Page 57 of Crowned

Summer’s gaze darts between us, her chest heaving as she tries to find the words. “I…I didn’t know where else to go,” she stammers. “I came looking for you.”

“And decided to break in while you were at it?” Bhodi snaps, his grip tightening on her arm.

“I thought you were gone,” she says, tears streaming down her face. “The house was empty. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’re here,” I say sharply, stepping forward. “What’s really going on, Summer?”

She flinches at my tone, but her gaze stays locked on mine. “It’s my boyfriends,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “There’s something wrong with them. They’ve been...obsessed with you ever since you disappeared. They kept asking questions, trying to find out where you were. I tried to get away from them, but they wouldn’t let me.”

“And you thought coming here would fix that?” Reef growls, his tone icy.

Summer’s shoulders shake as she sobs, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush. “I didn’t know what else to do! I needed to know if you were okay. I thought if I could just check the house, I’d find some kind of clue. I didn’t mean to...” She trails off, her voice breaking.

“Didn’t mean to what?” I demand, my voice rising.

“I told them about this place,” she confesses, her words barely audible. “About the house. I didn’t mean to, but they kept pushing, and I thought if I gave them something, they’d leave me alone.”

The silence that follows is deafening. My chest tightens as her words sink in, each one like a blow to the gut.

“You gave them information about the house?” I say, my voice trembling with fury. “Do you realise what you’ve done?”

“I didn’t know!” she cries. “I didn’t know they were...” She falters, looking at me with wide, desperate eyes. “Malia, what are they?”

Reef steps forward, his jaw tight. “They’re Shikari. And thanks to you, they know far more than they should.”

Summer stares at him, her face pale. “Shikari? What does that even mean?”

I glance at Reef, who shakes his head slightly. Summer doesn’t know. Not about Aerwyna, not about the supernatural. And now I have to decide whether to keep her in the dark or bring her into a world she may not be ready for.

I take a deep breath, the weight of the decision settling heavily on my shoulders. “You’ve put us all in danger,” I say, my voice cold. “But we can use this. You’re going to tell them exactly what we want them to hear. Do you understand me?”

Her eyes widen. “You want me to go back to them?”

“Yes,” I say firmly. “But this time, you’re going to do it on our terms.”

“Malia—” Reef warns, stepping forward, but I hold up my hand to stop him.

“No. We need to do this. We may as well use Summer’s fuck up to our advantage.” Summer winces but doesn’t argue.

“I don’t like this,” Cove mutters.

“The prof isn’t going to be happy. We’re already taking too long,” Reef warns.

“But she’s right,” Bhodi adds, backing me up with a solemn nod, his arms still holding Summer tight. “We need to do something. May as well try whatever Malia has in mind.”

Summer nods reluctantly, tears streaking her cheeks as she whispers, “I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Just...please, help me.”

I glance at Reef and Bhodi. The distrust in their eyes is clear, but neither of them voices their objections. Not yet. I know they’ll have plenty to say later, but for now, we’re all aligned on one thing: this is a risk we have to take.

“We’ll figure it out,” I say, more to myself than anyone else but even I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record stuck on repeat with that damn phrase.

I’m really starting to hate it.

But deep down, I can’t shake the sinking feeling that we’re walking into a trap – one that might cost us far more than we’re prepared to lose.

Once Summer is inside with Reef, I quietly step toward my old room, or I guess I should say Cove’s room. The air feels stale, as though the space has been waiting too long for someone to return. Dust motes swirl in the faint light coming through the curtains, and everything feels smaller, like I’ve outgrown it in the time I’ve been away.

I run my fingers along the edge of the desk, memories flitting through my mind – late nights with textbooks, sketches half-finished, dreams that now seem a lifetime away. None of it feels like mine anymore.

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