“I should have gotten one of the guys to come with me,” I muttered to myself. “Great planning, Olivia.”

  The hellway was visible before I got stopped by the magical barrier. I could see, through the walls of the library, a dull reddish glow. And this time, when everything was so still, with no distractions, I could feel it.

  It was… malevolent. There was no other way to describe the area around where the hellway sat. Like a bloated spider, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

  There was a crashing around in the shrubbery close to the building. I instinctively crouched down, not wanting to be seen.

  A shadowy figure moved along the wall. It sounded as though the person didn’t give a damn who heard them. Their movements were jerky, not like someone who wanted to be stealthy.

  I crouched down further, my hands on the walkway. What the hell? Who would be out at this time of night, destroying the landscaping? The fact that I was out was different. I was nowhere near the shrubbery.

  The shuffling moved past me, but I didn’t move. I wanted to let whoever it was get way past me. I turned to the right to watch the jerky figure.

  A hand clapped over my mouth and pulled me up and back. An arm went around my waist and the person holding me dragged me slowly backwards. I kicked as I screamed into the hand covering my mouth and pulled at both of the hands, but their grip was like steel. I couldn’t get free.

  And we were moving closer to the building. The person holding me moved like the figure I’d been watching. I stopped kicking for a moment as I realized where my kidnapper was headed.

  Toward the hellway.

  I bit down on the hand over my mouth. It was disgusting. Whoever this was had been sweating at some point, because their hand was salty. But me biting them didn’t slow them down a bit.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  I dug my heels into the dirt but my captor kept going. Then the person holding me jerked forward and bumped me, letting go. I wrenched their hands away from me, falling on my hands and scrabbling forward. I had to be able to move faster.

  “Olivia!” a male voice hissed at me.

  “What?”

  “Don’t move,” he said. The moon caught his hair as he kneeled down next to the guy on the ground—it was Caspian Silverwood.

  “What are you doing out here?” I asked. This was the second time he’d caught me here, next to the hellway.

  Caspian stood up. “I’m stopping this human, who is not in his right mind, from taking you somewhere you didn’t wish to go.” He pushed a stray lock of hair out of his face. “Why were you out here?”

  “I was taking a walk and when I saw someone stumbling around next to the library, it didn’t feel right,” I said. I wasn’t going to tell him that I’d been spying on a hellway.

  “There is something very wrong,” he studied the building. “You are correct.”

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Come. I’ll walk you back. I need to let Madame Karathos know.”

  “You’re just going to leave him?” I asked.

  “I hit him with a sleeping spell. He’ll be fine until someone comes back to collect him,” Caspian said.

  “Why were you out here?”

  “There are some plants that must be gathered at night. I’m often out here,” he said.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I couldn’t break his grip.”

  “He is under some form of compulsion would be my guess.” He didn’t look down at me, or slow his pace.

  We walked in silence, with me very aware of the tall male beside me. He smelled like the garden tonight, in addition to the cool, silvery scent that I associated with him. Unlike the last time I’d seen him, he was very much in control, and a hell of a lot more polite.

  It was weird.

  “You don’t have to walk me to my room,” I said.

  “I do. You don’t know if you were merely an opportunity or a target,” he replied.

  Well. So much for any ideas of romance. I made a face at him and stopped talking.

  When we reached my pod, Caspian held open the pod door. I unlocked my room door and then turned to thank him again. He did save me after all.

  But he was already gone.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I didn’t tell anyone about what happened by the library. But every time I was near, I could sense the hellway. I didn’t know why I could see it sometimes, and then not see it again. I wanted to get into the library to do some research, but I couldn’t stand to be in there.

  And there was nothing said about a guy found under a compulsion spell, or one who stomped around in the bushes—nothing.

  I also dreamed of Marbys for the next three nights running. The whole thing sucked.

  Not getting enough sleep, and with my mind going in circles, to say that I got cranky fast was an understatement. I also hadn’t told Matty and Silas about Jake. After a full day of dodging all three of them, which was totally not fair, I made a point to go and see each of them before dinner.

  “Are you able to come hang out with me tonight?” I walked up to Matty. He was sitting with Jake. I met Jake’s eyes and nodded.

  “Absolutely,” Matty said, squeezing my hand. “You going to leave all my limbs attached?”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  “You have been in the worst mood ever the past couple of days. Felt pretty dangerous.”

  “I’m so sorry. I have been,” I said, feeling like a complete and utter jerk.

  Matty shrugged. “It happens. I’m smart enough to see it and stay out of the way. You might want to talk to Silas, too. He’s just as smart as I am.”

  “Nice to see you two getting along,” I said.

  “We have to,” Matty said. “Self-preservation.” He grinned.

  “Shut up,” I said. “But you’re able to come to my room tonight?”

  “When?”

  “After dinner.”

  “Yes. And you really should go see Silas, maybe even invite him, too,” Matty said. “He’s been crying over his meals for the past two days, all upset.”

  I stared and then realized he was joking. “I’m going to tell him you said that,” I said.

  “Truth hurts,” Matty said. “See you later.” He kissed my hand.

  I felt slightly better as I went looking for Silas. Only slightly, since obviously I’d been worse than I thought.

  He was talking with a couple of tall and intense looking guys on the far end of the dining room. His face brightened when he saw me. “I’ll see you guys later,” he said, breaking away from them. “Olivia. What’s up?”

  “First, I’m sorry I’ve been so… whatever,” I said, waving my hand to encompass everything. “I haven’t been nice to you all, and I’m sorry.”

  “We all have days.”

  “Yes, we do. And I had mine. Second, can you come by tonight after dinner?”

  “Absolutely,” he said, echoing Matty.

  “And third, Matty told me you’ve been crying at every meal. I just thought you should know,” I finished, not able to stop my grin.

  Silas laughed. “He’s an ass. I save my tears for the shower. You want to eat with me?”

  “I can’t,” I said. “I have to talk to my friends, too. I haven’t been talking to anyone.” I added.

  “Which is not good for you. Just so you know.”

  “I know, I know. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  “Good. This was your freebie,” Silas said. He reached out, pulled me to him, and kissed me, then let me go as quickly as he had grabbed me. “We’re on your side, Olivia. You need to remember that.”

  “I will,” I sighed.

  “I’ll see you tonight, then,” he said.

  I turned to go and find Jade and Thalia.

  After dinner, in which I’d told them everything, and got yelled at for not asking for help, confiding in my friends, and told off for sneaking around in the garden at night by myself, the three of us walked back to our pod.

  “So you’re going to tell them about the newest addition?” Jade asked.

  I nodded. “I have to. I think I might have to mention tall and blond as well.”

  “You think that could even be a thing?” Thalia asked.

  “I do,” I said. “But even if I’m being overly egotistical, and am completely wrong, I think it’s only fair.”

  “True,” Jade said. “Your sense of justice means you play super fair.”

  I thought about what she’d just said. My sense of justice. That was part of a lot of what was going on, I realized.

  “What? I’m sorry,” I said. I was saying that a lot tonight. “I fell down a rabbit hole.”

  “Go freshen up, brush your teeth,” Jade said. “It’s easier to drop bad news when you’re not worried that you look like hell.”

  I followed her suggestion. When I finished, I went back to my room, and I left the door open. Within five minutes, I heard the pod door open.

  Silas walked in a moment later. “Hey,” he reached for me, and gave me a much better kiss than he’d given me in the dining hall.

  I let myself relax into him.

  “Get a room,” I heard from the door. Matty came in.

  He also embraced me and kissed me gently. “Welcome back,” he whispered.

  “So what’s up?” Silas asked, dropping down onto my bed.

  “Give me a minute,” I said.

  Matty sat down on the bed as well. “This sounds serious.”

  “It is,” I said. “First things first. Someone else is joining us tonight.”

  “What?” Silas said.

  Matty didn’t say anything.

  I nodded. “Yes. And I understand, even though I’ll be devastated, if you decide you don’t want to deal with this.” I kept my voice steady, because I was shaking inside.

  “Who is it?” Matty asked.

  Jake appeared in the doorway.

  “Oh, shit,” Silas said.

  Matty glared at Jake. “How long has this been going on?”

  “Not long. But the thing—whatever it was that we felt,” I gestured between Matty and I, “I felt with Jake as well.”

  “You didn’t say shit to me about this,” Matty said to Jake.

  “Olivia asked me not to,” Jake said. “I wasn’t happy about it.”

  “And it’s my fault I waited to tell you,” I said, sitting in my desk chair. “That’s the other reason I asked you all to meet me here tonight. Jake, will you close the door please?”

  Jake did and then sat on the floor. Matty still glared at him. Silas didn’t say anything, only watched me.

  “I told you both about my family, and that some of the women had more than one mate. But what I didn’t tell you is who my family is. I’m adopted. My birth name isn’t Washington. My mother is Iliana Karidias. She’s a siren, and her family—my family,” I corrected myself, “Is kind of a big deal in the siren world. The ring you got back for me?” I glanced at Jake.

  He nodded.

  “That was a gift from her. I’m so glad you got it back.” I smiled. “Let me just get this out, and you can grill me all you want.” I saw Silas open his mouth, and I didn’t want to stop because I was afraid I’d chicken out and not tell them everything.

  “She, well, she didn’t tell me how it happened, but she ended up involved with a guy named Marbys. He is my birth father. He’s also a demon, and he’s a royal pain in my ass. He’s nearly gotten me killed, and he keeps showing up in my dreams, and I think he’s the reason there’s a hellway in the library. And the only reason I think that is because some guy under a spell tried to drag me to it three nights ago.”

  I told them everything then, feeling like I was talking too much, but I was ready to get everything out in the open. From the dreams, to the stone, to Raven—everything.

  “I think that’s it. Oh, hell. Well, there’s one more thing. I think there may be one more person joining this party.” Then I stopped and waited to see what would happen. It was up to them. I wanted to be with them but they had to want it as well. And now they knew the truth, all the truth.

  “Why do you think there’s one more?” Jake asked.

  Both Matty and Silas glared at him.

  “Because there’s someone else I have had interactions with—”

  “Which means what?” Silas asked.

  “It means we’ve had a few moments, and there’s something between us. But just like you, he has to want this. I don’t know that he does.”

  “So he’s a dumb ass,” Matty grumbled.

  “Maybe. He’s actually really smart, but that might not help him,” I said. “And I don’t know if it will happen. I’m just tired of not having everything out in the open. I’ve been so worried all term that if someone discovered the truth of who I am, I could be hurt, or killed. I want to be with people I can trust. If you don’t want to deal with this, I understand. I want you to make the decision with all the facts,” I said.

  “So, anything else you need to share?” Silas asked.

  “No. That’s everything.”

  “Why are you doing lessons with Madame Karathos?” Matty asked.

  “She is helping me to guard myself against people who might try to rummage around my thoughts,” I said.

  “Like Wendi,” Jake said.

  “It was because of her, yes. But there are a shit ton of people here who just walk around, fishing for tidbits while walking by you in the hallway.”

  “Really?” Silas asked. “I’ve never noticed.”

  “That’s a shifter thing,” Jake said. “Non-shifters can’t read you as well.”

  Silas nodded. “Same for non-pack members. It’s a safety measure.”

  “I am going to kick your ass,” Matty said to Jake. “And then it’ll be fine.”

  They held each other’s gaze for what seemed like a long time.

  Jake broke it with a shrug. “Fair enough.”

  “Weirdos,” Silas said. “I wouldn’t put with that shit.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

  “You think your dad is the reason you were nearly dragged off to the hellway?” Matty asked.

  “I don’t know what to think. According to my, to Iliana, if he can keep the six of us apart,” I said, referring to all three of the mothers and my two half-sisters, one of whom was nowhere to be found, “He won’t be banished to the point of no return. He’s a giant asshole,” I added. It was childish, but I felt better when I could call him a name.

  “How can we help you?” Silas asked. “I’m man enough to admit I don’t know what to suggest.”

  “Make sure no one kidnaps me again? That would be really great,” I said. “And be there for me?”

  “Then you can’t check out like you did the last couple of days,” Matty said. “That’s not fair. You have to actually ask for help, Olivia.”

  I threw up my hands. “I deserve it, I know! I’ll ask for help.”

  “She’s really sorry,” Matty said in a mock whisper as he leaned over to Silas. “Can you feel it?”

  “Have you told Madame Karathos about the hellway, and what happened to you? If you haven’t, you need to,” Jake said.

  “She doesn’t know about dear old dad,” I said.

  “But she knows you’re a siren. One is no worse than the other from an Underworlder standpoint.” Jake was firm.

  “You guys aren’t put off by that?”

  “You know I’m only here because my family is badass, and they scare the Concilium,” Silas said. “By rights, I should be at the same school as your half-sister, Raven.”

  “I didn’t know that,” I said.

  “Shifters are shady, but we’ve apparently proved ourselves,” he said, and I heard a tinge of bitterness in his voice.

  “No family is completely free of the bat shit crazy power mongers,” Matty said.

  “We have one of those. A great-uncle,” Jake added.

  “So no, we don’t have a problem with it. It doesn’t change who you are,” Silas said. “But I’m with them,” he added. “You have to ask for help, and you have to tell Madame Karathos. She’s already willing to protect you. She’s not going to change.”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I know that students have been dragged out of here. Madame Karathos told me that if she hadn’t stepped in, they were planning to take me back to Concilium headquarters to question me. I don’t think most people here would be so easygoing about this. And Marbys really is an asshole who deserves everything he gets.”

  “What about your mom? Iliana?” Jake asked.

  “She’s not what I thought she was,” I admitted. “But she’s not my mom. She could be. But not anywhere close. Not yet.” I didn’t know why I was stuck on that point, but I couldn’t get past it right now.

  We talked for another hour until Silas yawned, a jaw-cracking yawn that made me immediately follow suit.

  “We gotta go,” Jake said, getting up. “I’m going to be dragging ass tomorrow.”

  “And you’ll suck it up,” Matty shot at him.

  I guessed they might still have some things to work out. I remembered what Raven told me—that her guys had to work out their stuff between themselves, and she had to stay out of it.

  They each kissed me goodnight, with Jake as the last one. Silas gripped Matty’s arm and dragged him from the room.

  “Thank you,” Jake said, stroking my hair. “I didn’t know how this was going to go.”

  “He’s mad at you still,” I said.

  “We’ll work it out,” he said, confirming my earlier thoughts. Then he bent his head and kissed me, and it was tender, and sweet, and it made my toes curl with desire. When he lifted his head, he was smiling. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight,” I said. I closed the door behind them and fell into bed. I was exhausted, too tired to even go and brush my teeth. I’d regret this in the morning, but right now, I was too tired to care.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The next morning, all three guys met me at my door before breakfast. I was up early, having to peel myself off my pillow and out of my clothes from the day before. A glance at my friends’ doors showed me that neither of them were up. I couldn’t hear either of them moving around.