“Yes,” Cara said. “And to do that, she has traveled extensively and memorized locations. Not unlike what Riley does in order to Jump. Watchers, however, need more than visual references—they need the life energies that flow through the area. The most talented of us can sometimes use photographs or even descriptions to channel a gate, but it is very risky and not guaranteed to be successful.” She took a deep breath. “Once a gate has been formed in an area, it leaves a residue even after it has been shut down. Sometimes I can use that to connect to it.”
Frek. I hadn’t realized.
Watchers are incredibly powerful,Iskar said.But they still have their limits.
“When Riley wakes up, Havoc can get a location, and I will pinpoint the closest useable gate,” she said. “Then we will go and find her.”
“Where is the Jumper?” The voice came from behind me. I turned to see the headmaster, Amadeus, approaching. His expression was, at best, thunderous.
Cara faced Amadeus. “Something went wrong with her last Jump. She is alive and unharmed, but currently unconscious and unable to tell us where she is.”
The headmaster’s eyes flashed yellow. “How did she get a visual on where the children were kept?”
Cara’s eyes narrowed. “She had a dream in which they were featured, and took a leap of faith.”
I stared at her. That wasn’t the full truth of it—she was holding back on key bits of information.
Amadeus looked and sounded livid. “You had no right to send her after the Centaur children. You knew the council wished to use her to get to Isobel.”
“That plan was not feasible.” Cara’s hair lifted off her shoulders. “You cannot use Nikolai’s power in that fashion. The consequences would be unacceptable.”
“That is youropinion,” he snapped. “You voiced it at the meeting. It is not the consensus of those who make the decisions.”
“It is not an opinion. It is a fact,” Cara stated. “As Nikolai’s primary instructor and mentor, I am in a unique position to know.”
“It is not your decision to make,” the headmaster repeated as he straightened himself to his full height. “You have overstepped your bounds for the final time, Watcher. And I am not the only one who believes that to be the case.” He glared at her, before he spun, and stalked off.
“Who the fucking hell was that?” Havoc demanded.
“Trouble.” Anna exchanged a worried look with Talakai, and their eyes flashed like mad.
“Does Amadeus have any power over you?” I asked Cara.
Her lips twisted. “Not for most things. But this is bigger than most things.” She shrugged. “Until Riley wakes up and speaks to Havoc, we are treading water. So let’s go eat.”
We followed in the headmaster’s wake, toward the building. But predictably, Havoc dug in his heels.
“I ain’t part of this fucking academy,” he said, standing his ground.
Cara turned and regarded him calmly. “Until Riley is back safe and sound, we need your link to her. That means you are stuck with us for a while yet.”
Havoc’s eyes ignited. But apparently, he wasn’t ready to tackle a Watcher. When Cara turned her back on him and continued, he reluctantly fell in behind us.
For now, anyway, the Dragon was ours.
* * *
The rising sun lit the academy building with golden rays, making the stone look like molten metal.
As we approached the doors, Riley’s two female friends appeared. Kiko’s brows were drawn down, and Vali was biting her nails.
“Where is Riley?” Kiko asked.
“She is okay,” Cara said. Which I thought was not entirely the truth, but also not a lie. The Watcher gestured to the Satyr and the Dragona. “Come with us, ladies. We are going to get something to eat, and I will explain everything.”
Minutes later, we were sitting at Cara’s table while she explained what had happened. Well, Anna, myself, and Kiko did. Havoc stalked straight through to the balcony, while Talakai and Vali found walls to lean on.
Cara wasn’t tolerating looming Dragons, at least with those she could sway. “Sit down, you two.” She pointed to the empty chairs.
