“It’s a shame,” he said. “It really is a nice house.”

“There are more important things in life than houses,” I said, reaching for the doorknob.

He put his hand over mine.

“There’s one more thing I need to tell you before we go,” he said.

“What?” I asked in a clipped voice, wanting to get back to a safe place and away from the seductive spirits that lingered here.

He leaned down, lips brushing my cheek as I opened the door. “I like your hair.”

TWO

BACK IN WOLF FORM, I quickly led Ren away from the graveyard of homes. As we neared the tall pines ringing the site, I skidded to a halt. Lifting my muzzle, I tested the air, wanting to be sure we hadn’t been watched or followed.

I already told you no one comes here. Ren nipped at my shoulder. Ever.

I looked at him, my skin crawling beneath my fur as I again wondered how often Ren had been to this place. Ren’s life had more loneliness than I’d ever imagined. I hoped I was about to fix that.

She’s just ahead.

I trotted toward the forest.

Adne came out to meet us, approaching cautiously. Her eyes were wide as they settled on Ren.

“All good?” she asked in a light tone, but her voice cracked a little.

I shifted forms. “Yeah.”

Ren tilted his head, looking at Adne. He padded toward her, sniffing the back of her hand when she extended it. I wasn’t sure what he’d recognized, but his tail wagged. He shifted into human form.

“Ariadne, this is Renier Laroche.” I sidestepped so they were facing each other without me in between.

She smiled and said, “Adne.”

At the same moment he said, “Ren.”

They blinked at each other, then laughed. I looked back and forth between them. Ren’s tall, muscled form was not anything like Adne’s. She was a wisp of a girl whose stature belied her ferocity. But they shared something. My chest burned when I realized they both looked like Monroe. In the short time I’d spent with the Haldis Guide, he’d proven himself the best leader I’d ever known. We would all miss him in the fight to come.

“I’m glad Calla convinced you we’re the good guys,” Adne said, her voice more confident now.

Ren nodded. “I’m sorry about your father.”

“Our father.” She hesitated and then took a step forward, reaching her hands toward Ren.

He wrapped her small, slender fingers in his. They stood like that for a moment. Then Adne leaned into him, resting her head against his chest.

Ren looked startled, but he quickly wrapped his arms around her.

He had to clear his throat before he could say, “You know, I always thought it would be cool to have a kid sister.”

“Be careful what you wish for.” Adne looked up at him and grinned. “I’m kind of a brat.”

Ren laughed.

I couldn’t help myself. “She’s not kidding.”

“Thanks, Lily.” Adne glared at me, but she was laughing too. “What do you say we continue trading insults where we’re less likely to be in mortal peril?”

“She calls you Lily?” Ren was gazing at her, astonished.

I groaned. “She does.”

“Great minds.” He flashed a wicked smile at me before winking at her.

Maybe this reunion wasn’t such a good idea after all. But something inside me that had felt hollow since the attack on Vail was giving way to a comforting warmth. Hope.

“So how are we getting out of here?” Ren asked. “Do you have a car? Or a snowmobile?”

Adne pulled the skeans from her belt, flipping them high in the air and catching them again. “Just wait till you see your sister’s mad skills.”

When Adne first started to weave, Ren shifted back into wolf form, ears flattened, snarling at the lights that sparked through the air. She paused, glancing over her shoulder.

“This is a lot harder if you interrupt me. I don’t want to have us landing in Greece instead of Italy.”

Ren’s bark was full of surprise. I smiled at him and he changed forms.

“Italy?” He stared at me. “That’s a joke, right?”

“No joke,” I said. “I haven’t seen much yet, but what I have seen is beautiful. It’s on the Mediterranean coast.”

“I’ve never seen the ocean,” he murmured.

I threaded my fingers through his. “I know.”

Adne turned from admiring the finished portal and looked at us. Her eyes flitted to our clasped hands and she threw me a questioning glance. I averted my gaze. Her question was one I couldn’t afford to answer.

“You ready?”

That question I could answer. “Let’s go.”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Ren asked as I pulled him forward. I didn’t know if he was dragging his feet to give me a hard time or if the portal actually made him nervous.

“We only lose one out of every five travelers,” Adne quipped, stepping behind us and shoving us into the light.

On the other side of the portal Ren was gripping my hand so tightly it hurt. I shook my fingers free, flexing them.

“Sorry.” A blush slid over his cheeks. “Where are we?”

“My room,” Adne said, closing the portal.

“This is the Academy,” I said. “It’s where the Searchers live and train.”

“The Searchers live in Italy?” Ren frowned.

“Sometimes.” Adne looped her arm through his.

“Where are you going?” I asked, hurrying to chase her through the door.

She called over her shoulder, “We need to tell Anika about this right away.”

“Really?” I was already nervous about introducing Ren to the Searchers. Working our way up to Anika struck me as a more appealing idea.

“Trust me,” Adne said, sensing my anxiety. “The sooner we tell Anika about this, the less trouble we’ll be in. Hopefully.”

“Great,” I muttered.

Ren was staring at the walls of the Academy just as I had when we’d first arrived. His body was tense; I could see the tightness of his shoulders and back. I couldn’t blame him. This place reeked of Searchers—and theirs was a scent we’d been trained to recognize as a threat.

When we reached the doors of Haldis Tactical, Adne squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and knocked.