Page 78 of Centaur Bolt

I finished toweling off and dressed in my stolen apparel. The leggings were a little long, but acceptable. I bundled the other set beneath my arm—wincing when a hunk of brown fur dropped off them—and emerged to see Kiko leaning against the sinks.

“Can I come?” she asked.

I eyed her. “Only if you say nothing.”

“Nothing?” She pouted. I hadn’t realized just how often that lower lip got involved in her interactions.

“Nothing. I mean it, Kiko. The important thing here is Marcus.”

She frowned. “I kinda think it’s you, too.”

“If you can’t be silent, you can’t come.”

Her mouth twisted, and out of sheer desperation, I debated hauling out the “thou shalt not fuck your peers” card. Cara would take a dim view of the Satyr not following her orders.

The old Riley wouldn’t have hesitated to use such knowledge to buy Kiko’s silence. But as much as I had stooped to stealing clothes, the new me couldn’t coerce a person that I now considered—dare I say it?—a friend.

“But what if she prods me for info?” Kiko asked.

“If it’s about you, you can answer. If it’s about me, lie.”

“That could get me in serious trouble,” she pointed out.

“Like you’ve ever worried about that.” I grinned.

To my surprise, she grinned back at me. “True.”

I dropped my clothes in the room, and we headed down. I hoped the Watcher was awake, because I didn’t want to wait for my answers.

I’d added questions to my list after that nightmare. Why did I dream of being a male captive? The entire thing had seemed so real. And so terrifying.

And the man had a name. Rafael. The dude who’d helped Marcus, who’d sent him through the gate.

To me.

The stairwell and halls were deserted. We pushed through the door accessing the staff quarters to find Cara standing outside her suite.

She arched a brow at me, and my stomach sank.

“So happy to see you alive, Riley,” she said.

Dammit.I needed to know what she knew. I shot Kiko a warning look, swallowed, and tried, “I had to practice.”

The Watcher escorted us into her suite. “And?”

Okay. I’d already decided what would be offered up, just hadn’t expected it to be so soon. “I Jumped successfully to something I’d only seen in a photograph.”

The Watcher sighed. “Have a seat, ladies.” She waved to the table. “I’ll put breakfast on.”

“I can help,” I said.

“Me too,” Kiko added with markedly less enthusiasm.

Moments later, I was cracking eggs into a bowl, and Kiko was pushing strips of meat around in a pan.

“So,” Cara said. “Imagine my surprise when I sensed you Jumping last evening. And now, I find out you were using a photo without coming to me for assistance.”

I winced. “I didn’t want to bother you,” I lied. “And I thought this would be pretty simple, really. I had a good, clear image.”

---