“Has there been any news about Hypatia?” she asks. He shakes his head gravely, and she leans in to give him a quick embrace, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Rafe closes his eyes and momentarily rests his forehead against hers. I wonder again about the nature of their relationship.

“I have reached out to the Matriarch to see if she can help in any way,” Mbali says. Her snake necklace slithers with the vibrations of her voice. I’ve seen it move many times, but now I realize, for the first time, that it’s a real living snake. Goose bumps break out over my skin.

“Thank you,” Rafe says with sincerity. Then, to me, less aggressively than before, “Let’s go. We need to talk.”

He practically drags me out of the lab and through the halls to the Summer wing, his fingers burning hot on my skin, the buzz of our contact never diminishing. I feel the metal of his rings pressing into my wrist––his Sire diamond and the bone ring that reminds me that above all else, he is a Guard, sworn to protect the Makers from people like me. My heart beats fast with trepidation. I have no idea how this conversation will go, and I know it could mean the end of the line for my mission.

When we arrive at his room, he finally releases me and lets the door swing shut behind us. I slept peacefully in this room last night, yet now I feel like I’m trapped in a cage with a wild animal. I shiver as I recall the helpless feeling of him pressing me against the wall, and I stay close to the door.

Rafe starts talking, his words clipped and precise.