CHAPTER 29 #2
Ace signals for everyone to halt, his eyes scanning the tree line before turning to me. He doesn’t need to say anything for me to understand he’s expecting me to drop intel.
“There’s an outpost about half a mile ahead,” I say, recognizing a distinctive outcropping of rocks to our left. “Small garrison, usually six to eight hunters on rotation. They monitor movement along this sector and report back to headquarters.”
Ace nods, contemplating. “You’ll approach them alone. Tell them whatever story you need to—that you escaped, have information. But you’re not going back to Redmoore. Insist on speaking at the outpost only. If they try to move you, we intervene.”
“No.” I step closer. “If they try to force me, I’ll handle it. There’s no need for intervention.”
Or any more deaths.
Reece lets out a low whistle. “She’s got nerve, I’ll give her that.”
Ace takes two steps closer, his face hovering dangerously over mine. “It is not negotiable.”
After weighing my options and outcomes, I swallow my objection, recognizing the compromise for what it is—a test of my willingness to follow orders. “Fine. I’ll tell them I’ll only speak here. Neutral ground.”
He gives a curt nod.
Then, he’s gone, vanishing upward into the canopy with a finesse no human could match. The rest of the Ravens follow, dispersing and ascending into the trees like shadows retreating from dawn. I strain my eyes, trying to track their movements, but they’re well and gone.
Taking a deep breath, I start walking, intentionally making enough noise to alert the sentries posted ahead.
My boots crunch over dried leaves and snap the occasional twig as I approach the clearing where the outpost stands.
A spotlight cuts through the darkness, blinding me momentarily.
“Halt!” a voice commands. “Identify yourself.”
Two sentries simultaneously step into view, their crossbows already raised and aimed at me.
“Seraph Rosen,” I say, lifting my hands slowly and squinting against the harsh light.
There’s a flurry of movement behind the light, accompanied by the brisk taps of a terminal and the metallic sounds of guns being readied.
“It’s the dhampir,” someone confirms, pulling my records from the system faster than I could’ve strung the words together myself.
Their faces visibly cycle through shock, suspicion, and relief, unsure whether they should deem me friend or foe.
The spotlight lowers slightly as the information is radioed over, eyes never leaving me.
“I’ll send a team over to bring her in,” General Lee’s clipped voice comes through—unmistakably his.
“I need to speak with him,” I say, lowering my hands. “Here.”
The sentry with the radio hesitates, exchanging uncertain glances with his comrades.
“I have valuable information about the Veltri. About Cain,” I push further.
That gets their attention. After a hurried conference, curt nods of approval pass between them before the radio is lifted again. I exhale slowly, careful not to show too much relief.
Above us, invisible in the darkness, I know the Ravens are watching, waiting for any sign of betrayal.
“Go wait inside,” a female sentry commands, gesturing toward the concrete bunker that serves as their base. “You look like you could use some dry clothes.”
I follow her inside, acutely aware of the suspicious glances from the others around us.
The outpost is exactly as I remember from my patrols—utilitarian and sparse, with monitors displaying thermal scans of the surrounding forest, weapon racks along the walls, and a small kitchenette in the left corner. A once-familiar environment that now feels almost alien.
She grabs me a folded uniform, which I accept with a nod of thanks, then retreat to the bare-bones bathroom to change.
The familiar weight of the garb settles over me like an old skin that no longer quite fits.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. It’s the same face, but with eyes that have seen too much to go back to who I was.
That know too much to pretend everything will ever be the same again.
When I emerge, a steaming mug of coffee waits on the table. I wrap my hands around it gratefully, the warmth seeping into my still-cold fingers as I sit and wait.
“General Lee is en route,” someone calls in. “ETA twenty minutes.”
The minutes crawl by in tense silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of radio communication and the quiet beeping of monitoring equipment. I tune out the monotonous hum around me, sharpening my hearing until the muffled voices outside begin to take shape.
“She’s been flagged missing for weeks. Penn City has a whole task force looking for her. Redmoore’s been sending search parties. Now she just shows up out of nowhere.”
“That intel better be good.”
A pang of guilt hits me as I think about my friends worrying, people searching, while I was trapped in the Ravens’ mansion. How do I even begin to explain everything I’ve learned? Will they even believe any of it? Will they still trust me?
A commotion outside signals the general’s arrival. The door bursts open, and Rong strides in, his imposing frame filling the doorway. His hair is cropped shorter than I remember, and deep lines have formed around his eyes since I last saw him.
“Sir,” I acknowledge, putting the mug down.
His weathered face betrays nothing of his thoughts. “You’ve caused quite a stir, Rosen.”
I take a deep breath and begin to explain everything—well, almost everything.
I tell him about the existence of witches and magic, about learning of Cain’s plan to become a daywalker, about being imprisoned by the Ravens after they saved me, about the pendant and its potential necromantic properties, about the attack on the Ravens’ mansion, and about my brother being taken.
I finally emphasize the growing threat of the Veltri.
What I don’t tell him is how my perception has shifted, how I’ve come to see that the lines between human and vampire, good and evil, are blurrier than I ever imagined. I don’t mention my mother’s journal or her role in founding the Ravens. I don’t reveal Ace’s name just yet.
And I certainly don’t reveal that he and his people are waiting beyond the outpost perimeter, willing to draw blood if they don’t cooperate.
“You escaped during the attack?” the general asks, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, his brow furrowed in either confusion or overwhelm.
“Yes,” I lie smoothly. “I saw an opportunity and took it.”
His eyes narrow further, if that’s even possible. “And now you want Redmoore to mount a rescue operation for your brother? A known traitor?”
“I want Redmoore to recognize the real threat,” I explain. “Cain is planning something that will affect humans and vampires alike. If he succeeds in becoming a daywalker, nothing will stop him.”
“And you believe an alliance with the Ravens is the answer?” His tone makes it clear what he thinks of that idea.
He doesn’t need to explain why it sounds absurd.
“I believe in survival. The Ravens have information, resources, and a common enemy. We need each other.”
His laugh is mirthless. “We don’t need those vampires for anything except extermination.”
I don’t disagree at all—in fact, I would’ve agreed, if it hadn’t gotten this personal. With both my mother’s and brother’s lives on the line, the stakes have doubled.
Losing them means losing the last of my family.
“With all due respect, sir, that kind of thinking is exactly what Cain is counting on. He wants us divided. He’s been playing both sides for decades.”
“Reaper,” he corrects coldly. “You sound like you are sympathizing with them, Rosen.”
“I’m not—it’s just strategy.” A bitter cough catches in my throat, betraying how closely the words echo Ace.
“And what exactly are you proposing?”
I meet his gaze steadily. “A temporary alliance. Redmoore provides technology and daylight coverage. The Ravens provide underground prowess and access to vampire territories we can’t infiltrate alone.”
He considers me in silence. When he finally responds, it isn’t to my proposal. “You’ve changed.”
Part of me bristles at the accusation, as if I’m being judged for surviving. But another part wonders if he’s right. Have I really changed? Or am I just a reflection of the chaos swallowing everything around us?
I glance away, swallowing the lump in my throat.
I know I’ve shed pieces of who I was, from old dreams and naive hopes to the innocence I used to hide behind like a barrier.
But beneath it all, I’m still me. Still fighting.
Still trying to hold on to something worth saving.
“The world has changed. We need to adapt or we’ll fall. ”
He moves to stare out of the slit window at the darkness beyond, and I wonder if I’ve miscalculated completely. Then, slowly, he turns back to me. “I’ll need to consult with the council. This isn’t a decision I can make unilaterally.”
It’s not a yes, but it’s not an outright rejection either.
“How long will that take?” I ask, thinking of Saul in Cain’s clutches, and the Ravens waiting in the trees.
“A day, maybe two.” He walks toward the door. “You’ll remain here until then.”
Alarm bells ring in my head. “Sir, with respect, I can’t stay. There’s things I have to take care of.”
He stops in his tracks, glancing back over his shoulder. “What kind of things?”
I hesitate, the lie forming too slowly on my tongue. “I need to check on Max.” It’s not entirely false. I do need to see if he’s okay after being used as a conduit for magic.
But it’s far from the truth, because there is no way I’ll be able to.
The general’s eyes narrow. “You know where he is?”
“He was there during the attack, but he wasn’t himself. Controlled, still.” I bite my lower lip, forcing myself to stay calm.
He pinches the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes for a moment, clearly having heard enough for tonight. “Max can wait. Your safety is our priority right now.”