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Rhys seems stumped for a moment, and I decide to spell it out to him.
“They believe Erikel is Burton, not the other way around.”
Rhys narrows his eyes, trying to comprehend what I’m saying, while completely understanding how ridiculous it sounds.
“How? Why?” His face falls to his hands for a moment, as if his simple questions are overwhelming him, too.
“We honestly don’t know. I’m not familiar with Professor Burton, other than what he’s portrayed himself as and what the golden table showed us, which made him look a hell of a lot shadier. As much as it initially seems impossible, it isn’t.”
“What do you know of Burton, Rhys?” Brax asks, eyes narrowing. “My parents said he’s one of the few people to have ever been a skinwalker. You didn’t mention that when we told you what we saw in the Nightmare’s Guild.”
My heart practically stops in my chest as I gape at Rhys, coming to the same realization as Brax. If this guy has been pulling the wool over my eyes the entire time, I really will explode. We’ve trusted him more than anyone.
Don’t let that be for nothing.
“Tiran Burton’s powers have never been shared with me. He falls under a different department at The Monarchy, so I’ve never been privy to his details, just as he wouldn’t be aware of mine either.” I search his eyes, seeking what I’m not entirely sure of, but all I find is sincerity. “I can’t understand how he would make any of this happen or why he would stab himself the night we were all there. We all saw it ourselves.”
“I know, but there is the consideration that Raven bringing him back from the dead allows him to visit the Realm of Shadows now… like me,” Brax admits, seeming to accept Rhys’s words too.
“We’re getting closer to figuring this all out. I know we are,” he murmurs, shaking his head as he remains slightly dazed by the facts.
Clearing my throat, his gaze finds mine. “That’s actually why we’re calling.”
“Anything.”
“Marieta believes I should speak to my mother.”
He nods, rising to his feet immediately without question. “Of course, give me a few moments.”
The room falls quiet as he leaves and I fall back in my seat, chancing a glance at Brax to find him already staring at me.
“Do we trust him?”
My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I think it over, but ultimately, I nod. “He’s either a phenomenal liar or telling the truth. As much as my mind wants to believe the worst in everyone, he’s never done anything to make me believe he’s anything other than genuine.”
“I hate that I can only agree with you. I just hope we’re right.”
I nod nervously, but before we can say anymore, Rhys reappears, only this time my mother is beside him. My heart races at the sight of her as she rushes closer, her hand reaching out toward me before she quickly retracts it, remembering she’s not actually here.
“Oh, Raven,” she whispers, falling to her knees before me, and I shift awkwardly in my seat.
I want to reach out to her, too, and offer her some kind of comfort, but I don’t want to drift my hand through her projection.
Her hair is pulled back tight into a ponytail, her eyes heavy as she tries to smile. We’ve all clearly got a lot going on. It feels insane to comprehend that there are more problems out there when I’m already dealing with a lot.
I don’t know what I expect from her, but just as quickly as she dropped to the floor, she gathers herself, stiffening her spine as she takes a deep breath and meets my gaze with determination vibrating from her.
“What do you need from me? Anything, I’m here.”
I exhale slowly, her words pushing me forward as I smile at her, and it’s not forced. “I spoke with Marieta, Brax’s mother,” I state, pointing to my gargoyle without glancing in his direction. My mother follows my finger, offering him a smile. “I have some concerns over Sebastian and she thinks I need to speak to you about it.”
“Of course.” She nods for me to proceed, and I do.
I tell her about the hostility I received from him as soon as I got here, the attacks I received at his hands, the attempts on my life, everything. With every instance, her eyes widen, her jaw falls more slack, and a combination of disappointment and heartache washes over her.
“I’m sorry, Raven,” she apologizes as if it’s her fault, and I shake my head, but Brax speaks before I can soothe her.
“I wanted to kill him,” he grunts, and I watch as my mother gulps nervously. Silence stretches out, filling the air as Rhys remains quiet. “But—” Brax breathes, shaking his head like he can’t believe where the conversation is leading.
