Emily transported us back to the Protectorate in groups. Ana and I went last, along with Cade and Ricketts’s body. I didn’t know what they were going to do with him, and I didn’t ask.

But then again, leaving bodies on top of archaeological sites was some pretty weird littering, so maybe they were just cleaning up.

It was still dark when we arrived, the early morning hours cold and silent. As soon as we appeared on the lawn in front of the castle, Caro and Haris hurried over to us.

“Come on,” Caro said. “We’ll head to the infirmary to get patched up, then it’s eating time.”

Since I ached all over, that sounded like a good idea. Food wouldn’t be too bad, either.

“There’s a procedure to these things!” Haris said. “You can’t forget the beer, Caro. That’s step three of celebrating a victory.”

“Fine, fine!” She grinned. “Procedure is everything.”

I looked over at Ana, suddenly at a loss.

We’d done our job—catching Ricketts—and they’d done theirs—providing backup and getting us our buggy back—so we should be leaving now.

But I was unsure.

And it was obvious from her expression that Ana was too.

I didn’t want to like it here… Or to need to be here. But we did. We had nowhere to go, and it was possible that our concealment charms were gone, now that Ricketts was dead.

And this place was actually pretty awesome. It was hard not to like.

I glanced over at Cade, who stood only a few feet away. The idea of leaving him made my chest ache. Which was also pretty annoying, really.

“Stay,” he said. “I think someone will want to talk to you in a little while. You’ll want to hear what they have to say.”

“Who?” I asked.

He just shook his head. “I’d tell you if I could.”

“But then you’d have to kill me?”

He sighed dramatically. “Rules are rules.”

A tiny chuckle tried to escape me.

“Come on,” Caro said. “Eating time.”

“Hang on!” Jude walked toward us and stopped in front of Ana and me. She looked at us both. “You did well, you two. Most initiates don’t have the training or skills that you two have. But your time in Death Valley taught you well.”

“Well, it was that or die,” Ana said.

I grinned. But Jude’s words warmed me.

“Whatever it was, I hope you’ll consider the Paranormal Investigative Team when you complete your training.”

“Oooh.” Caro’s brows rose. “What an honor.”

“Thank you.” I nodded at Jude. “I appreciate it.”

I still didn’t know if we were staying, but it was nice to be invited. To be wanted.

* * *

After getting patched up and eating a meal in the Great Hall with everyone, I was ready for a nap. Not that I knew where I’d take that nap—in the temporary room we’d been given?—but it didn’t matter in the end.

Cade came and found Ana and me. He’d eaten on the other side of the hall, away from us, but I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes off him.

Ana said he hadn’t been able to keep his off me, either. His timing must have been impeccable, however, because I’d never noticed him looking.

“Will you two come with me?” he asked. “There’s someone who would like to meet you.”

“Someone new?”

He nodded.

I looked at Ana. We both shrugged, then rose and followed him out of the raucous Great Hall and toward the same room that had pulsed with power yesterday. The one that felt like strength and power.

As we neared, the feeling of magic grew stronger—even more so than yesterday. It was like the push and pull of massive waves.

I gasped, reaching for Ana’s hand. She gripped mine hard, clearly feeling weird as well.

I looked at Cade. He looked totally unaffected.

“What is that?” Ana asked.

“I’ll let her introduce herself.” Cade stopped at the door.

Her? Magic of this strength was coming from a person? Wow.

He knocked, then pushed it open. The magic that rolled out nearly sent me to my knees. Cade gestured for us to enter.

I sucked in a deep breath and walked in on shaky legs. Ana followed, entering a room that was full of brilliantly colored paintings on the tall walls.

The door shut behind us. I could feel that Cade wasn’t in the room, but all my attention was on the figure in front of us.

If it was a woman, then she was unlike any I’d ever seen.

She gleamed with a pale white light, her features almost reptilian. When she stood, her form shimmered, as if she weren’t really there at all. Almost like she was a ghost.

“Welcome, Bree and Ana.” Her voice resonated with power, though it wasn’t loud.

“Um, thank you.” I shot Ana a quick glance, then approached the table. “But who are you?”

She gestured to the chairs in front of us. I eyed her warily as we sat.

She followed. “I’m Arach. The spirit of the dragon who gave her magic to create this castle.”

“Dragon spirit.” Holy crap. I’d never met a freaking dragon before. They were at the top of the paranormal pecking order. “The Protectorate was formed by dragons?”

“Yes. Before the Order of the Magica and the Shifter Council formed as the governments of the magical world, supernaturals needed someone to protect them. To help those in need when an injustice was done. So the dragons stepped in. Before they went for their long slumber, the dragons gave a small part of their magic to the Undercover Protectorate. It was their gift to the world. I volunteered to create the castle and be the spirit that would oversee operations, to the best of my ability.”

“Holy crap,” Ana breathed. “The Protectorate is cooler than I thought. There are dragons here.”

Arach gave a small smile. “I am not able to stay here for long, however. It is difficult to control my corporeal form.”

“But you came to meet us.” What the heck was going on?

“Yes. You are special, Bree and Ana. There is something very unique about you. I thought so from the moment I learned of you, but these last few days have proven that to be true.”

“Cade told you about my magic?” Jerk. I’d wondered if he’d blown my secret. I didn’t know what that crazy water power was—but I certainly didn’t want anyone else knowing about it.

“No,” Arach said. “He has not spoken of you at all. Your mother told me about you.”

“My mother?” Ana and I spoke in unison.

“How?” I demanded.

“She wrote us a letter just before she died, wanting to bring you here. Because of what you are, and the risks that the outside world poses to Unknowns such as yourselves.”

I stiffened. Ana did as well.

“Don’t worry.” Arach held up her hands in a placating gesture. “We don’t feel the same way as the Order of the Magica. Unknowns are safe here. Valued.”

My muscles relaxed, but only slightly. The Order was famous for persecuting those who were different and powerful. Unknowns were both.

“How can we trust you?”

“You wear the Mark of Power,” Arach said. “The four-pointed star mark at the top of your spine.”

Shock dropped my stomach to my feet. I glanced at Ana. Only our mother knew that we had those marks.

Our mother had truly believed that revealing our species would get us killed. Yet she’d told Arach. She’d trusted Arach.

“If she sent you a letter before she died, why did it take you so long to find us?” Ana asked. “That was ten years ago.”

“After she died, you ran immediately. When we went to the homestead in Alaska, you were gone. We finally found you about a year ago. Then we watched, waiting to see if you were worthy. That you were who your mother said you were. But when we realized that you were being harassed by Ricketts’s men, we sent Cade and his fighters.”

Good timing. “Did you determine that we are who our mother claimed?”

“You are. When your magic became unreliable, Bree, we knew that the change was coming. And I can feel that you have more magic now. Another power?”

I hesitated, but only briefly. Arach was no con-dragon. “I can control water now. It just happened. But I don’t know why.”

Ana shot me a WTF? glance.

Arach smiled. “You will be powerful. But you must learn to control your magic. Else it will devour you. Body. Mind.”

“Devour?” Ana’s voice quavered. My insides did the same.

“Yes. Unknowns have great magic that manifests later in life. Bree, you are going through that change now. If you can learn to control it, your true species will be revealed. If you cannot…you will stay an Unknown. A dead Unknown, because your power devoured you from the inside out. Like a dying star. Though the process may not be quick. It is different for everyone.”

Shit.

I’d know about the changes coming—not about the potential dying. “Can you help me learn to control my magic?”

She nodded. “We are your best hope. You will have to train hard. And you, as well, Ana. Not just for your own benefit, but so that you can one day join one of our divisions. It is a great honor, but you must prove yourselves worthy.”

I glanced at Ana, my head reeling.

“How many Unknowns are there?” I asked.

“In the last hundred years? Just you two.” Her expression sobered. “Three, if you count your sister.”

My heart leapt at the mention.

“Do you know where she is?” Ana demanded.

“Is she alive?” I asked.

“I do not know,” Arach said.

“Would you help us find her?” I asked. That would be huge.

Arach hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Yes. You must focus on mastering your power. That takes precedence. But we will help.”

That was fine. I didn’t want to collapse in on myself like a dying star, so I was happy to make the deal. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t keep negotiating.

“How’s the pay?” I asked.

“Quite good, depending on which division you join. Not what you used to earn in Death Valley, but you wouldn’t need as much. We’ll take care of concealment charms, if the one that Ricketts gave you has faded with his death. It is vital that you continue to hide what you are from the outside world.”

“Our mother’s prophecy is true?”

“Yes. Someone will seek to use you—even kill you—for what you are.”

Not great.

“But not you?” Ana asked.

I wanted to fist bump her, because that was a damned good question.

A small smile creased Arach’s face. “I hope that it will be mutual. We will help you master your powers, and in return, you will work for one of our divisions, helping to protect the magical world.”

“We’ve never worked for anyone else,” I said. “I don’t really want to. And frankly, I don’t think I’d be any good at it.”

“Once you’re trained—which I imagine you won’t like, as you will have to take orders—you will be on your own. Most jobs are self-driven here. You do it as you see fit. We’re built on trust.”

Trust. Just as Cade had said.

“Don’t forget that you could have friends here. Security. A life.” Arach’s eyes seemed endlessly knowledgeable at this moment. Like she knew what we lacked.

She did. Because this was sounding tempting.

I looked at Ana, who gave a tiny nod.

I met Arach’s gaze. “A trial period. Two months.”

Arach smiled and nodded. “Excellent. I am glad to hear it.”

Happiness burst inside me. I might be conflicted about working for someone else, but I’d really wanted to stay. At least for now. I don’t think I’d realized how much.

A quiet knock sounded on the door.

“Perfect timing.” Arach rose, and drifted toward the door. We stood and followed her.

“So, you really built this place?” I asked.

“Yes. The magic was a gift from the other dragons, before they went for their slumber. But this place is built from my blood and bones, and now my spirit guides it.”

“Wow. That’s a serious gift,” Ana said.

Arach smiled and opened the door to reveal Caro. “Caro here will show you to your new apartment. Remember—train hard, and be worthy.”

Caro waved to Arach. I turned to say goodbye, but the dragon spirit had disappeared into the air. Immediately, the immense magic that had filled the room faded a bit.

Caro bounced impatiently from foot to foot. Her platinum hair was in wild disarray and excitement gleamed in her steely eyes. For someone with such a terrifying and deadly magical gift—not to mention a stone-cold attitude in battle—she was much more chipper and lighthearted than I’d expected.

“So, what’d you think?” she asked, her brows wiggling. “You got to meet Arach! She normally never comes to see new members.”

“Yeah, that was wild,” I said.

“I had no idea that the Protectorate was this cool,” Ana said.

“It is.” Caro’s face sobered a bit. “But she means it. You really do have to train hard and be worthy. It’s our motto, and boy, do they mean it.”

We had excellent motivation to try, at least.

“Since you’re staying, let me show you to your new apartments!”

I glanced at Ana, intrigued. “All right.”

Caro led us up the great stairs and through a maze of hallways of all styles—some done with silk wallpaper and chandeliers, others still in their original castle form, complete with flickering wall sconces. At one point, the Pugs of Destruction raced by, each carrying a large ham in its mouth. The last one—the winged pug—farted as it ran by.

“Watch out for them,” Caro said. “They’ll steal the beer right out of your hand.”

As we neared the back of the castle, mullioned glass windows provided a view of the grass lawn and an ancient stone circle.

Cool.

As a girl who’d lived in shitty wooden houses in the middle of nowhere her whole life, it was pretty danged awesome.

Caro stopped in front of a wooden door painted deep blue. “This one’s for you, Bree. Ana, yours is the one next to it.” She pointed to a door about twenty meters down. “Come on. I’ll show you up.”

We followed her up the spiral staircase. The space was empty for the first thirty feet, with glowing yellow lights dotting the walls, and we only reached an actual room near the top. Caro pushed open a door to reveal a round living space.

I stepped in, my heart fluttering in my chest. I hated myself for it, but I honestly felt like a kid on Christmas morning.

The space was round, with a beautiful living room on one side and a kitchen on the other. Gorgeous. Until now, all we’d had was shitty hand-me-down furniture that had been crap fifty years ago.

This was so perfect, and so pretty, that I could hardly believe it.

“It’s amazing,” Ana said.

“No, this is amazing.” Caro strolled toward one of the windows on the wall and waved us forward.

I followed, my head buzzing slightly. When I caught sight of the sweeping view of the cliffs and ocean at the back of the castle, I gasped. The stone circle sat right below my window.

“See?” Caro said. “Nice, right? Each tower is enchanted to look the way the inhabitant wants it to.” She spun around, gesturing to the decor. “Apparently you like the modern contrasted with the historic. Very nice, if I do say so. Mine looks like a pixie unicorn vomited rainbows all over it.”

“I wouldn’t peg you as the type,” Ana said.

Caro shrugged. “We like what we like.”

If someone had asked me what my design aesthetic was, I’d have said something like “not broken.” Apparently, this tower knew me better than I knew myself.

“This is insane.” The luxury of this place boggled my mind. “Are you freaking serious? They let you live here?”

“Why not?” She shrugged. “People give up a lot to work and live here.” She hesitated. “Well, honestly, most of us are losers and loners, so this is an upgrade. But still, there’s nothing wrong with living in a nice place. It helps with recruitment.”

“I’ll say.” Ana roamed toward the spiral iron staircase that led upstairs, presumably to a bedroom.

“Well, I’ll leave you guys to it,” Caro said. “You know which door is yours, Ana.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“No problem. I’m glad you’re here!”

She hurried out of the room and down the stairs. Ana and I were silent until we heard the bottom door slam.

Then we turned to each other. I wanted to go check out her apartment, but the elephant in the room was about to trample me.

“Can you believe we’re doing this?” I was still kind of shocked. We were survivors. Together, we could handle anything. We’d made it on our own all this time. But now, maybe we didn’t have to?

“I can’t believe it. No, I can.” Ana shook her head. “It’s a game changer. This place is amazing. And the Undercover Protectorate. That’s really cool. Being a part of something like that.”

“If we pass the training.” I wanted to. I wanted to get ahold of my magic. And if this was as cool as it seemed, I wanted a place here. “Having a purpose other than survival would be…awesome.”

We could help people who were as scared as we’d been. As we were. Because the threat wasn’t over yet.

“Let’s focus on the survival part, first,” Ana said.

“I’m worried about what Ricketts said before he died.”

“About the woman.” Ana nodded. “I think you’re right. He wasn’t acting on his own at the end there. Someone had gotten to him. He didn’t want money anymore—just my blood for some kind of ritual.”

“We need to find out who.” Not knowing was an axe hanging over my neck. “But at least now we have some help.”

“And help finding Rowan.” Ana spun in a circle, taking in the amazing view from all windows. “Rowan would love this.”

Tears pricked my eyes. Rowan was the only thing that could make me cry. “She would.”

“We’ll find her.” Ana swallowed hard. “If she’s alive, we’ll find her.”

I reached for Ana’s hand, squeezing tight. “I love you, nerd.”

“Love you back, double-nerd.”

I grinned. “Let’s go check out your room.”

“Yeah.”

We walked out of my apartment and down the stairs, both quiet. Thinking.

Whatever came at us, we would figure it out. Together.