Unshift

239 Ava: Radio Silence

The phone doesn’t even ring anymore. It goes straight

to voicemail.

Kellan’s rings, but there’s no answer.

Vester’s rings, too. But he also doesn’t answer.

In fact, we’ve tried everyone. No one’s answering.

If we hadn’t already had successful calls since being in the Fae Ward, I’d suspect that we can’t call people.

Instead…

“Something’s wrong.”

Stating the obvious does nothing to ease the tension in my room. The thrill of success over me reaching my magic earlier is long gone, leaving us all staring at our phones.

Magister Orion was kind enough to send a folding table upstairs for us to use, and Marcus uses it to spread a few papers across its surface.

“I’ve summarized all the information we’ve learned since being in the Fae Ward, but it’s very little. I think our best bet is to ask Magister Orion and Sister

15:37

230 Ava: Radio Silence

Miriam to see if they can use their resources to better source intel on what’s going on outside the city”

The papers are a pathetic level of information.

Marcus had a few text messages from Jericho, stating that rogues were encroaching on Westwood territory. We have no news about Blackwood, but with Kellan and Vester’s silence, it doesn’t bode well. We know that the alpha of Whispering Pines has something to do with all of this, but we don’t know if he’s working with Renard or the vampires.

We have far more questions than answers, and frustration bubbles in my belly. Is this how Lucas felt,

when he searched for me after the Gala?

Experiencing it now, and remembering how I treated his presence once he found me…

My heart sinks.

Yet another thing to add to my list of reasons to treat Lucas well. I would be crushed at a cold reception.

Selene’s soft voice interjects between my thoughts.

You had reason at the time.

“Still,” I murmur, setting my phone on speaker as it

15:37 >

239 Ava: Radio Silence

rings Kellan’s cell phone once again.

It takes thirty seconds before his voice picks up.

“You’ve reached Kellan. Leave me a message.”

Short and sweet.

“It’s okay,” Vanessa says, reaching over to squeeze my shoulder. “They might be mid–mission. It isn’t unusual to turn our phones off or leave them home.”

But all of them?

Every leader of Westwood is unavailable.

“What about Delta Ryder?”

She shakes her head. “His phone goes straight to voicemail, too. Since he was in Westwood with Lucas, it leans more toward missions than anything particularly bad going on.”

But then why are Kellan and Vester unreachable?

Biting at the side of my thumb, I slide the papers back and forth over the table, reading them over and over. It

isn’t much.

Marcus has a few text messages written verbatim that came from Jericho, which somehow managed to ping

15:37

his phone from within the Fae Ward.

Rogues headed into Westwood territory. Scouts going in. Whispering Pines defected from Council. War is coming. Keep your Luna safe.

Then, Possible Whispering Pines is working with Blackwood and vampires. Keep eyes and ears open.

That’s it.

Nothing else.

There’s even less from Vanessa’s end; she has no messages, and only Vester’s vague mentions of how the Council seems to be going through trouble when she last contacted him.

I have the most information of all, coming straight from my phone call with Lucas.

It isn’t enough.

Had I known I wouldn’t be able to reach him again, I would have asked more questions. Demanded more details.

Stupid. So stupid to rely on future conversations during such a crucial time.

239 Ava: Radio Silence

“You need to focus on what you can do, Ava,” Vanessa says, taking the papers from me and handing them to Marcus. “We’ll keep trying to reach people, but you need to focus on your magic and, our learning.”

“Maybe Marcus can go back home and see if he can-”

“No.” His interruption is swift and calm. “I am not leaving your side. It may seem safe here under Magíster Orion’s care, but this city is still dangerous for you.”

“He’s right. The vampires who attacked came from here. Even if they aren’t in the Fae Ward, we don’t know who’s involved in these attacks. There’s no way either of us can leave you here.”

I rub at my face with a groan. “One person isn’t worth an entire pack. There are so many lives at stake here. If there’s war and something has happened to Lucas…”

“Every pack is prepared for a situation like this, Ava.” Vanessa sits beside me, looking solemn. “Lucas has his beta. He has his deltas. The entire pack knows what to do when the alpha falls. While it would be terrible, Westwood will likely survive. You cannot save the pack on your own, Ava. You’re too weak. You can’t fight an

gau Ava Padio Silence

alpha in combat, and you have no power backing to help in a war.”

“Still, there has to be something-

“You can’t fix everything. What you’re doing right now is the best option you have. Focus on that. We will do what we can on our end.”

I have an idea, Selene says.

Holding my hand up so Vanessa knows I’m distracted, I ask, “What idea, Selene?”

I’m useless here with all these wards. I can return and

scout the Blackwood territory, see what I can learn.

“But how are you going to get back? I don’t think our bond will work with us separated like that.” Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

The dhampir will probably have a solution. Call her. You can focus on your training, and I will find the information for you. Selene sounds grim. Too many odd things are happening around you, and it’s making me itch. There’s something wrong. I want to find out what that is.

Vanessa’s inquisitive stare is patient and calm.

My lips quirk a little. “Selene wants to run recon.”

15:37

239 Ava: Radio Silence

“I gathered that.” Vanessa taps her cheek thoughtfully. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea, but we need to be able to bring her back to the city somehow in order to find out what she knows.”

“She said to call Sister Miriam over. She might be able to help.”