I don’t understand what’s going on, and I’m so dizzy that it’s becoming difficult to follow the conversation. I try to grasp at all the pieces slithering away from me.

They took me to trade for antimatter, and they did something else to me too. Rafe thinks it’s Inquisitors they’re working with, but that’s not possible because the Inquisitors don’t exist anymore. And someone in Leo’s family is a traitor? What did Rafe say his name was?

“Give it all to me. Now,” Rafe commands. I close my eyes to make the room stop spinning. Noticing my sudden weakness, Rafe grabs my arm to support me. “Gravdammit, how much did you take?” As I blink my eyes open, Leo is handing something to Rafe. I would wonder what it is if I could only focus, but my brain feels like it’s wrapped too tightly in cellophane.

Rafe surveys the room and then says, “I will keep your dalliance with the Inquisitors a secret, as it could lead to your exile, and you are family. But Alex will be hearing that you bled a Sire.” There’s a chorus of sharp inhales at the mention of Prince Alexander. The air tastes like fear.

The Valkyrie girl starts to cry again. “Rafe, honey,” she whines. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t really part of this. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Enough, Yvette.” She instantly silences. “All of you, get out of my sight.”

The air moves with the rush of bodies swiftly abandoning the room. Leo stops at the exit and turns to stare me down with a curious kind of malice.

Then he leaves, the door slamming behind him, and weariness overtakes me. My eyes flutter shut and my head lolls against Rafe’s arm. His biceps are so big. He’s so warm. I feel funny. Through the veil of my fuzzy thoughts, I see Rafe send off a pigeon.

Soon Kaylie arrives. At some point I must have sat back down in the chair, though I still find myself leaning against Rafe’s arm, clutching his wrist. Kaylie and Rafe converse in quick, urgent voices, but I’m in and out of lucidity and catch only bits and pieces.

“It wasn’t Inquisitors; it was journeys from Avant, from Guard families,” Rafe is saying.

I guess he plans to keep the promise he made to Leo about not mentioning who they were working for.

He continues. “They bled her. I have it all here. Her Sire healing may mean she doesn’t need an infusion, but I thought you should examine her to confirm. The drugs are clearly not out of her system.”

“We should tell Bloche immediately,” Kaylie says.

“No. Let me tell Prince Alexander. It’s a bad time to create tension with the Guard. This is not something the prince will take lightly, I assure you.”