With the dragon at my side and Ezra brooding behind me, I stormed across the castle grounds. A streak of red blurred across my path. Everly shoved past Ezra and threw her arms around me.
“Do you know what the Architect just asked me for?” she demanded, edging me away from Ezra.
“Everly, stop. Follow your orders.” Ezra drew his sword, but Hero blocked him before he could reach us. Steel rang as their blades met.
“Stop!” I shouted, throwing up my hands just as the dragon hurled itself at their feet, snapping and squealing. “Don’t fight! And no, I don’t know!”
“The Architect will explain,” Ezra said calmly.
Hero struck out. This time, their blades met and held.
“Hero can handle him.” Everly tucked me into her side. “The Architect will not explain. We need to go, now.”
I struggled to take my eyes off Ezra and Hero. Despite everything I just said, my heart told me Ezra was still my friend. I didn’t want him fighting Hero.
Ezra’s face gave nothing away, but he looked past Hero at Everly. “You must trust us.”
“You’ve drawn steel against my sister. We must do nothing,” Hero stated coldly.
Ezra stepped back and sheathed his weapon.
“Escape. Plan,” Everly hissed. “I will not see you pulled into my world.”
I blinked a few times, well and truly lost. “Right, um, it’s gotten really complicated, but yeah, maybe the escape plan will still work? What did the Architect ask you for?”
Everly dropped her gaze and took a deep breath to speak, but made a confused squeaking gasp instead. She reached out and pushed down my hoodie. “Oh. My. God. What is that?”
I grimaced. “It’s a long story. I thought Brit would have filled you in already.”
Everly shook her head. “The Architect put me in charge of a few projects. I’ve had a lot on my plate and no time to entertain rumors or find you or Brit.” The color drained out of her face. “Do you think he did that to keep me busy and away from you?”
At first, I thought yes, but the castle was a wreck—broken pipes, acid burns, supplies cut off. Everyone had work. It wasn’t a conspiracy.
Before I could say as much, Ezra growled. “Just walk to the Architect, silently. Stop talking.”
Everly scowled and gave me a knowing look. I didn’t return it, but I didn’tnotreturn it either. I was still the ball, and Ezra’s war room held the feet kicking me around.
Everly put an arm around my waist and lowered her voice. “He asked me for a slave collar.”
My eyes widened. “For who?”
“He didn’t say, but who do you think?” She leaned toward me. “Who just murdered one of his precious monsters and can teleport out of his control?”
My stomach knotted. Me.
‘Don’t let them collar you.’Alex’s voice rang clear in my thoughts.
I jumped, though Everly pulled me closer to her side.
“What is it?” Everly asked.
“Nothing,” I lied.
‘Fight, Quinn. For us. For your new family.’
Images spliced together. Xan and Ezra on either side of me, then Dad’s kitchen. Ezra chopped vegetables; the smell of onions made my eyes water. Alex bounced a toddler on his knee. My two lives braided into one, blurred by voices and movement until I wasn’t sure which was real.
‘They’ll tear this from you, Quinn. From us,’Alex pressed. The toddler’s beautiful baby-blue eyes looked up at me. Warm arms wrapped around my waist as Xan rested his hands across my abdomen. For a single moment, I felt like I was home.
