“You’re right. You don’t. So I will speak as plainly as I am able. There is a storm on the horizon, and to weather it, you’ll need to build a strong vessel of souls that touch you. You must find an anchor and a reliable compass, and you must ensure you surround yourself with wisdom and strength so that you can face the truth and turn the tide.
“The truth?” Was she talking about the book of truth?
“Ana? Ana!”
“What?” I looked over my shoulder at the Unwoven standing a few feet away.
“What are you doing?” Clary asked.
“Talking. What does it look like?”
“Talking to who?” Benedict asked, frowning at the empty space behind me
“Talking to—” I turned back to the woman and found a run-down abandoned stall.
The woman and the shack were gone.
CHAPTER 23
It is the nature of the Therianthrope to hunt the Haematophage. An instinct that dates back to the origins of their species. Two sides of a coin, spawned by gods at war to act as champions, they were created to annihilate each other. The gods are long gone, but the primal instinct to destroy remains…
THE EVOLUTION OF THE SUPERNAL
The Devil Fish stood two stories high, but the lower story had no windows, just a set of double doors open for admission. Several students lingered outside, plumes of purple smoke curling from their lips. The sweet, distinct aroma of pularia teased my nose. The herb was a mild aphrodisiac, mimicking the buzz that came from connecting with the Weave. It was safe in its natural form, but some bright spark had found a way to amplify its effects to create a substance called Pulse—a recreational drug for most supernals, but highly addictive to the Arcanus.
The group spotted me, nudged each other, then quickly headed inside. I was already on edge from the creepy encounter with the vanishing woman and her shack—something that the Unwoven couldn’t explain. Now my stomach fluttered, reminding me that bravado didn’t always lead to success.
“You okay?” Clary asked.
“If anyone asks me that again, I’m going to scream.”
She held up her hands. “Noted.”
I led the way into the building, shoulders pushed back to inject confidence into my stride, despite the knots forming in my stomach. The inside of the building was open-plan, with two floors separated by a wide balcony area. Ambient music filled the chamber and stark bulb lighting lit up the space, hung from the beams that crisscrossed overhead. There was a bar to our left, barely visible due to the crush of people surrounding it, and plenty of mismatched seating currently occupied by students.
“Let’s grab drinks,” Dori said, already headed toward the bar.
Our group followed but I faltered, my attention drawn to the sound of deep rumbling laughter across the room. The raucous sound came from a large, blue-haired male sprawled in an armchair, head tipped back as he let out another belly-rumbling laugh. His chest was bare and covered in ink, bronze skin gleaming as if dusted with gold. Several women stood around him, clutching their drinks and smiling coquettishly.
He dropped his chin, and our eyes locked across the room. His laughter stopped abruptly, and in the next moment, he was out of his seat, ambling toward me, leaving the simpering females behind.
O-kay…
He tilted his head, his smile returning as he came to stand in front of me. He was tall with a swimmer’s build and carried the scent of the ocean.
“You look so much like her, it’s uncanny,” he said.
“I’m sorry?”
“Dharma. You have her eyes. You must be Anamaya Onyx.”
He’d known my great-great-grandaunt?“I’m at a bit of a disadvantage, because I have no idea whoyouare.”
“My name is Arnav. I heard you were fighting tonight. I came to watch.”
“You’re not the only one.” I indicated the packed room. “But you didn’t really answer my question.”
He frowned slightly. “You weren’t told of the Onyx connection to the seafolk?”
