My forehead wrinkled. Bird. Messenger pigeon.
Spencer whispered to me. “The council itself is very secretive about its members. Even the pigeons are unknown. They renounce their identities.”
Fucking weirdos.
The pigeon’s eyes glanced at all of us under her mask before landing back on Dom. “No,youare here to see The Oracle.”
“Excuse me?” Leo laughed, her shoulders rolling back as she prepared for a challenge.
Shaking her head, Dom stepped forward. She towered over the pigeon. “Come again?”
Unbothered, the pigeon kept her tone completely level. “They will only meet with Dom Dumont. Oracle’s orders.”
76
KIERA
My body frozeat the pigeon’s insistence. I knew what came next: Dom would walk through those doors without us, leaving us in her dust while she held all of their secrets.
Crossing my arms, I prepared for her to betray everything she swore she wouldn’t do again.
Dom took another step toward the pigeon and lowered her voice to a snarl. “Why don’t you go tell your masters that I brought them their little prize. It’s all of us or I’ll take her somewhere they can’t find her.”
Leo and Spencer’s eyes darted to mine as I stared forward.
The pigeon nodded, taking her message through the smaller wood door and disappearing.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Spencer blurted out first. “We need to get in there. We can’t go home now.”
“Fuck.” Leo shook her head.
The morale of the group was plummeting. But all I could do was stare at Dom’s face as she turned around.
“They need us.” Dom brought her ocean eyes to mine. “No more secrets. All or nothing now.” She licked her teeth as sheheld my gaze. “I was wrong to hide things from all of you. I’m… sorry.”
Straightening her shoulders, Dom’s jaw tensed. “It won’t happen again. I won’t let it.”
Finally.
My heart raced in my chest. It was sweet and all, but we did need answers. We couldn’t afford to let Zeus Industries or Isaac gain any more power.
“What happens if they reject your genius bluff?” Leo pushed.
Tensing her jaw, Dom shrugged. “We’ll find another way. We always do.”
The silence settled over all of us as we waited. I was almost positive everyone could hear my heart beat as it pulsed in my ears. Suddenly I was dreading the lack of stimulation back here — desperate for the bustle of the reception area.
Seconds felt like hours.
Like the gush of a centuries due flood, the dark double doors swung open. A gust of wind hit us as the pigeon reemerged.
“The Oracle will see you now.”
77
KIERA
Without waiting for our response,the pigeon turned on her heels and moved into the shadows of the room beyond.
