“No, I’m making perfect sense. Every night, the Raven wore a silver hook-nosed mask and he always had other fellow Septori in the room who were hidden by hoods. Sometimes his voice was high, other times it was raspy. Sometimes he was taller, while other times he felt short, but never as short as Talbot. I don’t know— maybe I’m crazy.”

“You are not crazy and I think you should spit out what is plaguing you.”

“It’s something my uncle had said about a master and apprentice. Also how Talbot used the words us and we. I think there are multiple Septori posing as the Raven. I think they are duplicating these experiments in various places and traveling between them. We’ve already encountered quite a few Septori, but now we have to kill the heads.”

“That is quite a secret.”

I sighed, feeling better. “Thanks for listening.”

“When are you going to tell the others?” He nodded his head to Kael and Joss.

“Soon.  As soon as I’m absolutely certain. But what I am certain of, is that we’ve probably already met the Raven, whoever he or she is, and Talbot is taking the fall for his master.”

“Let’s just pray that the Adepts can help.”

“Yes,” I said slowly chewing on the inside of my cheek in thought. “The Adepts.”

We had accomplished a lot in a few short days. We had saved Gloria and captured Mona.  She would hopefully, with the help of a truth serum, tell us how to find the rest of the Septori and Raven. Granted, we hadn’t found Joss’ sister yet, but I knew we would. I could feel it in my bones. I knew she had to be alive and I knew that I would be the one to find her.

But first we had to take Mona to Adept Lorna, and then I would hunt her down and find the Raven—all of them. It was time and I wasn’t going to be afraid anymore. I was definitely not the same person I had been a year ago or even two years. Now, I was a powerful Denai with a vengeance.

The search for the Septori was only beginning. Even now, I could tell I was still changing, the fevers, lack of appetite, headaches etc. Talbot confirmed it. I was evolving into a stronger monster. The Septori made me into what I am today. And now it’s time for me to hunt down my maker’s and kill them. The master and apprentice.