved down the stairs.
My heart accelerated as the students seated themselves for breakfast. I was aware of sidelong glances toward me and wrote it off as my imagination until Matt leaned close.
“Word has spread,” he whispered to me.
I glanced at him, my gut twisting. I’d wanted power, but not this. Cody stood to address the students.
“Alex will be leading the run this morning,” he said. “Sebastian’s been called away.” The Sabre bit the words out as though holding back some inner tension. “And there will be no Night Games tonight. With all the excitement over the last few days, we lacked the time to set the support up with the locals. So you’ll have it easier today. I suggest you use the time wisely.”
My gut twisted in worry. Where was Sebastian? Surely he should have returned by now?
“It’s good he’s still looking into it,” Matt commented.
“Yes,” I answered. I noticed Kitani hovering at the cafeteria door and pushed myself upright. She had the twins, and Trix on her leash. My dog looked happy as she greeted me, Matt, and Mari.
