Helena’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “We want you tostabilizethe ley lines before the entire region fractures. The Rift bleeds magic into the local field; when it spikes, it pulls everything with it. You’re the Council’s best rune stabilizer. You’ll go to Willowbrook immediately.”
“Immediately?” I glance at my watch. “It’s midnight.”
“Orders from above.” She gestures toward a sealed envelope on her desk, the Council seal burned into the wax. “High Chancellor Whitlock wants this handled discreetly and efficiently. Willowbrook is under our jurisdiction.”
I arch a brow. “Why not send a team?”
“Because you don’t need one.”
That’s Helena’s way of sayingwe don’t trust anyone else to clean this up without making it worse.
I pick up the envelope, sliding a finger under the seal. Inside are the directive, the signatures, the coordinates, and the access codes for the local ward nexus. A one-man mission, like always.
“Fine,” I say. “But let me guess—this isn’t just about the Rift.”
Marcus clears his throat, straightening his papers. “There’s also… a social complication.”
I look up, unimpressed. “Which is?”
“The unbonded Omegas,” Helena says. “Participation rates in the TrueBond program have dropped to a record low. Fewer than twenty percent registered this cycle. It’s destabilizing the equilibrium in Willowbrook’s hierarchy. Bond surges areunpredictable, power imbalances are growing, and unbonded magic is leaking into the ley network.”
I let out a dry laugh. “So they refuse to follow Council protocol, ignore the matchmaking system meant to regulate pheromonal magic, and now they’re shocked the ley lines are throwing tantrums?”
Helena’s glare sharpens. “Watch your tone.”
“Maybe you should let the town burn and collapse in on itself,” I say evenly. “It’s a small price for negligence.”
Marcus stiffens. “We can’t do that. Willowbrook’s ley web connects to half the Midwest. If it implodes, the backlash could reach as far as St. Louis.”
“So we fix their mess. Again.”
Helena steps closer, blue eyes cold. “You fix it, brother. And while you’re there, find outwhythe Omegas are refusing Council regulation. We suspect outside influence.”
“Outside influence?”
“Maybe dissenters. Maybe rogue enclaves.” She shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. Your orders are clear.”
I study her for a moment, noting the tension in her jaw. She won’t say it, but she’s worried. The Thorn family’s reputation depends on clean results, and if this Rift incident escalates, Whitlock will be looking for heads to roll.
“Fine,” I say, sliding the papers into my coat pocket. “I’ll go in the morning.”
“Tonight,” Helena corrects.
I look at her. “Excuse me?”
“You’ll leave now. A transport is waiting on the roof. The chancellor wants your report before sunrise.”
Marcus adds, “If it helps, accommodations have been arranged. You’ll have full access to the sheriff’s ward logs and the local Nexus Chamber. They are located in the Wilders’ manor, so it won’t be a problem at all.”
“How generous,” I mutter. “Remind me what my cut of this is?”
Helena’s smirk is small and infuriating. “The high chancellor will owe you a favor.”
Now that’s something. A Whitlock favor could move mountains in this hierarchy.
I adjust my cufflinks, the tiny runes glowing faintly against the silver. “Then I suppose I should pack light.”
“You already have everything you need,” Helena says. “Your bag’s in the as already been loaded.”
