The knot in my gut twisted tighter. I had a very bad feeling about all this.
“There are other concerns,” Cara continued. “If Tyrez does not go—it could be interpreted as his lack of support for his brother, or worse. There are already rumors getting back to me of many that are unhappy with Taran’s new rules, and they are looking for alternatives. Someone to challenge him for the Emperor position.”
I swallowed. “Tyrez would make an excellent leader.”
“Yes. There are many whispering that they want his exile expunged.” Cara studied me with her fathomless blue gaze. She patted my arm with her hand and then tilted her head. “Are you interested in the history of that sword?”
As a means of diverting my attention, her question certainly worked. She didn’t wait for my answer, but gestured for me to follow her.
She took me to the library.
I looked around, surprised at the size of the place, considering that the written word had never been encouraged across the realms. In fact, for many years in selected realms, references to Cryptid lore had been banned, on pain of death. The council had felt it necessary to protect the knowledge from those realms considered virgin—those unaware of the gates’ existence.
Cara accurately interpreted my reaction. “Most references here were collected and protected by the Watchers. This library represents an accumulation of Cryptid knowledge that hasn’t been seen in a few thousand years.”
She nodded to a young man who was filing books and led me down a narrow aisle lined with shelves. Soon we were surrounded by them, and she tapped her chin with a thoughtful finger as she wove her way through.
“Think it’s over this way…”
I followed her along the aisles, captivated by the wealth of knowledge these references represented. Then, suddenly, between one stride and the next, I was caught up in a panic that was not my own.
The frantic beat of wings, sending a sleek form darting between mountain peaks…
I stopped dead, my heart thundering in my chest. Because Breana was running from something.
Surely I was imagining things. How could I be linked to anything Breana was doing? But it had already happened once.
Cara had continued on around a corner, but now she peered back at me. What she saw in my face had her standing in front of me in an instant.
“What is it?” she asked.
“My mind is playing tricks on me,” I answered. “I’m sensing Breana. Flying.”
Her brows dropped. “Tell me.”
I expected her to confirm my concerns about my mental state, but she didn’t. “It’s like she’s flying in the mountains, but someone is chasing her.” I shook my head. “I have to be imagining things… there are only students and staff here, right?”
“Between the forest and the mountains, yes. But the town on the other side has a gate.”
A gate. Someone could have used it to come after Breana…
Cara reversed direction and was now almost running back toward the library entrance. I jogged after her, earning a curious glance from the librarian. Especially when I slammed into the doorframe because I couldn’t see where I was going.
I was filled with panic as Breana ducked and dodged through the snowy peaks. I caught glimpses of what chased her—red-scaled Wyverns that seemed vaguely familiar. And Dragons.
My mind spinning with images, I followed Cara to a huge room that descended three stories in regular tiers. It was filled with refugees, and at the heart of them, stood Tyrez.
“Wait here.” She raced down the stairs. The people standing on them recognized the long white braids and parted for her.
My brother saw her coming and stopped what he was doing. A quick exchange with Cara, and he turned to say something to the blue Dragon, Talakai.
Then they were both following Cara rapidly back up the stairs toward me. As they swept past me and into the hall, Tyrez told Cara, “We’ll need Havoc.”
She nodded. “He’ll catch up to you.”
They vaulted up the stairs, while Cara stood on the landing with drawn brows, as though concentrating hard.
“Did I really see her, then?” I asked. I looked after the two Dragons. If they were going after her, I wanted to be with them…
