The Dragon shifter’s weird gold and silver eyes shot to me, and away again. “Lurking is what I do best,” he answered. But the quick smile didn’t reach his eyes. Marcus was right. Something was up.
“You two enjoy your nature walk?” Kiko waggled her eyebrows from her chair. Rather than littered with books, the table in front of her showed signs of grazing activity. Including more than a few chocolate bar wrappers.
Vali had one of those, but also, she had maps rolled open in front of her. Not maps, I realized. Blueprints. She smacked the Satyr on the arm. “Leave them alone,” she scolded.
I was saved from an answer when Cara and Bess entered together, followed by Lucas, Nikolai, and Aria. Rafael came in last, and he looked decidedly and deliciously rumpled. He tugged his tunic straight, pushed his long hair out of his face, and studiously ignored me.
Marcus tensed beside me, and then folded his hand around mine.
Cara looked straight at us, met my gaze, and then she smiled. There was no doubt as to why she was grinning like a fiend at me.
I tried to ignore the way my face flushed beet red.
The library was now extremely full. It was fortunate that Dragons preferred to stand.
Marcus pulled my chair out, and then stood behind me with his hands on my shoulders. It was a claiming move. I should have minded, but I didn’t. Not one bit. After all the rejection, I rather embarrassingly basked in it.
I saw Rafael stare at the hands, and then Marcus, before looking away again.
Cara turned to Ash. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but you must have a reason for searching us out.”
Ash sketched a smile. His metallic eyes swirled, and I had a feeling they matched his thoughts. “You are sending Riley in with Anna and Rafael.” It was a statement, not a question.
Cara’s brows dropped. “I am. Have you foreseen something?”
Ash swayed from foot to foot. If he’d had more room, I was sure he would have been pacing. And his eyes went dark gold.
“What is it, Ash?” Cara kept her voice low, as though calming a fractious horse. “What have you seen?”
His gaze snapped to hers. “The council has pulled together as many warriors as it can to go up against Isobel’s mercs and Brock’s pinions.” He stopped, and I saw him swallow.
“They’ll be outnumbered,” Talakai rumbled. “We know that.”
Ash pushed a hand through his long, golden hair, and I saw that his fingers trembled. His mouth opened and then closed again.
Cara moved close, putting a hand on his arm. “Tell me,” she urged.
I was shocked to see tears form in the golden Dragon shifter’s eyes. “They’ll die,” he whispered. “He’ll die.”
I heard Cara inhale. “Tyrez?”
Ash could only nod. “In every timeline except one. And not just him. Cody. Eli. Neil…” He looked to Anna’s Bellati mate, Sebastian. The hand raised to push hair back off his face was visibly shaking now. “I can’t stop them. I’ve told Tyrez. He says if it stops the chaos, it will be worth any price.”
My gut twisted as I stared at Ash. What would it be like to foresee the death of someone you love, and not be able to stop it?
“You said in one timeline, he doesn’t die.” I stared harder. “What is different?”
He met my eyes. “You. You go in early. Long before the army is sent in.”
“But our team would have no backup,” Talakai rumbled. “We’d be flying completely solo.”
Ash nodded. “And of the futures I’ve seen—not all end well if you do go in early.” He looked like he was going to be sick. His gaze moved to Talakai and then drifted to Sebastian. “The risks are high.”
Fuck. This didn’t sound good at all. I turned my head and found Cara staring at me.
“Are you game to try?” she asked.
“I’m pretty sure I can Jump us straight to Isobel,” I said.
