“Wait!” I shouted, throwing myself between the wolves and the approaching warriors.

I was surprised when Ethan came to my side, still cradling Sabine against his chest.

“Stand down.” Anika stepped out from among the warriors.

Nev, Bryn, and Mason backed off slowly, watching the Searchers, still bristling, waiting to see what would happen next. Ansel scrambled behind us, not speaking, hunched over as if he wanted to be as small and unremarkable as possible.

“Thank you,” Anika said. She glanced at Ethan holding Sabine in his arms, then arched an eyebrow at him. His grip on the unconscious girl only tightened.

Anika’s gaze kept moving. When it settled on Shay, seeing him unharmed, she seemed to relax slightly.

She turned to Connor, voice like a knife. “What is the meaning of an unscheduled drop? And with Guardians in tow? You’re lucky we didn’t you attack on sight.”

Connor didn’t flinch. “Couldn’t be helped.”

“I expect a full report.” She clucked her tongue. “Where is Monroe?”

“Dead,” Adne said. “And the Keepers hit Denver.”

“How?” Anika gasped. “What happened?”

Connor looked at me, but he didn’t answer her.

“The alpha’s brother turned on her,” Logan said, trying to sit up. Connor shoved him back down.

“Who are you?” Anika walked toward the pair.

“My name is Logan Bane,” he said, glaring at Connor. “And I’m here to offer my help, if your muscle doesn’t kill me first.”

“Bane?” Anika said. “A Keeper?”

“Yes, I’m a Keeper,” Logan said. “But I’ve abandoned my father and the rest of my kind. I don’t belong there. I belong with you.”

“Not likely,” Connor growled.

“You’d be a fool to refuse my offer,” Logan snapped. “I’m handing you the Scion’s parents.”

“Tristan and Sarah?” Anika knelt beside Logan. “For your sake, I hope you’re telling the truth.”

“I am.”

“Don’t listen to him.” Adne pushed Connor away as he tried to grab her. “He’s a Keeper. Anika, my father is dead!”

“Can we settle this later?” Silas limped to Anika’s side. “I don’t know how much time we have.”

Anika took in his disheveled appearance, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“The Denver outpost is compromised,” Silas said. “That’s why we’re uninvited guests. If they managed to get their hands on the intelligence that’s housed there before the building burned down, they’ll know where the Academy is.”

The color slowly drainedfrom Anika’s face. “No.”

“Yes,” Silas said. “The Academy must be moved. Now.”

TWENTY-SIX

THE SEARCHERS KEPT US moving at a quick pace. Logan’s hands were bound, his every move scrutinized by the four Strikers who escorted him to the Academy. I would have been relieved by their stern treatment of the Keeper if they hadn’t treated Ansel the same way.

Though Logan walked with an undisguised smirk fixed on his mouth, my brother hung his head, stumbling between armed Strikers.

“We have to stop this,” I whispered to Shay.

“I know,” he said. “Once we’re back at the Academy, I’ll talk to Anika. I don’t think they’ll hurt him in the meantime.”

I glowered at him. “He doesn’t deserve this. You’ve seen how broken he is. He just didn’t realize—”

“I know, Calla.” Shay took my arm, his eyes telling me to lower my voice. “I know. I’m on your side, but we have to figure out what happened before we can convince them Ansel isn’t a threat.”

I jerked away from him, darting forward to where Connor walked beside Adne.

“Connor, can’t you do something?” I hissed. “This isn’t Ansel’s fault.”

“Not now,” Connor said. “Even if I could do something, we don’t have time to sort it out.”

Adne’s face was like stone.

“Adne,” I began. “Please—”

“He’s right.” She didn’t look at me. “We don’t have time. We have to deal with that.”

She pointed to the massive structure that towered above the cornfields. Outside, the Academy was even more impressive than it was within. The immense structure curved away from us, its marble surface gleaming as the winter sun split through the heavy cloud cover. Four slender spires stretched toward the sky, interrupting the smooth curve of the building at equal intervals. All four stories of the Academy were lined with windows, giving it the appearance of being filled with light.

I stared at the imposing structure, which loomed larger with every step we took. How could they possibly move it?

More Searchers were waiting for us as we entered the building. The bottom floor opened into the same structure of a hallway circling the central courtyard, but here the doors lining the walls were spaced at much wider intervals.

“The Haldis team?” a woman whom I recognized as one of the other Guides asked Anika.

She nodded, her face grim. “It’s still unclear what happened. But we lost Monroe, and the Denver site was infiltrated. Declare an emergency relocation.”

“You’re not serious?” The other woman gasped.