Page 61 of Blood Currents
A heavy silence fell between us.Outside, the snow was falling harder, building drifts against the greenhouse walls.Scout had gone completely still against my neck, sensing the tension.
Finally, Lucas spoke.“What do you need us to do?”
Raven turned to him in surprise.“Lucas—”
“She’s telling us now,” he said firmly.“That’s what matters.And this is bigger than hurt feelings.If what she’s saying is true—”
“It is,” I insisted.
“—then we can’t afford to be divided.Not with what’s coming.”
Raven’s shoulders slumped slightly.“Fine.But no more secrets, Mari.No moreprotectingus by keeping us in the dark.”
Relief washed through me.“No more secrets,” I agreed.“We need all the help we can get.”
“So what’s the plan?”Lucas asked, adjusting his glasses with familiar precision.
I explained our immediate goal—rescuing Parker from Alstone’s laboratory and then using her evidence to confront the council.“We move soon.Aurora’s been tracking guard rotations, and Elio’s created illusion charms that should help us avoid detection.”
“How soon?”Raven repeated.“And you want us to what—sit here and wait while you risk your lives?”
“Actually,” I said slowly, a new idea forming, “we could use your help.The more distractions we have outside the laboratory, the better our chances of getting in and out undetected.”
For the first time since they’d confronted me, I saw a flash of the old Raven—eager, determined, ready for adventure.“What kind of distraction?”
We spent the next hour planning.Lucas would access the security computers and see what he could do about patrol plans.Raven would use her talents to trigger alarms in the academic building—far from our target but sufficient to pull guards away from their posts.
As we finalized the details, I noticed something strange.When Raven demonstrated the spell she planned to use, Boris seemed unusually agitated, and the shadows around her fingers lingered a beat too long after she released the magic.
“Is Boris okay?”I asked, nodding toward her familiar.
Raven glanced at her shoulder where the beetle was tapping an erratic rhythm.“Just excited.He gets like this when we’re planning something interesting.”
But something in her expression—a flicker of uncertainty—made me pause, but I didn’t say anything.
As we left the greenhouse, Raven hung back, catching my arm.“Hey.I’m still mad at you for keeping us out of this for so long.”
“I know,” I said.“I’m sorry.”
“But I get it,” she continued, her voice softening slightly.“You were trying to protect us.Just like you’re trying to protect everyone by stopping this corruption.”
“We’ll stop it together,” I said, squeezing her hand.And for a heartbeat, I hated how it reminded me of Elio—of his careful lies, his endless calculations meant to keep us safe.No, I wouldn’t forgive him so easily.
She nodded, but something in her eyes seemed distant, troubled.“Just promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“If something happens to me—if I start acting strange or if my magic feels wrong—don’t hesitate.Don’t try to protect me.Stop me.”
A chill ran through me that had nothing to do with the winter air.“Raven, nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“Promise me, Mari.”Her grip tightened on my arm, surprisingly strong.“The corruption spreads.We all know that now.So promise me.”
“I promise,” I said slowly.“But it won’t come to that.”
She released my arm, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.“Of course not.Let’s go save the world.”
We parted ways—Raven toward the academic building, Lucas toward the library, and me back to the royal dorm where the others waited.I couldn’t shake the image of those shadows clinging too long to Raven’s fingers or the strange rhythm Boris had been tapping against her shoulder.
