I slump back against the headboard and press my hands to my burning cheeks.
Get it together. You’re here because your brother is missing, not because you’ve somehow reached a level of proximity with Kieran Cross where materializing unannounced in his room seems like a rational decision.
So, I reach for the maritime threats book and read the section about Charybdis. The great whirlpool churns three times daily, the documented ship casualties are extensive, and the chapter details tidal patterns and timing windows that might give us a fighting chance.
The words blur together, and I check the clock on Kieran’s nightstand.
11:43 AM.
I read the same paragraph four times without absorbing any of it.
11:52 AM.
What if Logan won’t come?
11:58 AM.
I give up on the book and start pacing. Nine steps take me to the weapons rack, where blades gleam like teeth in the morning light. Nine steps bring me back to the bed, where the sheets now hold the thermal readings of my heat signature mixed with Kieran’s.
12:03 PM.
Two blazes of fire ignite in the room.
Kieran’s signature spikes and settles with each breath, hot and volatile.
Logan’s reads flat and even, like a candle flame behind glass, and his gaze instantly goes to me.
“Kieran told me you have questions,” he says, apparently happy with skipping the pleasantries and jumping straight to the point.
“I have a lot of questions.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Starting with: how long have you known about Jade’s lightning?”
Logan exchanges a look with Kieran. Then he moves to the chair at Kieran’s desk and sits, his posture rigid.
“I’ve known since the Hydra trial. When the Hydra had her cornered, she threw her sword at its mouth. The blade was laced with silver electricity. That’s what broke the protective ward.”
“I saw it too, but I thought it was a trick of the light.” I sink onto the edge of Kieran’s bed, my legs unsteady. “But youknew.Which means the training sessions, the late nights... you’ve been helping her hide what she is this entire time.”
“I’ve been keeping her alive.” He stops himself and takes a breath. “If the Council learned the truth, they would experiment on her until they understood how her magic works.”
I nod, because I’m well versed in the ways of the Council. My family’s worked closely with them for generations.
“Constance said Jade disappeared after the attack,” I continue. “Please tell me you know where she is?”
His expression closes off, his posture locking down. “She’s somewhere safe. Somewhere the Council can’t find her.”
“But you’re getting her out. You’re planning on leaving the island.”
“I am.”
“There are boats hidden in the depths of the island. Emergency vessels for evacuation purposes.” I gesture at the stack of books on Kieran’s desk. “I’ve been doing my research.”
Logan stares at me for a long moment. Then he turns to Kieran, and the look he gives him could strip paint.
“She found it herself,” Kieran says calmly. “I just helped her access the archives.”
“You knew?” I turn my glare on Kieran.
“I’m a professor at the academy. Of course I knew.” His eyes hold mine, steady and unapologetic. “But I had faith in you, and that faith wasn’t misplaced.”
