Analisa shrugged. “I learned from the best.”
Olivier groaned in frustration. She was right. Hehatedthat she was right. He should tell Emilio. He deserved to know. Nothing good would come of withholding the truth from him. He would find out eventually. But why distract Emilio when they were already in a dangerous situation? Why cause him even more pain?
“Look.” Olivier rubbed at his temples. “I’ll tell him…eventually. But we need to focus on finding this clue first.”
Analisa hummed. “I never figured you for a martyr.”
“I’m not,” Olivier muttered defensively, shooting her a frown. “And either way, I’m hardly religious enough to be branded a martyr.”
“Religion is about faith. And you believe inhimwith enough holy reverence to happily sacrifice your own soul at his altar.”Analisa stared at Olivier pointedly. “So. Like I previously stated.Martyr.” And with that, she sauntered off, catching up to the rest of the group, but not before glancing over her shoulder and striking Olivier with one of her vexing all-knowing smiles.
Olivier groaned and rolled his eyes.
This is going to be a painfully long journey.
14
WREN
Wake up, my sweet catalyst.
The voice yanked Wren out of her dreams and into the murky haze of morning. She gasped, clutching her chest, eyes skating around her dimly lit tent. But there was nobody speaking to her…nobody in the room.
Wait.
Nobody is here.
The sudden awareness washed over Wren as she slid her legs out of the sheets and pressed her feet upon the cold floor. Every morning since she had arrived at the Demien Order’s encampment, she’d awoken to find Edith looming over her, ready to drag her into another endless day of torture. But this morning…nothing. No one.
Without thinking, Wren slid her boots on and beelined for the entrance, but when she tried to part the edges of the tent’s canvas, she noticed there was no entryway. As if the tent had hardened into a concrete wall. She furrowed her brow in confusion and searched, desperate to find some sort of opening, but there wasnothing. The entrance to the tent had seemingly vanished, trapping her inside.
Wren groaned in irritation.It must be some sort of protectivebarrier.It had been foolish to think Edith would let her simply waltz out of the tent. Wren might be alone, but that didn’t mean she was going anywhere.
She slumped back onto her bed in defeat, fingers fussing with the end of her braid. A tidal wave of questions shot through her mind.Why hasn’t Edith taken me this morning? What could possibly have changed?But then Wren remembered what August had told her the night before.
“I can find a way to convince her to stop. Or at least pause the sessions until Equinox.”
Hope surged in Wren’s chest.
Maybe he actually did it.
That seedling of hope was instantly snipped when a sudden commotion stole Wren’s attention. From one moment to the next, two people materialized at the entrance of the tent—a boy and a girl, the two of them caught in a furious debate. The boy had deep olive-toned skin and buzzed dark hair, a sort of Cheshire cat grin that led Wren to believe he could charm his way out of whatever argument he was having with nothing but his dimpled smile. The girl’s bright pink hair brushed her pale freckled shoulders as she shook her head indignantly, scoffing at whatever the boy had been saying before they’d crossed through.
“—absolutely not. Are you insane?” she barked, staring up at him defiantly. She was far shorter than the boy, though Wren had a feeling she could easily take him in a fight. “There isnofreaking way we stand a chance against them. Either way, they would never set up Silver against Onyx twice in a row—what the hell did you say to him?!”
“Oh, nothing. I just casually insulted his entire bloodline,” the boy said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “But honestly, Callum issosensitive.”
The girl’s brows creased together. “You’re an idiot. You know that, right?”
“But I’myouridiot.”
“No. You’re a pain in my fucking—”
“Uh…” Wren cleared her throat. The pair instantly froze, heads turning toward Wren in perfect synchronization. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but who the hell are you?”
“Oh.” The girl’s face creased in confusion, blinking. “You’re awake. I guess the sedative wore off earlier than usual.”
Sedative?Wren had wondered if they’d been drugging her, considering how deeply she’d been sleeping. She had found it odd that she’d only ever woken up once Edith was already in the tent waiting for her.
