Page 23 of Agony of Our Regret

“Yes.”

I blew out a tired breath. “What do we do?”

“We’re telling our members to return to their homes if they are on missions.”

That’s why I needed to call Luca.

“And we’re encouraging individuals and families far from councils to gather.”

“What do you mean?”

“CeeCee and Steph should either return here, Columbus, or find somewhere closer to Orlando, so they're near the local council there.”

My heart jumped to my throat. “What about Noah, Sky, and Vince?”

“They were all listed. They need to either find their closest Council or return immediately.”

“Have their parents told them?”

“I’m not sure. I called Gavin as soon as I heard. Their parents have been notified, so they should reach out to them.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Not only did they need to come home for their safety, something I’d panic about until they arrived, but I couldn’t hide my pregnancy symptoms with them around. I couldn’t dodge Sky’s questions when he was standing in front of me.

“Okay.”

“I’ll call back with an update as soon as I have it. Right now, you guys should stay home. Don’t go outside if you can avoid it, and do not go anywhere alone.”

“Okay,” I repeated numbly.

“We’ll be fine, Avalon. This is the break we’ve been waiting for. We can take action now that they have.”

She meant to comfort me, but as always, I just wondered what came next.

Gavinand I received messages from Noah, Skyler, and Vince’s parents. They reached the guys overseas and asked them to come to Chicago immediately.

Luca was on his way home too.

“What do you want to do?” Gavin sat a plate of cheese and crackers between us on the couch.

I stared at the black screen of the TV.

They were coming back.

Maybe.

That wasn’t confirmed.

Yet.

Just because their parents asked didn’t mean they would listen, and getting home would take time. Noah and Sky would have to arrange flights home and get back to a major airport. Vince would have to figure out his work situation.

This was a precaution, but much like shipping us off to a supernatural academy, the Society didn’t know how long the alert would last. Would this become our new normal? Hunkering down and waiting for the AS to strike?

No.

The threat disrupted too many people, plus the daily functions of the Society.

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