Slender, faded yellow columns reached for the sky in straight rows, stretching for what looked like a flat eternity, at last falling off into an infinite horizon.

What the hell? My hand brushed against a dried husk that lay on the frozen earth.

Corn. Cornstalks. I glanced at my feet; the earth below me was hard, caught in the grip of winter’s chill, but even below the dusting of snow I could see the darkness of the rich soil. A field.

Nearby I heard someone gasping for breath. Adne rolled onto her side, grimacing.

“Welcome back to Iowa.”

“Where are we?” I asked, shaking my head. My ears were still ringing.

“On the outer perimeter of the Academy grounds,” Adne said.

Shay groaned, rubbing his stomach. “I think I almost got impaled by a cornstalk. Why aren’t we inside the Academy?”

“I didn’t want to risk us being followed,” Adne said, standing up. “Don’t worry, it’s not far.”

“Hey!” Connor’s shout drew my attention.

Mason in wolf forms, snarled, while Bryn stood apart from them trying to hold on to Ansel, who kept moving away from her.

Nev was on his knees. His hands were locked in a choke hold, holding something against the ground—something that had Mason bristling, ready to attack. Not something—someone.

“What the hell?” Ethan turned and stared at him. He was still holding an unconscious Sabine.

“Calla, what’s wrong with them?” Connor asked.

As I got closer, I could make out golden spikes of hair. It can’t be.

I could hear words gurgling from within the windpipe Nev was slowly crushing.

“Pl . . . please,” Logan choked. “I’m. . . . ungh . . . I’m . . . here . . . to . . . help . . . you. . . .”

“Nev, wait,” I said, grabbing his forearm. “What is he saying?”

“I don’t care.” Nev scowled. Logan’s skin was turning blue.

I stared at them, paralyzed by indecision, not blaming Nev for wanting to hurt the Keeper. Logan remained pinned to the earth, squirming futilely as air was cut off from his lungs. Nev’s face twisted with rage, his grip on Logan’s throat ever tightening.

“Who is that?” Connor was beside us.

“A Keeper,” I said. “That’s Efron Bane’s son.”

“What the hell is he doing here?” Connor blinked at Logan in disbelief. “And how did he get here?”

“I have no idea,” I said.

Logan pushed futilely at Nev’s arms. His eyes rolled up at Connor.

“Save . . . them . . . ,” Logan’s voice squeaked out. “Tristan . . . not . . . dead . . .”

“What?” Connor ducked forward, shoving Nev aside. Now it was Connor over Logan, keepinghim down with one booted foot to the chest. Logan gasped and sputtered, reaching up to touch the dark bruises at his throat.

Connor shook him. “What did you just say?”

“Give me asylum.” Logan coughed. “They’ll kill me if you send me back.”

“We’ll take care of that for them,” Nev snarled, still crouching nearby. “You don’t have to go anywhere.”

“Why would we ever give refuge to a Keeper?” I asked, staring at Logan. I didn’t trust him for a moment. He and his father represented everything that had gone wrong in Vail. It was their fault Ren was . . .

The thought barreled me over. Ren. I’d lost him forever. Worse than that, my betrayal had turned him away from any life other than one that was dictated by the Keepers. Tears filled my eyes and I stumbled back. I wanted nothing more than to fall to my knees and claw Logan’s eyes out, using his flesh to tear away the pain that knotted my gut.

Shay was at my side, putting his arms around me, his touch only making my guilt sting like salt in a wound.

“Don’t,” I said, pulling away.

Ethan gazed at Logan with flat eyes. “Kill him.”

Connor nodded, drawing his sword.

Adne gasped when Logan began to laugh. “Such hypocrisy! I thought the Searchers were supposed to be noble. Foolish, of course, but noble all the same.”

“For a dead man you sure jabber a lot,” Connor said, lowering the blade to Logan’s throat.

Logan tensed but kept smiling. “I only meant that if you hadn’t harbored one of my kind, all of your hopes would be dashed already, wouldn’t they?”

“What is he talking about?” Bryn asked. She was listening even as she hovered near my brother. Ansel kept sidling away from her, but she followed him, trying to hold him in spite of his reticence.

“My father,” Shay said quietly. “He’s talking about my father.”

“I knew there was a reason you’re the Chosen One,” Logan said. “Remarkably observant.”

“You aren’t Tristan,” Ethan snapped.

“But I can help you save him,” Logan said.

“What?” Shay darted forward. “What do you mean?”

“What I’ve been trying to say since I stowed away with you,” Logan replied. “Your parents are alive.”

“You’re lying.” The sword Shay held began to shake in his grip.

“Not when my life depends on it,” Logan said. “Tristan and Sarah Doran are alive. You can still save them.”

“What the hell is he talking about?” Nev shouted, pacing next to Connor. “Kill that bastard. I can’t stand the sight of him.”