“Well, that was unexpected,” Herakles grumbled.

“He said, knowing full well that, based on our previous experiences so far, people tend to screw us over with zero qualms,” Raphael replied dryly.

Inalia was still shaking, equal parts stunned and angered by Cellos’s deviant behavior. She must’ve thought she was safe in that house—as did all of us, for that matter. But Raphael was right. This wasn’t the first time a Cerixian had tried to trick us. The stakes were much higher this time, the repercussions potentially tragic.

I didn’t want us to dwell on what Cellos had done, especially not Eira. She wasn’t taking this any better. Fury simmered beneath the surface, and I didn’t need Varga’s sentry abilities to tell that much. So, I steered the conversation back in the most productive direction I could think of.

“He might’ve been truthful about the Brothers being in the Lemnos Woods,” I said. “He had no reason to lie, given that he didn’t expect us to leave his house.”

Eira nodded briefly. “I tend to agree. Plus, he was right about the forest. It is dangerous and tricky for most Cerixians to move through. He wasn’t lying about that.”

“Then let’s go there,” Riza replied. “Let’s just go and see what—or who—we find there.”

We didn’t hesitate. We used Riza’s teleportation ability, this time, to give Taeral a bit of a break. With Eira’s directions, she managed to bring us right to the eastern edge of the Lemnos Woods. The afternoon began to settle over the hills, and with it came below-freezing temperatures. Tomorrow morning would not be as kind as today, unless we got closer to a solution.

The forest was dark and deep, at first sight. Its trees were huge, reminding me of The Shade’s redwoods. The trees here wore their bark and leaves in almost black, though. It was eerie looking, to say the least, as if each of them had been sculpted from massive chunks of charcoal. The sun was hidden above a layer of gray clouds, and that further enhanced Lemnos’s shadows. It was beautiful, like something out of an illustration, but it also carried the scent of danger.

Big eyes flickered yellow in the distance—predators, animals with fangs and claws that had perfected their hunting to the point where Cerixians were wary of crossing these woods unless there was plenty of daylight from above, along with several weapons in their baggage.

“There’s a river flowing through the forest from the east,” Eira said, pointing at a slim silvery line that snaked its way through the tall grass, about six hundred yards away. “We could follow it.”

“Chances are if anyone would want to settle in a forest, especially one like this, they’d pick a spot that’s closer to water,” I replied. “It’s easier to follow a stream out of the woods, if needed.”

We walked toward the river, quiet for the most part. None of us could take our eyes off Lemnos’s majestic yet strange trees. Then again, we didn’t have much energy for any kind of chitchat anyway, given the pickle we were in. Still, I occasionally found myself stealing glances at Raphael. He was hard to look away from—and it wasn’t just his Perfect looks. Sure, he’d been designed like this, to stir the heart of any female, to inspire artists and sculptors, to prove that Ta’Zan was a purveyor of masterpieces, but there was more to him that made my heart tingle.

His sharp humor was definitely at the top of the list of things I liked about him. His intelligence came second. But what I found to be truly endearing was this need he had to belong. Raphael had never truly fit in with his fellow Perfects back on Strava. That much I’d learned from Amane before embarking on this trip with him and the others. Raphael was an independent soul, but still wanted to be part of a group, a clique of supernaturals—just not the one he’d been born into. And the reason I liked this part of him the most was because I sort of found myself reflected in it.

I could’ve stayed home, in The Shade, teaching. Rubbing elbows with other “wussy vampires,” as my father had once lovingly referred to our closest friends outside the Novak circle. My mom wasn’t the only one who’d chosen a life of comfort and tranquility in the Vale. No, not at all. There were at least six other families who’d settled there and had stayed away from GASP operations. My dad was the sore thumb that stood out at our neighborly barbecues. Like Raphael, I, too, had chosen a path away from “my people,” whose suburbia vibes had never really appealed to me. In hindsight, the only reason I’d stayed there for so long was because of my social awkwardness, but the past couple of days I’d spent in this crew had already proven that I could function incredibly well in groups, not just by myself. Heck, I was lot happier now, despite the troubled circumstances.

“Anything you’d like to share with the class?” Raphael asked me as we reached the river. I didn’t even realize he’d noticed me watching. Serves me right.

“Huh? No. Why?” I asked, trying a little too hard to play it cool. I could hardly blame myself for my awkwardness around him. The way he made me feel was enough to tamper with my brain.

“So, we head up the river, huh?” Eva cut in, eyeing me intently.

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was as if she’d sensed my cornered position and had decided to draw me out and away from Raphael. She and I didn’t get to talk much, but I knew she was extremely observant. She must’ve noticed my gazing, and she must’ve figured out that Raphael wasn’t the kind to just let it go. I gave her a nod.

“Yeah. As long as we move by the riverside, we should be fine,” I said.

Raphael seemed slightly disappointed as he moved away from me and joined Herakles and Eira in leading our group deeper into the woods—not that he knew where we were going, but his skillset, along with Herakles’s, was optimal for the next stage of our mission: recon. He baffled me. Sometimes, I caught him watching me, but said nothing. However, when he caught me watching, he tried to… I don’t know, hold me accountable, somehow.

Eva stayed by my side, while Varga, Taeral, and Inalia had our backs. Riza stayed ahead, right behind Eira, Herakles, and Raphael. Around us, the light dimmed as we kept moving. The farther we went, the darker it got. The woods were thick and rich. No wonder this was predator heaven.

“Don’t take it personally,” Eva murmured.

I looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“Chicken-Wings, over there,” she replied, keeping her voice down. “He’s a little over a year old, still. He might be super advanced, but he’s still socially awkward, especially around people he likes.”

My mind went blank for a moment. It was as if I was going stupid, one minute at a time.

“I’m confused,” I whispered.

Eva chuckled. “Of course. Let me put it this way, because you two are clearly made of the same dough. He’s at the emotional age where boys pull the girls’ pig-tails because it’s the only way they know how to treat their crushes.”

“Whoa,” I breathed. “Wait, are you trying to tell me he”—I paused, and lowered my voice further—“likes me?”

Her smile aimed toward a yes, and it nearly made my heart stop. Suddenly, I saw Raphael in a completely different light. What if she was right? What if Raphael actually liked me and chose to be abrasive when I looked at him simply because he was nervous and didn’t know how to act around girls? Oh, wow. Okay.

“Keep your cool,” Eva said.

I exhaled deeply and focused on the path ahead. The river flowed freely across a bed of rounded stones. Farther down, about half a mile from where we were, I could see deer-like creatures lowering their heads to drink water. Unexpectedly, large predators were not far behind, watching and waiting to catch them at their most vulnerable. Some of those Cerixian deer would be dead by nightfall, but that was the natural way. I would’ve done something to help them avoid such a fate, but it wouldn’t have been right to intervene.

Then, I caught Raphael mid-sideways glance. I said nothing, as he looked ahead and spotted the animals, too. He separated from the group and stretched his wings.

“What are you doing?” Herakles asked.

“I’ll be right back,” Raphael replied, before flying above the river. The Cerixian deer got startled and jumped across the stream—a dozen of them, running out of the way and unknowingly putting more distance between their small flock and the predators lurking nearby. He then tilted left and dashed between the trees.

We all stopped, eyes wide as we heard the spine-tingling growl, followed by a tragic yelp. “I think we’re good for a quick break,” Taeral said, staring ahead as Raphael returned with a heavy load in his arms. The closer he got, the better I could see. He’d caught and killed one of the predator animals I’d seen following the Cerixian deer.

“Oh, smart move!” Varga cheered as Raphael offered the animal to him, Eva, and me.

“I noticed you three haven’t had any blood since yesterday evening,” Raphael replied. And he was right. Emperor Tulla had been kind enough to have his servants procure blood for us vampires, along with regular food for the others in our crew. “We need everyone to be well fed and strong for what comes next.”

I gave him a thankful smile. He replied with a nod, then turned around and settled by Herakles’s side. The Faulty rolled his eyes, as he’d just settled next to Riza and—I pressed my lips into a thin line, trying hard not to laugh at the snapshot I’d just accidentally captured. Herakles was hot-heeled over Riza. Raphael had sought some kind of refuge by Herakles’s side, maybe to get away from me or something. And now, Herakles’s game had been ruined. No wonder his eyes were rolling so hard they were white.

Riza, however, was hilariously serene as she took some food packs from her backpack and spread them around. She’d been quick enough to fill her bag prior to leaving the palace. Smart jinni.

We sat on the riverbank and ate in relative silence. Eva seemed more comfortable around me, and I didn’t mind that one bit. Her magnetism was something I enjoyed basking in. I’d heard all sorts of tales about her, since Eritopia had been revealed to us. She’d come a long way since those early days.

“We’ll need to be on high alert, going forward,” Taeral said, and bit a hefty chunk out of a loaf of Cerixian bread. “If the Brothers of the Shadow are around here, somewhere, they’ll know these woods well enough to spot us if we get close. They might try a sneak attack.”

“Meh. That’s the least of my worries, if I’m honest,” Raphael replied.

“That’s because you’re a friggin’ pain in the ass to kill,” Herakles shot back. “Some of us are quite ripe for the picking.”

Raphael raised a sharp eyebrow at him. “Then be better.”

It made me chuckle, but my humor faded away quickly when Raphael turned his attention to me. It made my throat burn, sometimes. The intensity in those eyes was too much to handle. I refilled my small drinking bottle with fresh blood from the wolf-like beast he’d just hunted for us. For me. Aw… All vampires carried one, a simple glass receptacle with a resealable top that allowed us to gather blood along the way, while out in the field. It certainly came in handy in places like this.

Once I had my fill, I allowed myself a couple of minutes as the nutrients worked their way through my body. I could almost feel the strength pulsating through my muscles, the energy levels returning to normal. I could still feel Raphael’s eyes on me, but I had zero courage to meet his gaze—as always. Instead, I focused on Varga. “When’s the last time you syphoned?” I asked him.

His eyes grew wide. “Ugh. I should do that sometime soon.”

“You can syphon off me, if you’d like,” Eva replied, wearing a perky little smile. The effect it had on Varga was undeniable. My days, this girl knew how to capture a man’s heart, for sure. I could learn a thing or two from her. Or ten.

“Thanks, I might take you up on that,” Varga said, his voice lower than usual.

A branch broke, not far from where we sat. It made us all jump, but the voice that followed froze us all on the spot. “Don’t move!”

Varga’s eyes glimmered gold as he glanced to our collective left. “I think we found what we were looking for,” he muttered.

“What, the Brothers of the Shadow?” Inalia asked, paralyzed by fear.

“Trouble,” Varga replied dryly.

I slowly turned my head to find the source of the voice that had turned us into living statues. He was one of twenty Cerixians, all of them hooded and masked, with black paint on what could be seen of their faces. They pointed a variety of weapons at us, from medium- to small-sized rifles like the ones carried by the Armed Forces, to high-velocity crossbows and longswords.

We couldn’t exactly attack them now. Not because we couldn’t, but because we had to play nice. If these were the fabled Brothers of the Shadow, then they had something we needed. The original library. Brace yourself, it’s about to get bumpy.