“Former glory?” Sabine laughed. “You mean all those years that you were losing? Someone needs a history lesson.”
“I’d rather not learn my history from a Guardian.” Holt regarded Sabine with disdain. “I maintain a healthy doubt about where your loyalties lie.”
“Take that back.” Ethan’s hand was on his dagger hilt.
Sabine shot Anika a warning look.
“We’re here to talk.” Anika put her hand on Ethan’s arm. “Not fight.”
“I don’t mean to give offense.” Holt raised his hands in apology. “I only speak the truth as I see it.”
“The truth as you see it?” Ethan spat. “What kind of crap is that?”
“Ethan.” Anika’s tone silenced Ethan, but he pushed his duster back to keep the hilt of his dagger in Holt’s view.
“A few items stolen from a library and some cockamamie tales don’t add up to a conspiracy to restore the Harbinger’s power,” Holt said.
“These aren’t just cockamamie tales,” Tristan objected. “Logan Bane is a direct descendant of Bosque Mar. Logan’s existence grants Bosque the ability to keep a tenuous connection to this world. And I’m certain he’s planning to use Logan to try to reopen the Rift.”
“What are you talking about?” Holt glared at Tristan for interrupting his catalog of objections.
“The truth of it was closely guarded by the Keepers,” Tristan told him. “But Eira wasn’t just the first Keeper, she was the mother of Bosque’s children, and her bloodline was what sustained Bosque’s ties to this world. That’s why my son, Shay, could banish him. And that’s why Logan Bane can summon him now.”
Holt gave Tristan a long look. “If what you say is true, then you, Tristan, also share Eira’s bloodline.”
“I do,” Tristan said.
“It follows then that you pose an equal threat to our cause, since you also have the power to open the Rift.” Holt gave Tristan an ugly smile. “It’s in your blood, after all.”
“Lock me up if you want to,” Tristan snapped at Holt. “But don’t pretend what I’ve said isn’t true.”
“I don’t believe throwing you in a cell is necessary, Tristan. Not unless you continue to incite dissention in the Searcher ranks by causing a panic.” Holt stood up. “Let me tell you what I think. A clearly troubled girl has run off, no doubt in a desperate ploy for attention. And a woman deranged by grief concocts stories about the reemergence of the Harbinger, and you believe her?”
The veins in Tristan’s neck bulged, but he remained silent.
Ethan leaned over to Sabine. “It’s really good that we didn’t bring Connor.”
“No kidding.”
Holt shook his head. “I’ve been debating whether or not to go forward with a particular matter, and you’ve just made it clear that I must. I’m bringing up a vote of no confidence at the next Council meeting. You’ve had a tenuous grasp on power and now you’re making desperate ploys to maintain your authority. You aren’t fit to be the Arrow, Anika.”
Sabine waited for Anika to jump onto the desk and kick Holt in the face, because Sabine thought that would be a perfectly appropriate reaction, but the Arrow just nodded.
“Do what you have to do, Holt. We’ll leave you to your business.”
Anika pivoted on her heel and walked out of the room. The others began to follow, but Sabine lagged behind.
“Tell me, Holt,” she said. “Did you hear the story of how I killed my former master? You know, Efron Bane?”
Holt’s eyes widened only slightly, but it was enough to make Sabine smile.
“Good.” Sabine nodded. “I just wanted to be sure.”
She caught up to the others in the hall. Anika was walking at a fast clip out of Pyralis, slowing only when they were well away from Holt’s office.
“I guess we can’t count on a united front,” Tristan said.
Anika nodded. “I wish I could say I’m surprised.”
“What now?” Ethan asked.
“We deal with this ourselves,” Anika said. “Sabine and Ethan, go get Connor. I’ll find Tess, Shiloh, and Mikaela. Meet us in Tactical with gear for a mission.”
“A mission?” Ethan frowned at her. “Do we know where Logan is?”
“No,” Anika admitted. “But I’m hoping that by putting our heads together we’ll be able to figure it out.”
Sabine grabbed Ethan’s hand. “Come on.”
The knowledge that she’d be going into the field, that she’d be in the fight again, thrilled Sabine in a way that took her by surprise. She’d have to learn to rely on weapons instead of her teeth, but that also struck Sabine as exciting. A new adventure.
“You okay?” Ethan glanced at Sabine and then down at their hands, and she realized she’d been crushing his fingers in her grip.
“Yeah.” Sabine smiled at him. She knew she was no longer a wolf, but inside, she was howling.
THE SMALL PARTY of Searchers bearing the news that the Harbinger posed an immediate threat to the world had spent a good part of the afternoon arguing about what to do with that information. There had been an even split between those who believed Holt could be reasoned with and those who expected him to continue acting like the ass he was. They had all agreed, however, that Connor should not be part of the group that reached out to Holt.
Except Connor.
Connor absolutely thought he should be part of that team.
“What happens when you need someone to punch him?” Connor had asked. “Because there will obviously be a point in the conversation where hitting him becomes necessary.”
And with that question, Anika had ordered Connor to the barracks, where he could punch inanimate objects for as long as he liked, but he was much less likely to muck up an important meeting.
So while his friends tried to save the world via diplomatic negotiations with a dick, Connor set about the important task of hitting things. Because that’s what the others thought he was good for. Hitting.
Despite his resentment, Connor threw himself into the work of jabbing, kicking, and elbowing the heavy bag that hung in one corner of the training room. It wasn’t long before he’d broken a sweat. Connor stripped off his shirt and kept going.