Page 44 of Magic Forsaken

“So that confirms there’s a leak.”

“Maybe not a deliberate one,” I pointed out. “People talk, and it isn’t like this Symposium is a top secret operation. But no matter how the leak happened, you can counteract it by makingcontact with the local government and getting some positive press out there. They sounded pretty worried about whether this event would lead to violence, or even a rise in anti-human sentiment, so it’s probably wise to assure them that the intent is peaceful and you have security well in hand.”

“First, you might want to be sure youdohave security well in hand.” Draven added under his breath.

“Brilliant deduction,” Callum growled sarcastically. “Do you have anything actually helpful to add?”

Draven shrugged, as if to say this had nothing to do with him.

Callum suddenly looked thoughtful as he eyed his future brother-in-law. “Do you think we could be facing the remains of Elayara’s cadre?”

Despite my clothing being dry, a fresh chill rippled through my body, leaving my heart a solid block of ice. Why would he bring them up?

“It’s not them.” The dark and dangerous assassin seemed very sure.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because.” Draven was regarding Callum with stony certainty, a storm building in his gray eyes. Literally. Lightning danced across his pupils, and I could see electricity begin to crackle at the ends of his dark hair. “They’re all dealt with. We made certain of it.”

Wait.What?

They’re all dealt with.

What did that mean? And who waswe?

“After her defeat, we spent an entire year hunting down her remnants. Following every trail. A few months ago, we discovered what we believe was the last of her underground facilities. Very few of her people were left, and we found no prisoners—only a small handful of objects with transferred magic.”

Did that mean… they’d found our prison?

Were our captors and tormentors—everyone in that subterranean hellscape—all dead?

Suddenly, my whole body began to shake. I clasped my hands behind my back to try to stop it, digging my nails into my own palms in hopes that the pain would anchor me.

I almost couldn’t bring myself to believe it was true. At some point during that nightmare six months of running, the compound where we’d been trapped for so long had been attacked and destroyed. And in one respect, the relief of knowing that we were not being pursued was so great, my knees felt like the ramen noodles I’d eaten for breakfast that morning.

But what of all the others? I’d managed to break out with Ari and Logan and Kes, and then we’d run. Fearing that trying to take too many would only get us caught. But had my selfishness doomed the others to die?

There were the Idrian victims we’d seen only briefly. Those whose powers had been stolen again and again, some with no hope of return. I’d even considered the possibility that Talia’s missing daughter had been among them, but how would I know? And then there were the kidnapped humans of all ages, many of whom I’d known for years.

Like Zoe, the retired office worker who cried every night because she missed her miniature poodle. Lucas, the twenty-something gamer nerd who thought it was allso cooluntil they began testing children. Blake, the kind-eyed man who’d helped keep the newcomers calm even after he failed the tests and they refused to let him go…

“Raine?”

A warm weight settled on my shoulder, and I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. Stuffed those memories back behind locked doors and looked up. Callum was watching me, and I knew he could feel the tremors echoing through my body.

“I’m fine.” My voice was hollow. I was the farthest thing from fine, and yet I could never explain—to anyone—what I was feeling in this moment.

After a long, pointed look, Callum extracted a phone from his pocket and began texting at a speed that would have impressed even a teenage girl.

Kira disappeared, only to reappear a short time later with a pair of boots in hand. “Your shoes, brother dear.”

The king of the shifters looked down at his sister, reached out, and deliberately ruffled her hair. When she shoved the boots into his chest, he actually… grinned.

“Thank you?”

“You’re welcome,” Kira replied, in careful, precise syllables that communicated both her annoyance and her worry, without any need for explanation.

“I’m fine,” Callum said gently. “Stop worrying.”