“Cara is an integral part of this academy.” I smiled at him. “I need a break from the meetings. Thought I would visit the market this morning.”
The Bellati shook his head. “Sorry. No one is allowed through until the sessions are over. My instructions were clear on that.”
“You will let me through,” I said. “And then you will forget I was here.”
His eyes grew unfocused, and he keyed the gate open.
I clutched the crystal in my pocket.
“Hello, Rafael.”
I turned, and there she was. Riley, her eyes glowing gold from having just Jumped. She smiled up at me, and before I could stop her, she wrapped her hand around mine.
And the world dissolved in white noise.
Snap.
* * *
When the golden light cleared, I was standing in a cave.
The huge space had no noticeable entrance, and phosphorescent growth on the walls lit up the interior. Behind me, water lapped upon a graveled beach—by the scent, ocean, not lake.
I stared down at Riley as the gold faded from the air, and from her eyes. “Where have you brought me?” I asked.
The water erupted as a familiar red Dragon rose from the waves. Marcus clung to the spikes on his back, and as I stared, he stabbed down into the water with a long sword.
“Frek, Havoc, you almost fed me to thefuckingeels!”
Havoc snorted water from his nose as he waded awkwardly out of the water. My pulse hammered. The fact the four of us were in an isolated location alarmed me. What was Riley up to?
Three packs hung from the big Dragon’s foreclaws, and he set them down on the gravel.
Riley crossed her arms and regarded Marcus. “Frek and fuck in one sentence. Impressive.”
Marcus slid off the Dragon’s back. He pulled a large pack off his shoulders and proceeded to undo a number of fastenings designed to make it waterproof. Once opened, he triumphantly held up a candle.
I raised a brow. “Very nice. But we don’t seem to have any shortage of light.”
“These, my friend”—Marcus smiled—“are not ordinary candles.”
“It is wax and has a wick.” Riley rolled her eyes. “Looks like an ordinary candle.”
“Okay. The candles are ordinary. But what we are using them for is not.” Marcus upended the pack, and a bunch of things fell out. More candles, in different sizes and colors. Wherever they’d gone shopping, they must have cleaned them out. At the bottom of the pack was a bottle, which he caught before it could shatter on the gravel.
“Don’t break the booze, idiot,” Havoc grumbled. He’d shifted back to human while Marcus rooted through the pack.
“What the hell is booze?” Marcus raised a brow.
“Alcohol,” Riley provided. “I’m surprised Havoc knows that.”
“Not much to do on some missions except drink,” the red Dragon stated. “And talk about drinking.”
“Well, it’s not booze,” Marcus corrected him. “It’s for the ceremony.”
Ceremony? My mouth opened to ask, but then closed again.
“Not much good if it isn’t for getting drunk.” Havoc bent and started rooting through the other packs, pulling out bolts of cloth and packages of food. He regarded the last with disgust. “Don’t see what’s wrong with eel.”
