“That could also explain why he wasn’t able to access classified documents at the CRF,” Aya murmured. “It was his idea for me to go back to the CRF, remember? He wanted me to gain access to John’s computer.”
“So you would agree to become a Sentinel.” Issac swallowed a furious curse. It all made sense. He’d orchestrated everything, guiding them in the appropriate direction to play right into Osiris’s hands. “Osiris was intrigued by you that night of the Conclave. He wanted to see what kind of supernatural you would become. And so he drove you to the CRF, where Jonathan could keep an eye on you.”
“Osiris provided us with just enough information to keep us moving forward, but at the pace he preferred.” A respectful note underlined Lucian’s words. As a master strategist, he would find this all fascinating.
“Where is he now?” Balthazar asked.
The four of them frowned.
“I haven’t seen him since he left Gabriel’s house the other day,” Issac said. “He’s staying with Nadia at the fledgling house, right?”
Lucian’s expression hardened. “With Eliza, yes.” He took a step toward the path, leaving the others on the beach behind him.
“Wait!” Aya called after him. “If he’s really the mole, then he’s still feeding information to Osiris. Shouldn’t we use that to our advantage? He thinks he’s free of suspicion, right?”
Issac and Balthazar shared a look. Concern etched a path into the mind reader’s brow. Amelia had been right. This was far worse than Issac had realized. Lucian never acted without thinking through a plan, and he’d clearly been on his way to act on the information without considering an appropriate course.
He just wanted blood.
Mateo’s blood.
Fortunately, Aya’s words had given him the clarity he needed to reconsider his rash decision.
The Hydraian King slowly turned toward them, his face devoid of emotion. “How shall we use it?” he asked Aya.
“I don’t know. Maybe we use him to find Osiris? Or trap Osiris?” She frowned. “I... There has to be some way to gain the upper hand with this knowledge.”
“We can use him to feed Osiris false information about our plans and whereabouts,” Balthazar suggested. “Or we can wait for the right opportunity to present itself. Regardless, it is an advantage we didn’t have before.”
Issac nodded. “Yes. Osiris has always been ten steps ahead of us. Maybe it’s finally our turn to be a few steps ahead of him.”
Lucian faced them fully, his eyes glimmering with knowledge and power. “I have an idea.”
Caro awoke in the dark.
No lights.
No sound.
No life.
The pod. A scream threatened her throat, but she forced herself to swallow it. If she allowed them to know she was awake, they’d use their abilities to force her back into lasting slumber, to listen to the mantra on repeat about Seraphim and their purpose in this world.
She didn’t want that.
She wanted warmth, love, feeling. Seven years of emotion had destroyed her. She would never be stoic again. Too cold. Too boring. Too inanimate.
She desired heat, passion, life. She needed to breathe, to fly, to love.
Her heart thudded loudly in her ears, echoing off the shell around her. All glass. A room of white and sterility. The basement of a perpetual morgue.
When the Seraphim pulled her out of the ocean, she knew this had been her fate. She’d accepted it only to hide the truth—a truth she’d forgotten because of Vera’s help. However, she recalled it now, the reason for all of this.
Astasiya.
Caro’s heart stopped. Knowing the name was fine, but all the secrets they’d vowed to hide were rioting in her mind. Even the memory of Vera removing it all.
Oh, no… they know!
