Oz led the way inside, and warm light spilled over us as we stepped into the foyer. A fire on the verge of dying crackled from the hearth, and two assassins loitered around the flame. One of them was Astrid, and her face lit up at our entrance. Vaulting over the back of the couch, she practically ran across the tile floor to greet us. “Thank the gods you’re back. Emelia just went out on rotation.”
A familiar mess of black hair popped up from the armchair, and Iov smiled. “Hey, guys.”
“Fetch Emelia immediately.” Kost leveled Astrid with a stern look. “We have important things to discuss.”
Astrid frowned, but didn’t ignore the order of Cruor’s second-in-command. Shadows claimed her in an instant, leaving an open path to the couch. Heading for the library, Oz left to retrieveZane and the Fallen Leaders. I moved toward the sofa and sank into the cushions, pressing my fingers to my temples. I didn’t even know where to begin in terms of preparing an attack against Raven and Eilan if the book indicated they had Noc.
Iov raised both his brows and asked, “You all right?”
“Yes. No.” I wavered as a I stared at him. The new assassins were all soyoung. If not physically, then at least in the sense of being recently raised. Emelia and Iov we could count on, but how many others?
Iov crossed his ankles and leaned back in the armchair. Still wearing the signature black-on-black apparel the sentries donned to stay hidden in the night, he could’ve passed for a shadow. Kost dropped into the couch beside me and polished his spectacles. Tense hands worked the small cloth in meticulous circles until his lenses practically shined.
“Where’s Noc?” Iov’s voice was tight.
“Gone.” Kost replaced his glasses. “We need to get him back.”
Iov’s gaze flickered between the two of us. “What happened?”
“He was taken.” My lips flattened, and heat flushed through my body. Wrapping my fingers in the chain of my bestiary, I gave it a forceful tug. Information was traded freely among the Council members. Raven must have talked with Gaige. Hadn’t he been reluctant to blame her? He was blinded by loyalty, and that fealty had resulted in Noc’s abduction.
Maybe Gaige had told her about his true identity, and she’d seen an opportunity to strengthen the alliance between Charmers and Wilheimians.
Oz returned carrying the book, and my breath caught in my chest. He handed it over to Kost, who immediately flipped it open. Lightly, he dragged his fingers over the text as he read. My gaze snagged on Noc’s name.
Kost’s fingers trembled as he reached the end of the entry. “Vague, as I feared. It confirms he was abducted by a Charmer from Hireath, but that’s it. There’s no description of where he was taken.”
I let out a wordless shriek and kicked the coffee table.
“Abducted? How?” Iov asked.
A low, angry rumble simmered from Oz’s chest. “A beast took us by surprise.”
Eyes bulging, Iov stared at his brethren. “Whose beast?”
“Raven,” I said, voice shaking with thinly-veiled anger.
Iov’s face paled. No doubt he remembered her and the way her legendary beast had cleaved through his stomach. Shaky hands clasped and unclasped before him, and he pressed his lips into a thin line. A rush of shadows blossomed in front of the mantel, and Astrid emerged with Emelia hot on her heels. Smile light, her gaze bounced from person to person. And then her grin faltered.
“Where’s Noc?” Emelia asked.
“Gone.” Kost stood and gestured to the couch. “Have a seat, we need to talk.”
She sank into the cushions beside me, and Kost started to recount the events leading up to Noc’s capture. My insides knotted. Hearing it repeated only made things worse. Each detail was a clue I didn’t know how to decipher. How had Raven known when to send the Fabric Spinner? Why come after us at all? I threaded my fingers together and stared at the floor. Nothing added up.
Astrid braced her forearms along the back of the couch, fidgeting between Emelia and me. “So, what do we do?”
Oz flexed his hands. “Youdo nothing.” Jaw set in a hard edge, he gave her a stern look. “You’re freshly raised. You don’t have enough control over your shadows to fight anyone just yet, let alone a Charmer.”
Astrid stilled. “I don’t need shadows to kick anyone’s ass.”
“Astrid.” Emelia turned toward her, and her eyes went soft. “We know what you’re capable of. But we only just got you back.”
“You don’t know what we’ll be up against. We don’t even know what we’re walking into,” Kost said.
My chest tightened. I didn’t want to be responsible for Cruor’s destruction. If we brought everyone with us, even the newly raised assassins, we’d be sending them to their graves. And this time, Noc wouldn’t be able to raise them.
Standing, I began to pace in front of the stairs. I had to move. Had to dosomething. “They don’t have to fight, but they can scout. Search for Noc and see—”
