Venna and I ride behind them, and my head reels. At least a week, and I hadno idea.
Izabel’s supposed to be my best friend. I asked these four to remain behind for me, and now I barely see them except when they’re doing things for me.
“Hey,” I call out to my friends from Anassa’s back as we near the Bonded City. “Venna and I need to run this errand, but then what if I came with you to see your families?”
It would be nice, getting to see where they all come from.
We can have a day that’snotabout me for once.
Izabel squeals, and even reserved Venna gives a broad smile at the suggestion. “Father would love that,” Venna says.
I look over to Nevah and Tomison, and I’m met with conflicted expressions.
“It might be best to skip my house for now,” Nevah says slowly. Her expression is shuttered, and Agmatta slows his pace. “My siblings might be busy, and I know my aunt’s home but…”
She doesn’t complete the thought, and I turn to Tomison. “Well?”
He shakes his head but doesn’t say anything.
“What am I missing here?” I ask, confused. Maybe they just want time alone, and I’d be intruding.
Nevah coughs, then speaks again. “My family… they are struggling a little with the changes. They haven’t fully declared for you. I’m working on them, and I think they’ll come around. But I don’t think they’re quite ready to welcome you into their home.”
My chest tightens. The family of my own friend?
Tomison nods, refusing to look me in the eye. “It’s worse with my family. My mother and grandmother are staying in the Bonded City for now, but they aren’t supportive. They think you might be a fraud. They’re… they’re talking about heading to Rabenfrost.” His tone is light, but a note of defensiveness is there, too.
“But Killian’s aSiphon,” I exclaim. “I showed everyone that. How could they consider supporting a Siphon?”
He finally meets my gaze, his mouth a thin line. “They don’t believe you, Meryn,” he says plainly, and it hits me in the gut. “It’s your word, your memories, against his. And they think yours are… well, false. Even when I’ve tried to tell them otherwise, they refuse to listen to common sense.”
Head spinning, I reach out to Anassa.“Did you know it was this bad? I thought Siegrid would be able to convince everyone.”
But she doesn’t respond; her mind has turned into an aggressive tempest. She lunges toward Tomison and Filikos, ears back, and starts to circle them.
Filikos’s lips pull back from his fangs, a low growl starting.
“Anassa, no,” I say helplessly, but her instincts have taken over.“Our friends are not the enemy.”
She ignores me—either by choice or by instinct.
And pounces on Filikos.
“Meryn, stop her!” Izabel shrieks.
My hands are fisted in Anassa’s fur, yanking and yanking as I’m tossed around on her back, but her fury has no ending. Her fangs close on the scruff of Filikos’s neck, shaking.
“Meryn!” Tomison screams, his eyes flickering with fear.
“ANASSA! I command you—stop!”
The wolves break apart, and Anassa takes two tense steps backward, still growling.
“They can’t help how their families feel,” I say sternly.“This is not Tomison or Nevah’s fault, and attacking them for something they cannot control will only further divide us.”
“Pack is pack,” Anassa replies, her anger leaking through the bond.“Loyalty must be absolute, from everyone. Or what good is it?”
“We aren’t the zealots, remember? That’s the weirdo priestess and her flock. I know the wolves have their own dynamics, but we cannot attack our own for having questions. That will only drive them away.”
