It gleamed dully beneath the overcast sky, but I recognized it instantly. Because I’d created it.
“That’s Tuli’s,” I said. “Trey’s was silver. Hers was copper.”
“It was on the floor, outside where they built the gate,” the Centaur said.
Emmanuel examined it. “The clasp is broken.”
The twins had worn those necklets from the moment I’d gifted them. Black scales erupted along my forearms as Iskar frantically worked to lock things down again.
I put my hand out, and my father gave it to me.
My fist closed around it. I turned to Cara and took a deep breath. “If we are going to go, let’s go now.”
She measured me with her steady gaze. “Okay.”
* * *
When Bess arrived at the colony, she helped Cara in the courtyard.
“I’ll see if I can track anything from where Isobel created her gate.” Bess glanced sideways toward me. “Or will you need my help back at the academy?”
Cara answered her, “No. Once we get to my stash of crystals, we’ll be fine.”
Hopefully,Iskar added. He knew as well as me that although the academy meant access to crystals, it also housed my major trigger.
Don’t even think her name.My inner scholar was rather emphatic.
The Watchers spread their glowing hands, and the air in front of them started to dance. As it did so, Cara said, “Maybe Isobel was in too much of a hurry to terminate all the traces, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
“I’ll do my best,” Bess replied.
Emmanuel and my mother stood with me as the Watchers built the gate. When it was ready, my mother hugged me goodbye.
“You’ve endured worse,” she reminded me. “You will conquer this too.”
I managed a weak smile and hugged her back before Cara took us through the gate.
It spat us out in the meadow. Black scales formed and fell off me as we walked. At one point, Cara bent down and scooped one off the ground, before dropping it into a pocket.
I had lots more where those came from. They continued to pop out along my arms as we passed the stares of curious students and entered the building. And I even sprouted a talon. When it dropped free, I handed it to Cara.
She examined it with interest. “I have no idea what this belongs to.”
“Well, I’m minutes from providing you a set,” I said through gritted teeth.
She pulsed me more energy through the hand on my arm. “Let’s get you united with some crystals, shall we?”
It frustrated me that we needed to worry about this at all, considering Isobel had the children. I wasn’t just useless like this, I was a liability.
The stairs seemed to go on forever, but finally, she escorted me into her suite and immediately dug both crystal and dust out of her drawer. I swallowed the dust and clutched the crystals, sinking into a chair as their power coursed through me, sighing in relief as Iskar pushed back on the demon.
The Watcher’s eyes caught on the chain I wore. I let her pull it over my head. She took the drained crystals off, added fresh ones, and then examined the ring.
“Riley used that to find me.” I put the crystals down long enough to dig Tuli’s necklet out of my pocket and toss it on the table. “She might be able to use that to find the kids.”
Cara’s brows drew down. “Is this all she used?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. She did meet me in a dream—I was in the spot she Jumped to, but I couldn’t tell you if she used those visual refs for the actual Jump.”
