“Anna.” Her gaze was filled with an empathy that struck straight to my heart. “Your powers have unique qualities that we don’t yet fully understand. Believe me, however, when I tell you that they are known to us. We just don’t understand how you ended up with them. But we will.”
I stared at her. “You know of others with this power?”
The Watcher’s lips twisted, but she nodded. “Yes.”
“It isn’t a type of telekinesis, is it?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Then what is it?”
She reached out and squeezed my hand. “Be patient while we figure a few things out. All in good time.”
“These others,” I pressed. “Can they control it? Or are they monsters like me?”
“You are not a monster.” Sebastian’s voice was low, but hoarse with an emotion I couldn’t peg.
My eyes snapped to his, and for a moment, our gazes locked. But then his hand dropped to Cara’s shoulder, and he looked away.
“It be time,” he said, “to send them home.”
Cara nodded and smiled at me. “Apparently, this is your second Dragon ride. But from what Bess told me, you wouldn’t have remembered the first one.”
For a moment, I thought she was referring to the dream I’d had of Talakai. But then I remembered that the real thing had brought my unconscious form back from Night Games.
My gaze moved past her and Sebastian, to where Tyrez had once again shifted to beast. No wonder the rooftop suddenly seemed smaller.
The bodies had been piled against the stairwell. With the exception of the green Dragon. I pitied whoever was in charge of cleanup.
Sebastian followed my gaze, if not my thoughts. “Razir called in reinforcements from the Emperor’s Legion,” he said, gesturing to the group of muscular Dragon shifters. “They’ll get rid of the bodies and then take the prisoners back with them.”
Razir? My eyes slid to where the purple-scaled Dragon stood as a human, talking with another Sabre I didn’t know. Big guy, even for a cat.
Who was that guy? I realized I no longer cared. I just wanted to leave. But first, I had a task for Sebastian.
I stood and met his eyes. “Ask them,” I said, “about Talakai.”
The pale gaze hardened. “He wasn’t here.”
“He’s not at the academy.” Cara’s voice matched her face, which was devoid of expression. “Alex and Neil did a head count after you guys came through. Only Darius, Aaron, and Talakai were missing. So the question is, was he involved in this mess?”
“It be well planned,” Sebastian stated. “Darius lacked the ability. But Talakai would have it.”
I swallowed. “I asked Darius about him. And ‘Talakai was just a bonus’ was all he said.”
Cara frowned. “What in the realms does that mean?”
“Did he say anything else?” Matt asked at almost the same time.
I gritted my teeth. “He said the underworld Dragona he worked for arranged it all. His donation and recruitment, the whole thing, including the distraction that got you guys away from the academy. And it’s a she. That was it.”
“That would explain much.” Cara set her jaw.
“I think Aaron’s attempt to drug me was Darius’s addition to the plan.” I added the last as a bleak attempt to absolve Talakai from that bit. As if it mattered.
Sebastian straightened. “If the underworld Dragona planned it all...” He trailed off before adding, “The fact that the mastermind is a she will help. There aren’t many underworld females with that kind of power. Setting up the Galeran deception—Jacques isn’t easy to fool. She’s smart, too.”
Matt shook his head. “That’s a lot of effort for two baby Sabres.”
