When he finally woke from his coma, Hunter and I waited cautiously to see if he remembered anything, but he didn’t mention the missing bone.
Attempting to prompt him, we gently asked him if he could talk about that final fight in the maze. His brow had furrowed, and he told us, “All I remember is the silence.”
Now, I sense the weight on Hunter’s shoulders. Since that night, she and I have been quietly trying to verify if what Striker warned of could be true.
Yesterday, she told me about a possible source in New York City—someone who might be able to verify if the third bone is, indeed, still out there. When I asked her who this source was, Hunter would only tell me that the meeting was happening in Central Park.
Judging by her decision to wear her assassin’s suit, she wasn’t expecting it to be a pleasant interaction.
My mind whirls, but the way forward is clear to me. “You mustn’t have anything more to do with the missing bone. I’ll take it from here.”
Her eyes widen. “But, Tansy?—”
“It’s too dangerous,” I say, giving her a pointed stare. “Your daughter needs you, as do your unborn twins. Not to mention, none of your spies can go anywhere near it.”
Her spies are the monsters who live at the Academy, a group that Hunter has quickly come to think of as family. Working for Hunter gives them a purpose beyond the busy life of raising other Unknowns. Hunter won’t risk their lives, and neither will I.
I hurry on before she can respond. “The bones are typically used by witches, so if a bone is out there, then the first place to start is the witching community. I can do that.”
Even though, as we both know, I’m an outcast in the witching community, but it’s about damn time I did something about that.
“Tansy—”
“I will find it,” I say firmly, but even as I prepare to make a plan, I realize that she’s giving me a gentle smile. “What?” I whisper.
She takes my hand. “First, I want to tell you how much it means to me that you would take this on, knowing how hard it would be for you, but second, I need to tell you the good news.” She grimaces. “Or maybe it’s just not such bad news.”
“Oh?”
“According to my source, the final bone has made its way into Philadelphia, where it was seized by powerful warrior angels, possibly those calledSentinels.”
I consider this news carefully. Iriel, the angel at the library is a warrior angel, but Sentinels are another threat altogether. They are the strongest angelic warriors and also the purest, rumored to guard the angels’ most precious treasures.
It was surprising to me, actually, that The Blessed Grimoire wasn’t hidden somewhere with Sentinels, but then, it’s a book of witch magic and the angels are supposed to be independent custodians of it, not spirit it away for themselves.
“What does this mean?” I ask.
“The bone is safe,” she says, then adds, “For now. And if the Sentinels have it then I’m certain it will be hidden away from the world where dark creatures won’t be drawn to it.”
“That would make sense, since Peyton hasn’t said anything about being aware of it.”
“What’s more,” Hunter continues, “as far as the supernatural community is concerned, all of the bones have been destroyed.”
“Meaning nobody is going looking for it.” I chew my lip.Except possibly for us.And Hunter’s source. “Will your source tell anyone? Or seek it for themselves?”
She shakes her head with certainty. “No and no. My source is the type to take pleasure in knowing things other people don’t. Telling anyone would mean someone else could acquire the bone’s power, and my source wouldn’t want that. As far as they’re concerned, the bone should never see the light of dayagain. But… what about Striker and Peyton?” Now, Hunter’s expression becomes troubled. “Do we warn them?”
The remainder of my worry lifts as I think of the life they’re building together.
“They’re happy, and they deserve to be,” I say firmly. “They’ve been through too much already. They need to be free of this.”
“Then this stays between us,” Hunter says with a nod. “Unless or until there’s any hint of the bone resurfacing.”
“Agreed.”
I give her a determined smile. I’ll be ready should the people I care about once again face Typhon’s darkness, just as I’m determined to find the spell that holds the key to my fate and any future I might have with Alexei Mason.
That night, my sleep is fitful. Alexei’s voice is a deep rumble in my memory, a sound like growling thunder.
