51
Anna
Talakai set us down on the academy roof.
I almost toppled from the Dragon’s neck, and probably would have if Matt hadn’t grabbed hold of me. We had it. The town. My hand wrapped around the horn.
Matt vibrated with excitement as he lifted me off Talakai’s neck. “Can you tell if Cara’s still in the suite? Or do we go to Cody with this?”
“Wait,” I said.
“What?” Matt froze, staring at me while Talakai changed form.
“If they go after him like before,” the Dragon stated, “Isobel will just whisk him through another sharding gate.”
I hesitated. “And if we tell the council and the Dragons, that is exactly what they will do.”
Matt’s eyes widened. “So—wearen’ttelling them?”
“We are telling Cara,” I corrected. “Because I’m pretty confident she’ll agree with me.”
Talakai’s eyes shone with approval. “After what happened, I believe she will as well.”
“We have another plan?” Matt’s frustration pushed through the link.
I didn’t answer as I headed for the stairs, and as he pursued, he snorted a laugh. “Of course we do.”
All the angst and the anxiety of the last few days coalesced into a single focus—Sebastian. Galeran had to die. But I wasn’t pursuing any agenda that didn’t get Sebastian out of there too.
My fingers detected warmth in the horn now. I wasn’t imagining it. Talakai bonding with Matt and me had pumped energy into it. It gave me hope that we could yet save our Bellati.
The third floor bustled with activity—they were using the breakout rooms as temporary hospital wards. I saw Watchers amid those moving between the rooms. But after I sent a quick questing energy out, I turned the other way, toward Cara’s suite.
“Is she there?” Matt asked.
“No. But she’s coming.”
He sighed again. “I’m mated to a witch.”
“We are both bewitched,” Talakai agreed, as we passed through the staff door and entered the hall.
“Semantics, you scaly bludger.”
His metallic eyes gleamed. “I have a feeling I should be requesting clarification on that terminology.”
“Probably not a good idea.” I pushed open Cara’s door.
Jacques sat at the table with his head in his hands, but his face lit up when we came in. “Ma Chérie!” he exclaimed. “Just what I needed torevitaliserme.”
Both Matt and Talakai stiffened and glared.
The Satyr went rather white. “Not what I meant,messieurs.”
Cara breezed in at that moment, assessed the energies, and shook her head at Jacques. “Honestly. You are an idiot.” She waved her hands at Matt and Talakai, pushing them past Jacques and further into the suite. Her gaze moved from me, to the Dire and Dragon, and then back again. And she grinned.
My face heated. No way she’d miss that our duo had become a trio. We all stiffened when her door opened again, and a slim form with long golden hair walked through.
Matt’s brows lowered.If he tells us to stay out of it, are we going to listen to him?
