Keto's POV
Mark was way smarter than I gave him credit for; he managed to slip away from me.
I stood at the bridge, watching every corner for him, but I couldn't see him.
The ambulance came, and I waited as they extracted Dan's dead body from the river.
I was sure the police would trace the car back to Orion, so I knew I had a lot of explaining to do.
That's if the video doesn't get to Orion.
With that video, Orion's enemies can paint me as the perfect villain in his eyes.
But I'd better get to him before they do.
Lyra's POV"We're gonna find a way out of it if things go red," he finally said."Why don't you use that phone she gave you to call Keto or anyone for backup?""She's smart, the phone can only receive calls, it can't make calls."I breathed out a sigh to release the anger rising within me. I sat up, feeling a soreness in my back."Are you all right?" Orion's voice was gruff but troubled.I paused, then released the truth. "My back aches."He was quiet for a moment. I didn't turn to look, but I could feel t
Lyra's POV“I thought you said a young woman cannot handle the spell,” I said, folding my arms and nodding toward the door.“She’s not going to handle it,” Orion replied calmly. “She’s another intermediary.”I frowned. That didn’t make me feel any better. “I don’t trust her.”"I don't either," Orion admitted. "But we have no choice."Before I'd even had a chance to react, the door again creaked open and the young woman stepped out again.Her eyes glinted with a look that was almost exciting. "We're in luck," she said, stepping forward. "I just spoke with one of the elders. She'll assist us, but there are two conditions.""What conditions?" Orion asked bluntly."First," she said, her voice growing sinister, "both of you must stand before the coven and plead for the murdered witch."I knew the rolling in my stomach. I did not even require her to say the name of the witch. I already knew what she was talking about."Then if the coven forgives you," the girl went on, "the elder may help t
Lyra's POVSlowly, I gave in, the heat of his body offering a strange safety, though my thoughts were drifting back to that man, whatever he might have been.Orion began nudging the plate of food toward me. "Eat before it gets cold."I picked up my fork and ate very slowly. Somehow, my appetite was gone now. But he was right. We had to build up strength. I needed to think straight.He watched me silently for a while, then grabbed his own plate and began eating again."We'll leave in an hour or so," he said between bites. “We’ll blend into the community until I can figure out who to talk to.”I paused mid-chew. “What if they recognize us?”“They won’t,” he said calmly. “We’ve masked our scents. As long as we don’t do anything stupid, we’ll be fine.”I set my fork down. “You make it sound so easy.”Orion glanced at me, his eyes steady. “It’s not. But panicking will only make it worse.”I sighed and nodded. “Got it.”After we ate, he stood and began putting the dishes back into the bag.
Kate's POVWe all picked our weapons from the duffel bag the Captain's men laid open. Guns, silver blades, smoke bombs, and even strange grenades I couldn't name.I picked a compact pistol and a blade small enough to hide on my thigh. Kira went for a lightweight rifle, and Keto took two handguns like the overachiever he was.The Captain clapped his hands. "Alright, party's packed. Let's move."I adjusted my jacket and followed behind Keto as we approached the river. The boat was waiting, an old, rugged thing with a driver who looked like he hadn’t smiled in years."All aboard," the boatman grunted."Is this thing safe?" I asked, eyeing the water."Safer than walking," he muttered.We all climbed in. Kira sat beside me, quiet, fiddling with the edge of her sleeves. I knew she was nervous. So was I.We were halfway across the river when we noticed the ravens. Black shapes in the sky. One, two, then more. Circling, weaving patterns like a warning written in shadows."Creepy birds," one
Kate's POVThe sun was already rising by the time we arrived in the clearing where the Captain had told us he would be waiting.Keto slowed down as we spotted the black bus parked under a cluster of trees. It was silent there, the wind blowing leaves across the parched track. I spotted him almost immediately, their captain.He was standing straight, arms folded, dark shades hiding his eyes, and chewing gum like he was the boss of the world. I stepped out first, and after spotting me, he smiled."Well, well," he said, opening his arms. "If it isn't my favorite troublemaker."I laughed and went to hug him. His hug was warm and firm, as always."Good to see you," I said."Likewise, Kate." He stepped back, eyeing the two coming down from the jeep. "So, these are your people?"I half-turned. "Yeah. This is Keto, he's the one running the op. And that's Kira."Banks threw a casual salute. "Pleasure. I've heard the name Keto get tossed around. Heard individuals with that name get things done.
Lyra's POVThere was a man in the bathroom. I did not recognize him. He just stood there, staring at me, not uttering a word. My eyes widened in horror, and I used my hands to cover my body."What the hell," I began to say.But he was gone in a flash.He just vanished.I swallowed hard. I looked at the spot where he was just a moment before, and then no one was around.I blinked a few times, trying to understand what just happened. Was I losing my mind? Was he a witch?I stepped back and shut the bathroo