“Ah,” she said quietly, not trying to hide the smile that slid over her lips. “Someone else. I see.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Connor finally cracked his knuckles and looked meaningfully at Monroe.

“So are we going to get out of prison duty?” he asked. “Not that it wasn’t thrilling, especially compared to the mortal combat you usually send us into.”

“Do you ever shut up?” Shay snapped. A guilty flush crept along the back of my neck. I knew that Shay’s mood was much more about me than Connor’s jokes. Even if the jokes were getting a little irritating.

“Manners, manners,” Connor said. “Since you’re the Chosen One, you need to make a good impression. Too bad they don’t teach etiquette here. You know—which fork for salad. Calligraphy. The stylish way to disembowel an opponent.”

For a second I thought Shay would take a swing at Connor.

“That’s enough, Connor.” Monroe’s calm words carried a flint edge. “Let’s sit tight until Anika arrives.”

“She’s arrived.” A woman came striding through the door. She was dressed like the other Searchers, but an iron medallion in the shape of a compass rose hung from her neck. Her hair, caught in a ring of braids at the crown of her head, was like corn silk.

She was accompanied by another woman whose appearance brought only one word to mind: fierce. Her jet black hair was cropped close to her head, and a tattoo of intricate lace-like patterns wrapped around the caramel skin of her neck. The belt around her waist was filled with knives, their bright hilts catching the sunlight and throwing back flashes like deadly warning beacons.

“Lydia!” Connor bolted across the room, catching the tattooed warrior woman in a bear hug.

“Nice to see you too, Connor.” Her laugh was low and husky. “How’s Tess?”

“Still fighting with Isaac.” He grinned. “And missing you of course.”

She returned his smile. “If all goes well, I’ll get to see her in a few hours.”

Connor put his hands on her shoulders. “Tonight won’t be much of a reunion.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” she said.

Ethan approached the pair. He caught Lydia’s elbow, turning her. “You’re all dressed up.”

Lydia and Ethan locked forearms in what struck me as some sort of ritual greeting.

“I heard we had special guests,” she said, looking around the room. Her eyes settled on me and she inclined her chin. I had a hard time not stepping back in surprise. The gesture had clearly been one of . . . respect. Two questions chased each other through my mind: Who do these people think I am? What do they want from me?

Lydia gave a stiff bow to Monroe. “We good to go?”

Monroe looked from her to me. “Wehaven’t quite gotten there yet.”

The austere-faced, blond woman smiled at both of them. “That’s fine. It means we won’t have to backtrack.”

She beckoned to me. “Calla, it’s an honor to meet you. My name is Anika.”

“Thank you.” I took her extended hand, not surprised by the strength of her grasp. Everything about this woman, from the rich contralto of her voice to her regal bearing, bespoke authority. “Though I’m not sure about the honor part.”

She laughed. “You saved the Scion and that means you might have saved us.”

Shay had come to stand beside me. “You haven’t told me what it even means that I’m the Scion yet. Adne’s been babysitting me ever since we got here.”

“It’s not babysitting,” Adne protested. “I haven’t had to spank you once, which is a shame.”

Shay’s eyes went wide. He glanced at me, shaking his head, but it didn’t stop my blood from boiling.

“Adne!” Monroe gave her a stern look.

I half expected Connor to high-five her for taking a line right out of his usual repertoire, but he looked even more upset than Monroe. I took in the girl’s slight frame and began calculating the time it would take to rip her arms from their sockets. Definitely less than ten seconds. Maybe less than five.

“Lighten up,” she snapped, but then glanced nervously at Anika. “Sorry, Anika.”

“Apology accepted.” A smile played across Anika’s mouth, briefly transforming her. “It will take time to teach you who you are, Shay. I’m certain it’s frustrating to wait, and for that I’m sorry. But your role lies a little further down the road. What Calla’s place will be in all this is the more pressing question.”

“My place?” I asked, managing to tear my eyes off Adne, who I’d expected would go back to teasing Shay. But she was watching Connor with a smirk on her face.

“I’m the Arrow,” Anika said. “So at the moment I give the orders around here.”

“Huh?” I frowned.

She touched the iron compass rose that hung from her neck before pointing to Monroe. “The Arrow directs the Guides of each division. You’ve already met the Guide for our Haldis division.”

“What is the Haldis division?” I asked, thinking of the earth symbol on the door.

“We’ll explain everything in due time,” she said. “I promise. But there’s an urgent matter at hand that requires our immediate attention. We need your help, if you’ll give it.”

“How can I help?” Suspicion crept back into my voice. No matter how many times they asked me to trust them, I kept waiting for the Searchers to spring some sort of trap.