Cade’s brow furrows. “Everything okay?”
Shifter shits. He probably thinks I spiraled over our date, which I’ve hardly been able to think about since, and was actually perfect. Especially since it wasn’t really a date.
Lie. Smile. Do anything but confess there was a body on your floor last night,I coach myself.
“Peachy,” I say, grabbing a piece of bread from the center of the table and nearly tearing it in half. “Just…uh, had a headache from the extra boost.”
Iris’s gaze lingers on me, sharp as ever, but she doesn’t comment. That should ease me, but instead it feels worse. Suspicion wrapped in silence.
I shove a bite of bread into my mouth, chewing like it might smother the panic rising in my chest. No one says the words I’m dreading, but the air feels heavy all the same.
Archie presses closer, his small body brushing my side, and it’s the only thing that keeps me from bolting.
I’m halfway through pretending to enjoy my bread when Liz clears her throat. “You’ve got crumbs in your hair,” she says gently.
I freeze until I realize she didn’t actually say, “You’ve got blood in your hair.” Because that wouldn’t be normal.
I let out a strangled laugh. “Just a little something to add to my appeal, don’t you think? Better than a pink muumuu.”
Iris scoffs and Liz smiles, but Cade doesn’t. His gaze stays locked on me like he can see through the bad jokes, straight to the panic underneath. I pick at my food until it’s nothing but mangled fluff, determined not to look at him.
Archie, of course, fills the silence. He’s also trying a little too hard to remain normal. “She’s always been a messy eater,” he says with a twitch of his whiskers. “You should see her with spaghetti. Sauce everywhere.”
I nudge him gently with my elbow. “Traitor.”
He only shrugs—well, the ferret equivalent of a shrug—and steals a piece of bacon off my plate with his tiny hands.
The table chuckles, but the laughter dies quickly when Cade clears his throat. His expression is darker now, tension carving hard lines around his mouth. “I had a message from Elias this morning,” he says, voice pitched low. “He’s been scouting for me these last few days.”
Iris stills, fork halfway to her mouth. “And?”
“There are murmurs,” Cade continues, “that thecouncil isn’t acting alone. That someone else has been advising them. Guiding them. But no one knows who.”
A chill runs down my spine, and it has nothing to do with the draft in the hall.
“Another faction?” Liz asks, frowning.
“Maybe,” Cade says. “Or maybe not. It’s just a rumor at this point, but one that we should all be aware of.” His eyes scan the table, lingering on each of us like he’s weighing our reactions. “Whoever it is, they could be the reason why I wasn’t able to identify the intruders so far. They’re being shielded by dark magic, and I haven’t figured out how.”
My throat feels dry as sand.A shadow whispering in the council’s ear. Someone smart enough to stay hidden.Someone who might be sending people to hide in the corners of my room to attack me.
Or someone who has been buying us time.
Because if they fear me so much, why hasn’t the real attack happened? Why haven’t they outnumbered us?
My wolf shifts restlessly, a low hum in my chest, and I know without her spelling it out that this isn’t good. Not for any of us.
They’re testing something, Wolf says.Either you specifically or our group as a whole. They’re being methodical about the attack, which they feel like they have time to do because you’re staying put.
Iris breaks the heavy silence, crunching loudly on a burned bagel. “Well,” she says, “that sounds promising. Love a good faceless mastermind to spice up breakfast.”
Liz groans softly. “Seriously?”
“What?” she protests. “I’m just saying. Better than small talk. Especially with Rowan acting all shifty.”
I force a laugh that comes out sharper than I meant. Everyone’s attention flicks back to me, and I drop my gaze to my plate, wishing I could crawl inside the breadcrumbs and disappear.
“Isn’t a girl allowed to just have an off day?” I mutter, still avoiding each of their stares.
