Page 58 of Crowned

I grab my rucksack from the wardrobe, stuffing it with clothes and whatever small personal items catch my eye. A picture frame on the bedside table makes me pause. It’s a photo of Summer and me from years ago, arms slung around each other, grinning like we had the world at our feet. My stomach tightens, but I tuck it into the bag anyway. Then all that’s left is to grab my surfboard from downstairs. There’s no way I’m leavingthatbehind.

Footsteps approach, and I glance over my shoulder as Bhodi steps into the doorway, his expression grim.

“Reef’s almost done with her,” he says. “You good?”

I nod, zipping up the bag. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”

“Want me to grab your board?”

“Please.” I smile at him as I nod.

When I return to the living room, Reef is standing by the window, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on Summer. She looks smaller somehow, her shoulders hunched, her hands wringing together nervously.

“You know what to say?” Reef asks, his voice sharp.

Summer nods quickly, her eyes darting between us. “Yes. Tell them I haven’t seen anything unusual, that the house is still empty and looks like it has been for a while. Act like nothing’s changed.”

“Good,” Reef says, but there’s no warmth in his tone. He doesn’t trust her – none of us do, not really.

Summer hesitates, her gaze flicking to me. “Malia...I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”

I take a deep breath, forcing the anger to settle. “Then prove it,” I say evenly. “Do what we’ve asked, and maybe I’ll believe you.”

Her lower lip trembles, but she nods, and I gesture for Bhodi to open the door. She glances back one last time before stepping out into the fading sunlight.

As she disappears down the path, a twinge of guilt curls in my chest, but I tamp it down. I can’t afford to let my emotions cloud my judgment, not when so much is at stake.

“She’s gone,” Bhodi mutters, shutting the door and locking it behind her.

Reef exhales sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. “That was a mistake. She’s too much of a liability.”

“We didn’t have a choice,” I reply, shouldering my bag. “Let’s just hope it pays off.”

The portal shimmers as we step through, the familiar chill of Aerwyna’s air wrapping around me like a sudden embrace. Vance is waiting, his posture stiff with barely concealed tension.

“Well?” he asks, his sharp gaze scanning each of us.

The others exchange glances, and I force a small smile. “It’s fine. We’re back in one piece.”

Vance’s eyes narrow slightly, but he doesn’t press. “Good. Take her things to her room,” he says to the others, nodding toward the bag on my shoulder.

“I’ll meet you there,” I say quickly, handing the bag to Cove. “I need to speak with the professor.”

The others hesitate but eventually leave without a word. Once we’re alone, Vance’s calm mask slips, his jaw tightening as he steps closer.

“What happened?” he demands. “You’re holding something back.”

I exhale, rubbing the back of my neck. “We ran into Summer. She was inside the house.”

“What?” His voice rises sharply, and I wince.

“She claimed she was looking for me,” I say quickly. “But...she admitted she’s been giving information to her boyfriends. She didn’t know they were Shikari, but it’s obvious they’ve been using her to get to us.”

Vance’s expression hardens, his hands clenching into fists. “This is exactly why I told you it was a bad idea to leave. You’ve put us at risk, Malia. If they know anything more about Aerwyna?—”

“They don’t,” I interrupt, meeting his gaze. “Not yet. We’ve turned the situation around. Summer’s going to act as a double agent. We left her with a comunicator. She’ll feed them false information, and we’ll control the narrative.”

His eyes narrow further, and for a moment, I think he might explode. “You’re trusting her?”

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