“Shiloh was just carrying you,” Ethan objected. “You said yourself that you might be concussed.”
“If I fall down, you can carry me,” Sabine said. “But until I prove infirm, I will walk on my own two feet.”
“Besides,” Connor added, noting Ethan’s sullen expression, “Shiloh’s better looking than you. It’s the eyes, man, he’s got amazing eyes.”
With a wicked smile, Sabine said, “He’s also taller than both of you.”
“Oh, that’s low.” Connor laughed.
Sabine tossed her hair and abandoned the Strikers in favor of walking alongside Tess.
“Shiloh is not better looking than me,” Ethan grumbled, falling into step with Connor.
“Whatever you need to tell yourself, man.” Connor chuckled.
Tess’s hunch had been right. Anika had gone straight to Haldis Tactical, and Tristan had stayed with the Arrow. But the third member that had joined their party was a surprise to everyone.
Connor wondered how long Anika and Tristan had been standing there, staring at the wolf who sat calmly in the middle of the room, watching them.
Drawing a dagger, Connor moved to Anika’s side. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
“He just appeared . . . ,” Anika whispered, her eyes locked on the wolf in disbelief. “No more than a minute ago.”
“Oh my God.” Sabine didn’t hesitate or balk as the rest of them had. She went straight to the wolf, crouching in front of him. “Is it really you?”
The wolf stood up and wagged his tail.
Sabine’s voice grew hoarse. “But . . . how?”
“Sabine?” Ethan approached her slowly, wary eyes on the wolf. “You know him?”
The wolf glanced at Ethan in annoyance and shifted into the form of a tall young man.
“You Searchers always sucked at remembering us when we changed shape.” Ren waved a hand at his new body. “Does this help?”
“Holy shit,” Connor murmured. “You’re dead.”
“Connor!” Sabine shot a deadly look at him. “Don’t be rude.”
“Rude?” Connor scoffed. “Can it be rude if it’s true?”
“Yeah,” Ethan told him. “Not saying rude things that are true is called tact.”
“Forgive me for not being up to speed on my ghost etiquette,” Connor said.
“I forgot how annoying you are,” Ren told Connor, but he was smiling, which made the whole situation that much more unsettling. “And I’m not a ghost, I’m a restless spirit. And don’t ask what that means. I’m tired of explaining it. Just deal with the fact that I’m here.”
“Ren, what are you doing here?” Sabine asked.
“I have a message.” Ren’s gaze shifted to Tristan. “For him.”
Tristan frowned. “But I don’t know you.”
“I just go where I’m told.” Ren shrugged. “That’s about all I can do now that I’m like this.”
He thrust his hand out and it went straight through Sabine’s chest.
“Hey!” Sabine jumped back.
“Yeah, ‘hey.’” Ethan hooked his arm around her waist. “What the hell?”
“Just demonstrating my non-corporeality.” Ren grinned, enjoying their discomfiture. “Trying to get all the ghost stuff out of the way so we can move on.”
“I thought you said you were a spirit,” Connor noted.
“Like he said,” Anika interrupted, “let’s move on.” Speaking to Ren, the Arrow said, “You’re Monroe’s son—Ariadne’s brother?”
Ren nodded.
“Do you know that she’s missing?” Anika asked him.
“That’s why I’m here,” Ren told her. “Partly.”
“You know where Adne is?” Connor felt the blood drain from his face. He couldn’t see a ghost knowing about Adne’s disappearance as being good in any way.
The flash of anger in Ren’s eyes only confirmed Connor’s fears.
“What happened to her?” Connor asked.
“I have to deliver my message first,” Ren said. “I’m still working out the rules.”
Connor frowned. “What?”
“Just give me a second and I’ll explain.” Ren looked at Tristan. “Sarah is in Adne’s room. She needs help from the Elixirs.”
Tristan’s fists clenched. “What happened to her?”
Ren paused, as if taking the time to choose an answer. “I’m sorry. I can’t say anything specific about that.”
Tristan stared at Ren a moment longer, then looked to Anika.
“Go,” the Arrow told him. “We’ll figure this out.”
Tristan ran from the room.
“Tess, go to Eydis and send an Elixir to meet Tristan in Adne’s room.”
Tess nodded, offering Ren an uncertain but kind smile before she left.
Ren glanced around at their worried faces. “I think Sarah will be okay. She hasn’t been here very long . . . waiting for help.”
“Why are you talking like this, Ren?” Sabine asked. “Everything you say is full of holes. Why are there so many missing pieces?”
“I’m not here by choice,” Ren answered. “I have very limited agency in this plane, or so I’ve discovered. I’m kind of like a puppet and someone else is pulling the strings.”
“But is it really you?” Sabine regarded Ren with new suspicion.
“Yes,” Ren sighed. “It’s me—censored.”
“Okay.” Ethan nodded. “Can you tell us who’s censoring you?”
Ren hesitated, then said, “Logan.” He looked surprised when he said the name.
“Logan Bane?” Anika’s eyes narrow. “That’s troubling.”
“Damn it.” Connor raked a hand through his hair. “We almost had him at Montauk.”
Ethan asked Ren, “Do you know where Logan is now?”
Ren nodded.
“And can you tell us?” Ethan added when Ren didn’t offer up the information.
“I already would have if I could.”
“Ren.” A chill crawled up Connor’s spine. “Is Adne with Logan?”