Page 175 of Without a Trace
Kane let out a quiet laugh. “Welcome to the Order.”
“It’s old,” Zeke said, cutting in. “Ancient. Predates the split between Orders. No one’s seen it happen in our lifetimes.”
“And now?” I said, voice tight. “Now it’s real, and I’m sitting here like a loaded weapon, and none of you know how to defuse me.”
Kane whistled under his breath. “Sounds about right.”
I gave him a deadpan look, but the corner of my mouth twitched.
“You, the bond, the legacy. All of it. Why four of you? Why not one spy tucked into my friend group? Why an entire damn entourage?”
Kane shrugged, smirking. “We travel in packs. Very intimidating.”
Rhett gave him a look. “Because we didn’t know what we were walking into.”
“You mean who,” I said, quieter. “You didn’t know it was me.”
Alden’s gaze dropped to the fire. “We knew someone survived. There were whispers. But the Red Veil covered its tracks after the bloodline went dark.”
Zeke nodded. “We were sent to observe. Not interfere.”
“Right,” I said. “And then two of you bonded with me. Really subtle.”
That earned a snort from Kane. “Not our most low-profile assignment, I’ll give you that.”
“I think you all knew something was wrong with me,” I said, scanning the circle. “Back then. When we met.”
Rhett shifted, gaze flicking briefly to Trace, then away. Kane stared at the fire, twirling a twig between his fingers until it snapped in two.
Zeke didn’t blink. “You weren’t whole. Not completely.”
Alden’s fingers grazed the edge of my blanket like he might say something. He didn’t.
“None of you said anything,” I said softly.
“We weren’t sure,” Rhett admitted. “Just... signs. Something in your eyes. Like your head didn’t match your blood.”
Kane leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “It’s like your fire was there, but someone had built a wall around it.”
Alden’s fingers brushed the edge of the blanket. “We weren’t sure if it was trauma. Or... something else.”
“You think someone did it.”
“We think something did,” Rhett said carefully.
I inhaled slowly, the weight of it all settling on my ribs. “And now? Now that you know I’m the heir and bonded to two of you—what does the Order do?”
“They wait,” Zeke said. “Watch. Try to predict the outcome.”
I leaned back, rain-softened air curling through the trees. “What happens if they can’t?”
“They’ll try anyway,” Zeke said. “They always do.”
“They’ll try to control it,” Alden added. “The bond. The legacy.”
My mouth tilted. “Try to control me.”
Kane barked a laugh. “Good fucking luck.”
