Nothing happens. I stare at it, frustrated.
I’m about to go to bed when the air around the book starts to blur. I squint as smoke curls up and out of the ancient pages.
Shit, is my blood flammable?
I drop the book on the table, and it flies open to the title page. Dark, golden ink glows across the weathered paper.
My heart pounds with adrenaline and triumph. Finally, something is going right.
GIDEON
Not a godsdamnthing is going right.
I massage my temples, sick of listening to my dad and Dimitri argue about the latest hunter attack.
The cultists ambushed a group of wolf shifters on a retreat. From what we can tell, it happened near the border between our enclave and the one to the south. Most of the casualties were practically kids, which is fucking sickening enough on its own, but the leader of the trip was also a good friend of dad’s. Thehunters left his broken body in the woods, so my father is out for blood.
I’ll help him spill it when the time is right, but all this talking in circles isn’t getting us anywhere. At the end of the day, we still don’t have a clue how the hunters are getting this intel. With each new attack, it’s getting harder to argue against Sheena’s mole theory.
I glance at the clock on my phone’s lock screen and smother my impatience. My chest is throbbing, and I want nothing more than to crawl into bed beside Sheena and pass the fuck out.
Ever the respectful son, Callum is giving our fathers his full attention. At least on the surface. Beneath the table, his leg is bouncing up and down beside mine. If he doesn’t cut it out, everyone at the table is going to notice, and then we’ll both be in for a lecture.
I clamp my hand down around his thigh, trapping the nervous movement beneath my palm. Callum flashes me a frustrated look. His patience is worn thin, which means I have to step up and handle this. As soon as there is a lull in the yelling, I clear my throat loudly. Dad and Dimitri both turn to look at me.
“This is serious,” I start. “Obviously, we need to shut the hunters down and find out who is feeding them their intel. We cannot and will not show weakness,” I parrot their words back to them, and they both nod aggressively. Good. I need them to chill out. “I think we should regroup tomorrow and see if Idris has anything to add to the attack plan.”
My father squints his eyes in consideration.
“I thought you two didn’t like him,” Dimitri grumbles. “You’ve been complaining about the alliance ever since you came home.”
As usual, Dimitri chooses to be a disagreeable fuck.
My dad booms a laugh, but it’s missing his normal joy. “That’s because they think he’s after their girl,” he says. “It’s the jealousy of young men, plain and simple, Dimitri.”
The accusation stings, but I won’t hide how strongly I feel for her. “She’s a woman worth getting a little jealous over,” I admit. “I was skeptical at first. That’s true. But I think Idris is a valuable ally.”
“What do you think, Callum?” My dad asks. “You’ve been very quiet.”
I barely stifle my groan. He’s just trying to make sure Cal is included, but it’s going to backfire. Every time my friend speaks in these meetings, his father jumps down his throat.
“I think Idris wants the folk to thrive here,” Callum says carefully. “And I believe he knows being a part of the enclave is the best way to accomplish that.”
“So you’re saying he has ulterior motives and could turn on us?” Dimitri twists his son’s words exactly as I predicted.
“No, that’s not what I said at all.” Callum’s tone is measured but tight. “However, I do think leaving him out of meetings like this is the quickest way to erode his trust.”
“Do you have something to say, boy?” Dimitri growls. “You think you can run this enclave better than me?”
“Now, now, everyone, calm down.” My dad realizes his mistake too late and tries to diffuse the tension, even though Dimitri is the only one raising his voice.
“I am calm.” Callum sounds exhausted. “As always, my words have no hidden meanings, and I have no interest in running this enclave.” He sighs heavily and stands. I shuffle to my feet to join him. “I also have no more energy to devote to this meeting tonight. It’s late, but I’ll be happy to talk more about this tomorrow.”
Dimitri leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. He doesn’t apologize, but at least he shuts up.
Callum looks at my dad, his eyes softening when he sees how distressed he is. “Joshua, I’m truly sorry about your friend. I hope you know I will do everything in my power to help you protect this community.”
“I know that, Callum.” My dad nods. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”
