I slammed the tip of the knife into the table, lodging its blunt end in about an inch. I was not liking this place, or the freaking dragon mystics.

Louis rubbed a hand over his chin, interrupting before his brother could answer. “Jess, it’s not Quale’s fault.”

I swung my glare around to him. “Like hell it isn’t. It’s his fault and it’s your fault. Why the crap did you send us here? This is like a cult recruiting to raise the freaking evil king. And I’m apparently one of the four females required for the job.” Panic and betrayal swelled in my gut, my throat tightened. “Did you know about that? Did you send me here for that reason?”

He reached out to take my hand, but a hard glare from Braxton had him backing off. “No, Jess, I promise it was just about keeping you safe. The sanctuary is the one place the Four will never find you, and it’s only for a few more days. Once we pass the thousand year mark, we can make a new plan.”

I tried to think. “I have to leave. I can’t stay here. I can’t be in Romania.”

My father took my hand, trying to calm me. “If you’re not in the sanctuary or Drago at the time of the rising, you’ll die. I can’t lose you. If the king rises, we will deal with it.” Jonathon’s voice had a layer of ice over it. I recognized the tone, he was both worried and pissed.

I rubbed the back of my neck, the tension there becoming painful. “So … even if I don’t help them open the tomb or raise the king or whatever bullshit plan they have, I still have to be here or at Drago? All of the marked do?”

Quale spoke, “That’s the rumor, and there is no way to know until the final strike of midnight on the Day.”

He said “day” like that was its title.

“Tell me about the twins.” I was focused on him again. “How do they break into the prisons?”

Quale looked around, I think to determine if anyone was listening in. I was pretty sure lots of supernaturals were listening in. We were in the middle of a freaking restaurant.

“I’m not totally sure, they keep their secrets very close to their chest. I have guessed at a few skills: they can sense dragon marked supernaturals – which makes it easy to find them hidden in the prison – and they can also influence the minds of males. Mostly those who are weaker, but still, in every prison they have found someone to help them.”

Influencing minds, like controlling other supernaturals? That was both wicked and scary as heck.

“Why don’t Mischa and I have cool powers like that?”