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The more he stared, the more it took everything in me not to squirm. There was something about his gaze, something penetrating, something that kept me on my toes, even though I hadn’t actually done anything wrong. I couldn’t quite explain it, but it felt like getting caught by one of the guards for doing something I was allowed to do.
“We may have found one,” he said after a moment.
I blinked, trying to make sense of that statement. “Found…what?” I asked. Only when I made myself an idiot did it hit me. “A lead? On Dade?”
Grey’s smile widened. “Yes,” he said. “Probably our best one.”
My heart quickened and my hands left the inside of my thighs to grab the outside of the chair. I kept my legs as still as possible. The last thing I wanted to do was knock over the tea. In fact, maybe I should sip it in order to make it seem like I liked it, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. Not with the knowledge that there might be a lead on Dade.
“Have you told Felix?” I asked.
“Not yet,” he said. “It was imperative I speak to you about this matter first.” A beat. “Alone.”
Alone? But why…?
You’re going to be offered a mission. I suggest you refuse it.
Kazu’s voice filtered through my head once more. At first, I hadn’t believed him. Why would they offer me a mission and not Felix? Then, I thought the mission would go to both of us, as was expected, and Kazu was insisting that I reject being part of it because he believed me to be inadequate. But maybe I had completely misinterpreted everything.
Grey opened a drawer and pulled out a scroll the color of scarlet, tied together with a burgundy string. My eyes widened and my grip on the chair tightened. The muscles in my legs flexed, but not enough to spill the tea. All I could see was that piece of paper. That, apparently, had everything I needed to know about Dade, about a lead that might get us to him and bring him back to the academy.
“Have you heard of the Scarlet missions?” Master Grey asked, holding the scroll gingerly between his fingers, lifting it up in case I couldn’t see it.
I tilted my head, trying to focus on his words rather than the scroll he held. What he said sounded familiar… I racked my brain for the answer. Scarlet scroll…?
“I know they stopped using it a while ago, but I don’t know why,” I finally said. I bit my bottom lip, hoping that wasn’t some kind of test I had already failed.
“Quite right,” he said. He set the scroll down next to him before consuming more tea. It was as though he needed to moisten his throat before speaking. Once he set his cup down, he leveled me with a serious stare. “They require a lot from the person tasked with the mission, more than what a usual mission might require. Some have said it’s cruel, some have said it’s completely neglectful to send such a new adult in such a traumatic situation, so they were removed from the missions we handed out to those who’ve reached Elite status. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to bring it back for this specific occasion.”
My thigh twitched. The teacup nearly toppled off my leg but I managed to catch it with only minimal spill. I brought it up to my mouth and took a sip, hoping I could pass this off as me trying to get a drink of the now lukewarm liquid. It took every bit of control I could muster to not wrinkle my nose; no matter how much sugar and cream was added, tea still tasted like tea. There was no changing that.
“As I stated before,” Master Grey said slowly, tentatively, “we have a lead on Dade. However, it’s not clear-cut. We need more information. And in order to obtain that information, we need to send someone in undercover to acquire it. Tell me, my dear: what do you know of the Light Bringers?”
“They’re magic,” I recited automatically. It was one of the first things we were taught here. “Because of their manipulation of the natural elements, they’re also classified as dangerous. Especially since there’s evidence that they created the Vrykolakas and the shifters themselves.” I took a breath. “It’s also believed Dade was…tempted by the power the Light Bringers have because he wanted revenge against the one who slaughtered his pack.”
Master Grey nodded.
“Exactly,” he said. “Do you remember why the Light Bringers are classified as dangerous?”
“Because even though not everyone has magic,” I said, “everyone has a dark side. And that dark side, those emotions, are a raw ingredient for ShadowMagic. If a Light Bringer could feed off ShadowMagic, it enhances their natural magic, making them more powerful and more dangerous.”
“Yes,” he said. He swallowed, the first time I had ever seen him appear nervous. “There is a possible way to Dade, one we need to act upon now before it slips from our fingers. But it will be dangerous. And, more than that, it’s classified. You are the only person I considered giving it to, but before I can even tell you what it is, I must know: are you willing to risk it all in order to get Dade back to us?”
Embyrlyn
“Of course.”
There was only one answer. I didn’t even have to think about it. Not when it came to getting Dade back. In fact, judging from the small smile that ticked his lips up, it wouldn’t surprise me if Master Grey knew what my answer would be, but he received some sort of satisfaction from hearing me say it anyway. Like he needed confirmation that he was right.
“I thought you might say that,” Grey said. “I know how much you care about Dade, you and Felix. I know how much you want to bring him back. And I think there’s a way we can. But before I start to figure out how to do that, I need more information, and in order to acquire that information, I need to send someone to give it to me. The only person who can successfully do that is you.”
I jerked back. “Me?” I asked.
This completely went against everything Kazu said to me. This was the opposite of being inadequate, the opposite of incompetent. Master Grey trusted me with something important, and since this mission was classified, he trusted only me with it.
Grey tilted his head to the side. “You sound surprised,” he said.
I dropped my gaze to my lap. “Oh, it’s just…” How did I tell him what Kazu said? I fiddled with my fingers, trying to keep my face neutral. I considered taking another gulp of the tea but I had already exerted enough effort into trying to keep my features neutral. It wasn’t exactly a science, but I was getting better…though whether it was good enough to fool Master Grey, I wasn’t sure.
