“But we aren’t learning a damn thing,” Maximus bit out, staring into the fire. “Kristoff – the leader of the magic users – assured us that we will know everything in time. But he’s generally shown himself to be a liar, so his word doesn’t mean shit.”
“Yep,” I added. “A few months ago we decided to do our own exploring and investigating, to stop blindly accepting everything the council spews at us.” I needed her to be aware of what she’d been thrown into. “I don’t know what Lienda was like, but while Dad … Jonathon … is a brilliant father, he’s also a cagey and powerful man.”
Braxton spoke from where he leaned against the far wall. “He would never hurt Jessa, but sometimes he thinks he’s protecting her for her own good by withholding information.”
And it was no secret that I told the Compasses everything. We did not lie to each other; it was part of the pact we’d made many years ago.
“I might be mistaken,” Mischa started to say, her words slow and drawn out. “But I was under the impression, from some of the things that Mom said, that the prison was underground. Her brother was imprisoned a long time ago. She used to tell me about the weird bunker he was in. Of course I never knew he was a supernatural when she spoke of him, but now I’ve put the information together … well, I’m pretty sure of what she was telling me.”
I think every one of us froze into a statue at her words. Had she just handed us the breakthrough we’d been looking for? Information on the prison was so scarce. It wasn’t that supernaturals didn’t gossip – they were like the housewives we’d read about in human studies – it was more that there just wasn’t information out there. Only a select group knew anything about Vanguard and they were all spelled to keep these secrets. And had she said Lienda had a brother?
I furrowed my brow. “We have an uncle in the prison?”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure what happened. Mom wouldn’t really go into details, but … I think he died.”
I sucked in a deep breath. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that – probably better not to think about it right now. I’d lock that away in my emotional safe box, where I put all the things I didn’t want to deal with. We needed to focus on the prison.
“No wonder the trees didn’t reveal anything to me,” Jacob growled. “I should have been asking the earth. Or the roots. That’s where the essence of disturbance would lie.”
I shook my head. “The prison’s been there so long it has become one with its environment. I don’t believe we’ll find it that way.”
“What made you think it was hidden in the forest?” Mischa asked.
Braxton answered lazily. “The reason Stratford exists is as a gateway community to protect Vanguard. We all know it’s in the forest, and we had it on reasonably good authority that it was hidden within an invisible dimension near the back of the east quadrant.”
A friend of theirs claimed to have been there. He was the one giving out the information.
Suddenly Braxton’s tone was a lot less casual. “Seems we might have to have another little chat with our friend.”
Mischa stood then. “I should go. I didn’t even tell Mom I was leaving.”
I stood also.
“I’ll see you in the morning?” she asked me, although her eyes also flicked across to Maximus. We all pretended not to notice.
“Yep, I’ll be in the dining hall around nine.” The night was half over and I was tired. I needed extra time for a nice sleep-in.
She started toward the hallway.
I halted her before she got out the door. “Hang on. Max will walk you home. It’s not always safe to wander alone at night.”
Especially when she was the council leader’s daughter and had no supernatural abilities to call on. She was now a weak link in the Lebron house and we needed to keep our vulnerabilities protected.
I grinned at Maximus as he passed me. His expression was one of resignation. I was about the only person in the world he let order him around. Not even his brothers would try it.
Mischa’s eyes widened as she moved to Maximus’ side. He was so large and she looked tiny. I hoped I didn’t look that small and delicate against the Compasses. I moved across to her, and leaning in gave her a hug goodbye, before whispering in her ear: “He can scent your interest. I’m not sure if you care that he knows, but if you do … try and tone down the arousal.”
She hugged me harder. “Thank you,” she whispered back, although her cheeks were a pretty pink color when she pulled away.