“That brings us to the end of our suspects.” Ash had made a list of Exorcists and administrators with access to vital fieldwork information. So far, everyone had turned out clean.
“What if there isn’t a mole?” Surin said. “What if there’s a really smart Hybrid who’s able to extrapolate things from observing the Guild and information that’s already public? Or what if it’s a retired Exorcist? Someone with knowledge of how the Guild works but who’s inactive now.”
“That would be a very short list of names,” Ash said thoughtfully. Few Exorcists lived to old age. Most stayed with the Guild until death or injury prevented them from serving, but there were some who left the Guild towork for the city’s upper class. Still, it was worth a shot. “I’ll look into it tonight.”
Surin sneezed again. “Any word from Rui? She might have some ideas.”
“She’s not back yet.” Ash had been worrying ever since his favorite mentee had declared she was going to the freaking underworld. He didn’t know when she was returning, but he understood her reasons, and he knew what was at stake for the city. He also knew there’d be no stopping her once she made up her mind, so he hadn’t tried.
Surin sensed his concern. “She’s doing what she needs to, and what only she can do. It’s up to us to hold the fort here. She’ll come back—I know it.”
Ash nodded, trying to stay optimistic. He felt a buzzing in his pocket.Auntie Kimmie?Knowing he was busy at work, it was unlikely for the housekeeper to call unless something significant had happened. Was Yiran finally home? Ash had been living at the Barracks for the past week, and he hadn’t been back to Song Mansion in a while.
“I have to take this call. Get forensics in.”
As he strode out of the hall, Surin went back to staring at the rafters, this time with a sensor in her hands.
Finding a spot closer to the gates of the compound so he could flag the forensics team down, Ash called home.
“Da shaoye? I’m so sorry to have disturbed you.”
He could tell from Auntie Kimmie’s tone that something was wrong. “Is it Yiran?”
“It’s Master Song. He didn’t go to the headquarters this morning, and I thought he was working from his study. But when I went to tell him lunch was ready, I found him unconscious in his room.”
“Again? I thought the healer said he was fine. How is he now?”
“He’s up, and he says he’s all right, but I called the family healer again. Your grandfather didn’t want to me to tell, but I couldn’t hide this from you, da shaoye.”
“Thank you. Please let me know what the healer says. Anything from Yiran?”
“I’m afraid not. And I know it’s not my place, but surely you can send a search team to find him. I’m so worried—it’s been days.”
“I’m working on it. Don’t worry, he can take care of himself,” Ash comforted the housekeeper. “I’ll be home tonight.”
It was a bad time for his grandfather’s health to take a turn. He’d also fainted just two nights ago, but the stubborn old man had refused treatment beyond a cursory checkup. His mind was still sharp, but he’d started exhibiting signs that appeared to mimic a degenerative disease last fall, around the time Yiran had enrolled in the Academy. The family healer had expressed concerns about his spirit core, though she wasn’t sure what was happening either. Song Wei kept his mystery illness from everyone and instructed Ash to do the same. Even Yiran was in the dark.
Sighing at the thought of his brother, Ash kicked at the rocks on the ground, watching one skip along the path. Theo had finally confessed that Yiran wasn’t staying with him. At first, Ash had been pissed about the deception, but quickly, the feeling that his brother was in some kind of trouble sank in.
Auntie Kimmie was mistaken; he couldn’t send a search team. Guild resources couldn’t be used for private matters, though Ash had been sorely tempted. He’d almost hired a private investigator, but he didn’t trust anyone to not leak the news that one of the Song grandsons had vanished.
And with Rui gone, it felt as if everyone around him was disappearing, abandoning—Stop.He let out a loud groan. He didn’t have time to spiral or feel sorry for himself. Taking action was what he was best at. He would talk to his grandfather about a private investigator later. It didn’t matter if there was gossip; his brother’s safety was more important.
Mind made up, Ash inhaled meditatively, arms reaching up to the sun and down to his sides. A group of crows cawed from a nearby tree, and the wind rustled the dried grass. His comms had been quiet for a while. Weird. The forensics team should have arrived by now, but there was no vehicle in sight. Surin and Jonathan hadn’t come out from the assembly hall either.
Whether it was instinct or something else nudging him, he drew a pistol and crept back to the building.
The assembly hall was empty.
“Surin? Jonathan?”
All he heard were the faint caws of the crows outside. Where was his team?
A loud screech pierced his ears, and he jerked his head away involuntarily. The speaker at the far corner of the hall. He didn’t know it was still in working order.
“Looky here, seems like we missed one,” a husky voice echoed.
Ash pointed a pistol at the speaker. “What have you done to my friends?”
