Page 22 of Centaur Bolt

Cara regarded me. Her eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn’t quite define, and there was an angry set to her jaw. “Until we find Isobel, there is nothing we can do.” She rubbed a hand over her face and turned to Bess. “They had to send Emmanuel through to Richin from somewhere, but I have little hope that I will be able to track anything. I will check on Emmanuel while I am there.”

“Can I come with you?” I was seized with a sudden panic of being left behind when Marcus was out there, somewhere.

She reached a hand toward me, but stopped when I flinched away. I didn’t want to be comforted. “There is nothing you can do right now. And running yourself ragged will not help him. Go to your classes, and I will keep you in the loop.”

Classes? She couldn’t be serious. “But—”

She locked her gaze with mine and took a deep breath. “When we find Marcus, he is going to need our help. And the best way to be prepared for that is to be prepared, period. This academy is all about that.”

Multiple curses ran through my mind, but not one of them emerged from my lips. Because try as I might, I couldn’t argue against what she said. But I wasn’t leaving until she promised me something—“If you find anything, swear you will tell me.”

I saw something flicker at the back of her eyes, but her lips straightened, and she nodded. “I will.”

I read the honesty in her gaze. I believed her.

She added, “When I return, we have another question to answer. How did Isobel find out Marcus was here?”

I stared at her. She was right. We hadn’t been here long.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Kiko. “Did you know Isobel was looking for him?”

The Satyr stiffened. “I’m not a snitch.”

“Not what I asked,” Cara insisted. “I need to know what rumors are circulating.”

“Oh.” Kiko frowned, and her gaze fogged as she thought. “Scott—um, one of my Dire friends—asked me how Marcus lost his Centaur. So he didn’t know his story.” She lifted her chin. “And I told him I didn’t know.”

“Okay.” She measured Kiko with her steady blue eyes. “Can you ask around? Be discreet.”

The Satyr’s eyes widened. “You think someone here told Isobel?”

“We need to look into it,” the Watcher hedged. “I’m also putting you in charge of ensuring Riley gets to class.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Kiko said.

“Not ma’am,” Cara said with a ghost of a smile. “That was my grandmother. Now, be off with you.”

The black-coated Centaur stared after us as Kiko took my arm, tugging me along the path.

My mind spun.

“I think Tens likes me.” Kiko waggled her brows as she pulled me away. “But he’ll have to find himself another filly.” She flipped her thick braid over her shoulder.

When I didn’t answer, the Satyr leaned in close. “You ever bedded a ten?”

“Uh—no.”

“It would—”

I rubbed my face. “No! Stop. I really don’t want to know.”

“I would be bowlegged—”

“Look, Ireallydon’t want to know.”

She read my expression and relented, shifting focus. “My first real spy mission!” The Satyr perused the small group of students milling around the front entrance. “Where do I begin?”

While I contemplated the wisdom of turning her loose on the general population in an effort to glean information, the gate flashed behind us. When I turned around, Cara and the Centaurs were gone, and Bess was talking to the Bellati guard.

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