Page 74 of Pack Captive

A small, cruel part of me was quite thankful Tyra was not here. I immediately felt a flush of shame for thinking that.

I wrapped my arms around myself. "I know this isn't much help, but I really didn't invite him here. He seems to...have a use for my power. I don't know what for, but it seems to help him in some way."

Ryden's face darkened. He made a movement like he was going to reach for me, then cut it off. "Just howl, okay? If he wants your power, it's not for an innocent reason."

I nodded, too tired to think straight. Ryden looked at me, his eyes lingering on my lips, then he finally slipped out the door, leaving me alone.

None of it made sense. I really didn't feel that Merikh had designs on murdering me...at least, not anytime soon.

I dressed, took the bundle of my old clothes, and found my way up to the sky bridge. I could eat with the other Callers instead of staying alone in my room.

By daylight, Lykos seemed normal. The only sign something was wrong was a higher concentration of Guardians on top of the wall around the breach, and the fact that the Claws were moving through the streets in full packs.

I hurried across the bridge to the temple and found Yasemin and Kadin eating in the small resting room.

The maid was still there, pouring tea into cups. When I walked in, she looked up, bit off a gasp, and almost spilled hot tea all over Kadin's lap.

"Hey!" the girl protested, scooting back from the table.

I hesitated in the doorway, the tension thick in the air. Yasemin's eyes flicked to the maid, who was scrambling to clean up the mess. "We can handle this, Karina."

The maid rushed out, giving me another sidelong look as she passed.

I sat next to Kadin, who pushed a cup of tea towards me.

"You've got enormous circles under your eyes," she informed me, with all the un-self-conscious assessment of an eleven-year-old with still-perfect skin. "Have two cups. Maybe even three."

I rubbed my face. I felt the weight of those circles, dragging me down.

Kadin plopped a thin pancake on my plate and loaded it with honey butter and fruit.

"Word got out," Yasemin told me. "She won't be the only one listening to the rumors."

"What rumors?" I asked indignantly, but even as I took a bite, I knew what they would be saying.

That I was too new, untrustworthy.

That I'd formed an alliance with Merikh to take down Lykos from within.

"I think you know perfectly well," Yasemin told me, watching my expression morph as I thought all of it through. "You'll have to be careful. Mind your every step and give the Claws no reason to investigate you."

"So, you believe me?" I wasn't sure why I was so desperate for her trust and approval, but some of the weight dragging at me faded when Yasemin nodded slowly.

"I can feel the uncorrupted purity of your runes from here," she said, taking a long drink of tea.

Kadin patted my hand. "I believe you, too. You'll know it when you sense your first corrupted Caller."

I put my teacup down slowly. "What's a corrupted Caller?"

It wasn't my imagination that they were all hiding something from me. Yasemin shot Kadin a quick but deadly glare, and the little girl grabbed her plate.

"I need to get ready to clean," she mumbled, running off before I could grab her.

I stared at her retreating back for a moment, then looked at Yasemin. "You're all hiding things from me. I've sensed it from the beginning, but now...if Merikh does want me for some nefarious purpose, I should know what it is."

Yasemin, completely unconcerned, refilled her teacup and stirred in a lump of sugar. "You'll be told when you're ready, and not a moment sooner."

I drew in a breath, resisting the urge to act like a child myself and slam my fists on the table. "How am I supposed to help when I'm being kept in the dark?"

---