“So what did you think of our little meeting, Savannah?”

I shrugged, counting off three more steps, then said, “That prophecy you were talking about. I’ve never heard of it before.”

He chuckled. “I’m not surprised. Your circle keeps you quite insulated, don’t they?”

“No. I’m a lot better informed than most of those kids. I have complete access to council records, agency records, Cabal records, Coven records, even the werewolf Pack’s Legacy.”

“Everything fit for your reading consumption.”

I scrunched my nose, turning my blindfolded eyes toward him in feigned confusion. “Huh?”

“They give the appearance of total access. But all the information is filtered through them, is it not? If, for example, Paige Winterbourne had council records she didn’t want you to see, she’d simply remove them from the files.”

I said I didn’t think she’d do that, but let some doubt creep into my voice, and he replied with a condescending, “I’m sure she wouldn’t.”

I counted off another three steps. “So this prophecy . . . do you think the Cabals have it?”

“Somewhere. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if even your guardians didn’t know about it. Their access is filtered as well. It’s all filtered, Savannah, to keep everyone in her place.” A beat pause. “Especially you.”

This time I’m sure it was him who was counting off steps before he said, “They’re afraid of you, Savannah. You know that, don’t you?”

“As well they should be.”

He chuckled. “No confidence issues, I see. A breath of fresh air, compared to those young people you just saw in the auditorium. They’ve been raised to believe their powers are a threat.”

“To hide their light under a bushel.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, that’s not how I was brought up. Paige and Lucas and everyone know how powerful I am, and they’re fine with it.”

“Are they?”

“Sure. They even help me improve my powers through practice and control.”

“Control . . .” He let the word hang there.

I struggled to look like I was considering his words, maybe chafing at the thought of that control.

“Are you sure they’re fine with it?” he said. “Your level of power? The dark source of that power? Do you share all your magic with them?”

I twitched at that. I didn’t mean to. He gave a soft chuckle.

“I didn’t think so.” A door creaked. “I’d like you to consider that, Savannah. Why do you feel it necessary to hide things from them? Do you think they’re holding you back? I suspect, deep down, you do.”

Hands pushed me forward. Rough hands. Giles said, “Careful, Severin. She’s our guest, not our prisoner.”

Severin yanked off my blindfold and I found myself back in the dark cell. The door clicked closed behind me. Alone again.

nineteen

Giles had given me the perfect excuse for conversion. Let him think I was questioning Paige and Lucas, let him keep prodding me along that path until, bingo, I had an epiphany. As much as I loved my friends, I had to admit they were holding me back. Holding all supernaturals back.

Viva la revolution!

When my door opened about an hour later, I was all ready to start my campaign of capitulation. Only it wasn’t Giles. It was Althea with Severin and Roni.

I didn’t greet Althea—no need to get chummy too fast. But when she waved Severin over to untie me, I said, “I think I should have taken you up on the water offer. I haven’t had anything to drink since breakfast, and I hear dehydration is a nasty way to go.”

She smiled. “Of course. Roni? Please get Savannah a bottle of water and put it in the van.”

“Van?”

“This was only temporary lodgings for the meeting. We have a more comfortable place. It’s a bit of a drive, though. I’ll have Roni get you something to eat as well.”

They transported me—still blindfolded—to the van. I asked how long the trip would be, and speculated on how far it’d been from Riverside to here. Althea didn’t bite. I expected she wouldn’t. If I didn’t fish, though, it’d look suspicious.

Severin removed my blindfold once I was in my seat. Then he gagged me, retreated, and slammed the back door. Everything went dark. Why had they brought food and water, since I obviously couldn’t eat or drink? Made me wonder if the gag had been Severin’s idea, not Althea’s. Great.

So now I was stuck—alone—in the back of a windowless van. Alone. In a van. Hmmm.

It took me at least an hour to get a hand free. I won’t detail the process. Suffice it to say, that free hand came with a lot of cursing and a loss of skin and blood and a few moments where I was convinced I’d rubbed open my wrists and was about to bleed out on the van floor.

I got the rope off my hands, then my legs, and finally removed my gag. A week ago, the gag would have been first, my concern for my spellcasting outweighing my concern for mobility. How quickly priorities change.

When I was free, I looked at the van door and realized I’d overlooked one problem. Getting free didn’t mean getting out.

I took a step. My sneaker clunked on the bare metal floor and I winced. I got to my knees and crawled instead, until I could reach the handle. I twisted it, ready for the lock to engage—

The door opened. Almost flew open, the wind grabbing it so fast I had to brace myself to get it shut again. Then, after a deep breath, I cracked it open . . . and looked down at pavement zooming past at sixty miles an hour.

It’s a testament to my desperation that for a moment, I actually thought, Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I jumped. Then I saw the dual lanes of busy highway traffic, imagined myself lunging straight into the grill of a truck, and decided against it.

I then considered throwing open the door and playing kidnap victim. I was a young woman, bloodied, and trapped in a panel van. Someone would call 911.

Only one problem. My captors weren’t humans acting on psychotic impulses. They were supernaturals with a plan, one that would take into account such contingencies. My chances of actually escaping were slim.

Normally, I’d reject slim. But I thought of Logan and Kate, and how I’d practically hand-delivered them to these people by introducing Roni to Elena. I thought of Hope, and how they had my cell phone now, with her number, and how easy it might be to trick her into giving away her location.