Page 156 of Centaur Bolt

My mother straightened and did her best to smooth over an awkward situation. “You children remember Marcus?”

“Marcus is our cousin.” Trey pranced forward to give me a hug too. When he released me, he added, “He makes cool things out of metal, like these.” He pointed to his necklet. “It says I’ll be a fierce warrior.”

“What happened to him?” One of the youngest students was brave enough to ask.

“Marcus has shifted to his human form,” Triss stated.

“He’s still the best sword fighter in the colony,” Trey added proudly. “Doesn’t need four legs for that.”

“Thank you, Trey,” I said. “Although, I think that title still belongs to your Uncle Emmanuel.”

Trey frowned. “Okay. The second best, then.”

Before anyone could say anything more, Triss said to Bree, “They’re all yours,” and paced up to me. She leaned down to Trey and Tuli, and whispered, “There are Nati squares in that bag by the window. Enough for everyone.”

When the twins scampered off toward the bag, she grabbed me by the arm and led me out the door.

“They’ll get used to your new look.”

“It’s okay. They’re only kids,” I said. “Any news from Emmanuel?”

Her expression tightened. “They didn’t get Isobel, Marcus. She was already gone. Emmanuel is helping search for any information as to where she has fled to.”

The news wasn’t a surprise, really.She would have been a fool to stay there with you two on the loose,Iskar stated.Don’t you ever forget, there is nothing foolish about Isobel.

No, that was true. If only Havoc and I could have got the location to someone right away…

“I brought us a picnic,” my mother said, squeezing my arm. “Thought you might be hungry.”

She knew me well. I was always hungry.

We ate in the courtyard beneath the trees, and I did my best to ignore the stares. My mother chatted about seemingly random topics, but every so often she would insert a question that was clearly an attempt at intel gathering. About Riley. About what Isobel had done to me. All very subtle invitations for me to open up.

She’d raised me too well to fall for it. I deflected every one.

It took me completely by surprise when all the fine hairs on my arms stood on end. I was on my feet in an instant. My mother scrambled to hers, staring at me.

“What is it?” she asked.

Only then did I realize she hadn’t sensed it. The crystal Iskar had pumped me full of had enabled me to feel what she couldn’t.

“Someone just opened a gate.” I began to bolt for the school entrance.

“A gate?” She paced me, sounding alarmed. “Where?”

I surged through the door, and froze—horror suffused me as the reality hit me.

“Here. It’s here,” I said. “Inside the school.”

55

Rafael

Isobel had a firm grip on me as she directed us through the gate.

She wasn’t alone. Five coven members and several Bellatis were with her.

We emerged inside a building. Large windows along one wall let the mid-morning light shine through. Five Centaurs awaited us. All young, their bodies yet to fully mature. I recognized Vic with four others.

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