My gaze flicked to Oanen’s face.
Or had she tried?
“I need you to call Megan,” I said. “Now.”
“I’m fine,” he said. “I’ll just—”
“Prove you’re Oanen and call Megan,” I said. “Or Zotera will practice last night’s move again.”
Zotera’s expression registered shock for only a moment before she dropped the bag she held and turned to Oanen.
“Okay,” he said, holding up his hands. “I’m calling.”
He cautiously withdrew his phone from his pocket and pressed the screen with his thumb.
I could hear ringing a second later.
“Hey, handsome,” Megan said. “What’s up?”
Oanen looked at me without speaking.
“Tell her to portal here,” I said.
“Ashlyn?” Megan asked, hearing me.
“Yeah,” I called. “Something weird is going on.”
She appeared beside Oanen a second later.
“Is that really Oanen, or is that Adira?” I asked before she could freak out about his slightly crispy appearance.
“It’s Oanen, and I’m struggling not to be angry,” she said. “What happened?”
“It’s the ward on the house,” he said. “Ashlyn invited me in like normal—”
The ground trembled hard, almost knocking him off balance. Megan caught him around the waist.
“It didn’t just prevent me from entering; it threw me back,” Oanen said, holding onto her.
She looked at me. “Why did you think he was Adira?”
“She was already here this morning and told me I needed to report to the lake by three, or I’m out of Uttira. I couldn’t think of any other reason for the ward to do what it did other than maybe Adira returned in disguise with the intent to cause me harm.”
Megan’s gaze flicked to Zotera briefly, who was still standing close to Oanen.
“I’ll be right back,” Megan said.
She and Oanen disappeared in a burst of flames, and Zotera looked at me with guilt.
“It’s not your fault,” I said. “Megan knows that.”
If anything, Zotera looked guiltier as she brought me the bag Oanen had given her.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “He heals quickly. He’ll be fine.”
She nodded and followed me inside. I left the door open and watched the front yard for Megan. While I waited, I looked in the bag and found a replica of my old phone. All the pictures of Uncle Trammer were gone, of course, but I had the same number as before. Oanen had already added four numbers. His, Megan’s, Eliana’s, and Fenris’.
While Zotera had nothing to feel guilty about, I sure did. And seeing the evidence of Oanen’s consideration just added to the guilt I felt. He’d been hurt trying to help me, and I’d threatened him on top of it.
