“Come on,” Fiona says sharply. “The others are waiting for a mission recap.”
They rise and sweep out of the room, Natalie’s hand brushing over my waist as she passes.
“We need a division to guard the elementary school in case that rhino comes back,” Fiona tells Sky as they pass through the double doors. “I won’t have another injured child on my watch.”
Before I can process what’s happening, the doors swing shut, and I’m alone with Natalie’s dad.
Oh God.Do I leave? Do I make awkward conversation until Natalie returns—however long that takes?
“I hear you and Nat are an item,” Troy says.
Yep, I should’ve run when I had the chance.
I shift in my chair, wondering if I can somehow melt into it. “Yes.”
“Is it serious?”
Heat floods my face. Wow, okay. “We—we haven’t had time to talk about that.”
“But do you think it is?”
I wasn’t planning on telling Natalie’s dad before Natalie herself, but something in his direct gaze pulls the truth from me. I nod.
He studies me for a long moment, then dips his chin. “Good. Nat deserves that.”
A light, tingly feeling fills me.
“She brought you here for a reason…” He closes his eyes as if gathering strength. His scarred, lined face makes him look decades older. “I suspect you need the wisdom of a Tracker.”
“I do. I have to capture all fifty-six chimeras we set free.”
“Ever think you shouldn’t have set them free in the first place?”
“I had no choice,” I say, unable to keep the defensive note out of my voice. “We were handing them to the Madsens on a platter.”
Troy’s chest rises and falls. He opens his eyes with a grimace of pain, his permanently curled fingers twitching. “I know. I believe you.”
I study him, trying to read his sincerity. Is he on my side or Fiona’s? Or is it more complicated than that?
“So how does a person go about capturing a chimera?” I ask.
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Is this aneed-to-knowthing?”
“Very much so.”
The half-smile disappears, a deep frown creasing his face. “I sure as hell want you to find them before the Madsens do.”
A low hum hits my ears—my phone is buzzing in my bag on the floor.
“Don’t we all,” I say bitterly, nudging my bag as if that’ll shut my phone up. Whoever it is can wait until I’m done getting answers that could change the course of my life.
“A lotta intuition involved,” Troy says. “Trusting your gut. Tapping into a sense that not everyone possesses. That’s why not everyone is cut out for it.” His haunted eyes lock onto mine, a silent question about what I can do.
My heart skips. Finally, someone who understands how valuable my ability is.
So why are the witches determined to cast me out? I’ve proven myself useful, even risked my life. It’s not fair that I have to fight this hard to belong.
My phone stops buzzing, then starts up again. I nudge my bag aside and perch forward. “When I’m near magic, it’s as if it’s pulling me closer. It’s like this…urgencyinside me. Is that what it’s like for you too?”
