“Because you probably haven’t,” I say simply.
All eyes turn to me.
I rub my palm, voice low. “I felt it burn me, Taren. That’s not normal. Whatever this is, it’s new.”
Taren shakes her head. “Even if it is new, there’s always a source. Always. To create a mark of power, you have to use known symbols.” She taps the paper. “If I can just figure out the base, we’ll know what we’re working with. If it’s ownership, control, or a million other possibilities. But I can’t do that without seeing it for myself.”
Out of any of us, Taren is the one who would know what to look for. She studied supernatural history in college, with an emphasis on runes and historical markings.
I sink into the chair next to Ivy. My sister seems just as hopeless as I feel.
A phone rings on the table, and Forest answers. “Yeah?” His expression relaxes the more he listens. “That’s good. Any sign of where they could’ve gone? Alright. Good. Come back home, then.”
When he hangs up, he says, “Sage and Neal went to scout the club with Bronson. The place is almost completely gone. Burned to the ground, and no sign of the coven.”
“So they ran off,” Grant says. “Cowards.”
Forest sits back with a sigh. “I’ve been talking to the other alphas in the area. We all think Foxx is going to stay underground for a while. Let things simmer down. A few people think he’s already left the state, but Bronson and I have another theory.”
Grant narrows his eyes. “Which is?”
“We think he’s going to stay in or near Prodigy. He’ll have a better chance of hiding among other supernaturals.”
“Not to mention the endless food source,” Jasmine says coldly. “With all the willing humans, ready to feed vamps there?”
I scoff. “If he doesn’t just kill them.”
Forest shakes his head. “I don’t think he’ll be killing anyone for a while. He knows the police are looking for him.”
“So? He has Orem now. He’ll just wipe their damn memory again.” I shake my head. “I don’t like this.”
Forest sighs. “I know. But until we have more information, there’s not much we can do.”
I get to my feet, fisting my hands. “So that’s it? We just wait? Keep holding our breath and praying they don’t show up on our doorstep? Forest, they’re still hunting Jericho. They know where we live. And now with Tobias—”
“They don’t know Tobias is here,” Forest cuts in.
“Yet,” I argue. “They don’t know he’s hereyet.”
My uncle raises a hand, defeated.“If you have any ideas, Rowen, I’m all ears.”
Tension builds behind my ribcage, but I tamp it down as all eyes turn toward me. It’s pointless to get worked up when I’m not the only one who’s worried. We all want to keep the pack safe. Keep Jericho and Tobias safe from the monsters. But damn. I can’t just sit around doing nothing.
“I know this is stressful,” Forest continues. “We all wanted a different outcome that night, but we are fortunate the situation isn’t worse. Several of their coven members are dead, andnoneof ours are. Jericho and Evan are safe. We’re all safe.” He looks around. “But Rowen is also right. The danger is still very real. Which means I don’t want any of us going anywhere alone, you hear? That includes shifting. We go in groups, just like before. Grant is going to be installing some security cameras around the property, and we’ve ordered a drone. I want us all to learn the systems.”
“What about work?” Ivy asks. “My boss keeps asking when I’m going to come back.”
Forest considers it, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ll arrange some carpools to get you into town, and I’ll talk to your boss about having one of us stay during your shift. She’s a shifter herself, so she should understand.”
Ivy starts to protest, but Forest holds a hand up.
“I know it’s not ideal, but we’ve put off our jobs too long as it is. We all need to be bringing in money again. We also need to get back to doing the things we enjoy.” His attention drifts to somewhere unseen. “It’s what Sasha would have wanted most for us right now.”
“Justice and Genny too,” Ivy says.
Forest nods. “Yes, Justice and Genny too.”
A weight settles over the room, full of sadness. Jasmine reaches over to squeeze Forest’s shoulder.
