Ria woke with a start. She didn't recall falling asleep, nor did she really remember where she was. Her memories swirled with the strangest visions. Dark and light seemed to collide. Cruel, black eyes stared out of smiling faces. Beautiful, shining emerald glances warmed her heart, then chilled her to the bone.

Her brow knitted as she tried to understand the sense of real danger that had shaken her from her fitful slumber. As she lifted her head from the pine table, her foster mother's country-style kitchen slowly came into focus. Dawn's fiery, orange glow crept through the leaded glass at the window, casting everything in a homely looking warmth.

She smiled, remembering sitting as a family in this kitchen, around this table, feeling safe. Feeling happy.

The sense of danger grew stronger. She didn't understand it, but real panic began to build within her. Her heart rate quickened and her breathing became shaky. She rose to her feet on weak knees and looked out into the garden. Perhaps she'd sensed some kind of intruder? She couldn't see anything obvious, though the grass was embarrassingly long.

She made to take a step forward. The panic increased. She couldn't move.

A shaft of rainbow light burst across the room as the rising sun shone through the antique window at just the right angle, and suddenly everything became clear.

She remembered.

It wasn't a dream or even a nightmare. It was very, very real, and she was in peril.

Dawn was just minutes, maybe seconds away from breaking and there she was, like some damned idiot, just waiting for the fiery blaze to envelop the small kitchen.

Somewhere in her mind, she'd known dematerialising to God knows where probably wasn't the best idea. Dropping to her knees and rolling towards the darker hallway she realised how foolishly cavalier she'd been. If she didn't escape the impending daylight, it would all be over.

Still on the floor, she crawled further into the main corridor wondering what the hell she was going to do. Malandra's flat was swathed in heavy velvet curtains and blackout blinds. Phil and Betty's cottage was festooned in floral chintz that would do nothing to assuage the sun. Shit.

The sunlight crept a few inches closer and Ria scrabbled away. Her back slammed up against the wood paneling underneath the staircase. As she made contact, something clicked and the panel popped open. Of course! She'd found the understairs cupboard. Not hesitating, she pulled open the door and crawled into the safety of darkness.

* * *

The sweating and sense of panic stopped. Almost like someone had flicked a switch, the burning sensation and fear just disappeared. Ryver had no fucking clue what was happening, but his relief at feeling vaguely normal, even for just a few minutes, was almost overwhelming.

Soraya gasped as the alarms on the systems monitoring his heart rate and temperature ceased beeping and his stats leveled. "Ryver? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," he croaked.

The Princess's brow creased as she triple-checked her machines. He could hear her thoughts without even trying—this wasn't normal.

"You're telling me."

"Sorry?"

"This isn't normal."

Her mouth set in a grim line as she shook her head. She placed her hand on his forehead, as if she didn't really believe that his temperature could have dropped that quickly, as if the machinery had malfunctioned. The widening of her eyes told him the machines weren't lying. "Do you have any other symptoms?" she asked.

Yeah, I could drown in a river of blood and still not quench my thirst.

"No."

Finally turning away from the machines, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Now is not a good time to lie to me, Guardian."

He swallowed hard against his dry throat. It wasn't an order as such, but he felt the ripple of power in her words warning him not to test her. His shoulders slumped. "Fine. I'm thirstier than a youngling on transition day. It doesn't matter what I do, how many blood boxes I get through, nothing helps."

Soraya nodded, keeping her thoughts very carefully guarded. "That on its own I could understand, but coupled with these spikes in temperature, the arrhythmia, the loss of consciousness—none of it makes sense."

He puffed out a breath. Admittedly, he'd had better news, but for the moment he felt okay.

"Tell me again about when this started," Soraya asked.

He recounted the disorientation he felt when he and Mercury went to help Phoenix and Skylar in Regent’s Park. He told her again about feeling like his blood was burning when he was at House Bowman helping with the interviews. He retold how he felt his temperature spike just around dawn that morning, even though he was already safely ensconced in the medical facility.

"Tell me about House Bowman again."

"Look, I've told you already. We were just finishing up and suddenly it was like someone set a fire in me, like the sun had burst into the room."

"Yet your first instinct was to check your brothers. Why would you do that?"

"I don't know. Because the pain felt borrowed somehow, like it wasn't mine. Mercury said some kid turned up late and landed on the driveway so I must have been catching his mental voice, but..."

"But what?"

He already felt like some kind of freak. Adding another layer probably wasn't the best way to go, but he was so tired by that point. He answered anyway. "My mind went in search of him. His voice didn't match. The pain he felt wasn't the same."

"And there were definitely no breaches in the security? You, Kaden and Mercury were fine?"

"Yes," he whispered.

Soraya nodded, but didn't say anything more.

"Am I losing it?" he asked.

"I don't think so, but I need to check something first."

"Come on, Soraya. I'm a big boy. I can take it."

A small smile crept across her face. "I know, Guardian, but I want to be sure first. For now, rest. Stay here. Eat, drink, sleep, regain your strength. I will be back soon."

The smile gave him some hope, but he didn't really want to wait around in the medical centre all day. He made to sit up, but realised just how damned tired he was and sank back down on the bed. Maybe just a little snooze first.

His eyes fluttered closed just as he saw Soraya leaving.

He fell asleep in seconds, but it was not the restful sleep he hoped for. Visions of Ria filled his mind. Her beautiful face and shining caramel eyes were around every corner. Her voice echoed in his ears. The touch of her hands haunted his flesh. When she called out for him, his whole body reacted. A need flashed through him so intense it burned him to his very core.

"Oh God! I don't know what I'm doing!"

"Just tell me where you are, and I'll come and find you. Don't worry. I'll come for you."

"How could I be so stupid? And now I'm stuck in here until tonight. If only I'd stayed with Ryver, or even Malandra, I wouldn't be in this mess."

"What mess? Tell me what's going on, Ria!"

"What the hell would I have done if I hadn't crawled in here? Burned alive! That's what would have bloody happened. So stupid."

"Ria, can you hear me?"

"Why didn't I bring my phone with me? Mind you, if I had, who would I call? What would I say: hi, I'm stuck in a cupboard and I can't leave until it's dark? Because that's perfectly normal. Nobody would think me totally fucking deranged at all! Ha! As if people don't think I'm weird enough as it is!"

"Me! You would call me. Just tell me where you are and I'll come for you."

"When I get out of here, I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." Her voice cracked and her breath hitched. "Oh God! I'm in so much trouble!" The words were difficult to understand, hidden behind sobs.

"Just tell me where you are!"

There was no reply.

"RIA!"

* * *

Kaden was relieved that Phoenix and Skylar arrived when they did, else there may have been all-out war in the drawing room. Now of course, the room felt cramped. The antique furniture looked too dainty, and the fucking whiskey bottle looked too empty. He ran his hand through his hair as he considered his options. Talking to Malandra alone was number one on his list of priorities, but judging by the murderous look that seemed ingrained on his sister's face, that was unlikely to happen any time soon.

"So let me get this straight, Sentinel. You knew the spawn of fucking Asher Velgeren was walking around out there without a care in the world, and you didn't think it was worth telling us?" Lena spat.

Kaden puffed out a sigh. They'd been over this at least a dozen times already. Malandra Ravenborn's answers never changed. She had her own orders. She was not beholden to House Blackwood. The girl may never have actually transitioned. Victoria Dalton was the innocent party.

"Innocent my fucking arse!"

"We're not getting anywhere like this," Thorn interrupted.

No. They weren't. Kaden knew his sister well though, and she would take a little minute to get her head around it. "Look, what's done is done. We cannot change that," he said.

Thorn and the rest of the boys nodded their agreement—even if a few of them still looked bewildered at the news. Lena just glowered at Malandra.

"Can we assume that Asher is aware of Ria's existence?" Kaden asked the Sentinel.

"I didn't think so until that night we met Mercury and Ryver. I was always so careful, watching her all the time. The one time I let my guard down..." She glanced at Mercury, who grunted back at her. "I'm not sure how they knew, but I'm sure it wasn't a random attack. Yes, the street was quiet, but we weren't alone. They took too many risks."

"Or they didn't realise who you were. Your menæwen is impressive."

"I know."

"Modest, aren't we, darlin'," Mercury chimed in.

"I am simply agreeing. I am not the only one who has impressive glamouring skills, am I?"

That shut Mercury up.

"You can't possibly have watched her all the time. She was lucky you were with her that night," Thorn said.

The Sentinel dropped her gaze and Kaden frowned at her. Something of what Thorn said had made her uncomfortable. What might that be, he wondered.

"Even so...I think we need to work on the assumption that Asher knows. Not to would be to underestimate him," Malandra continued.

That at least gained agreement from everyone.

"Ria—where would she go?" Kaden asked.

"I'm not sure. She's never dematerialised before."

"So she could literally be anywhere?" Skylar said.

"Yes."

"Brilliant," Lena said, echoing Kaden's thoughts perfectly.

"Right. Mercury, you and Roarke get that CCTV thing up and running as soon as possible. The police network is a good start, but the kid was talking about private systems too. I want them online ASAP. Skylar and Phoenix can help with that data entry from the archives if necessary. You have the footage of Ria from Hyde Park, so that's got to be a starting point. Run initial analysis and see if we can pick her up anywhere."

"And me?" Lena asked.

Kaden couldn't fail to notice Thorn's intense stare. He knew full well his friend would string him up by the balls if he sent her out. "You get all of Ria's history from Malandra—up here somewhere, not in the command centre. Work, home, social, everything. Give whatever you have to Mercury."

Lena's nostrils flared, but Kaden stopped her before she got started. "No arguments."

He knew she didn't have to obey. She didn't have to listen to a word he said. He waited for her to continue, but nothing came. Her mouth set in a grim line and her eyes burned with something that told him he may live to regret the order, but she didn't say a word. Thank Goddess for small mercies.

They all filed out the room, leaving Thorn and Kaden alone. As the door closed behind them, Kaden sank down into one of the leather armchairs and held his head in his hands.

"Jesus, Kaden."

"I know."

"A fucking Sentinel on this side of the gates!"

"I know."

"What do you think Asher's plans are for the girl?"

Kaden rubbed his face. "No idea, but it can't be anything good."

"On that, at least, we agree."

Kaden feigned a smile, but didn't say anything further. Soraya was outside the door. "It's alright. You can come in," he called as he rose to greet her.

Soraya's beautiful face peeked around the door. "I'm glad I found you, Keeper. I wonder if you could help me."

He was pretty sure he'd die for the woman if she asked it. "If it is within my power, of course."

Thorn pulled himself out of the sofa. "I'll leave you two to it. If I don't keep order between those two, I think Lena might actually kill Malandra."

Kaden laughed. "Good idea."

"Unless you need me here, sister mine?"

"Not at all, brother. Go, keep the peace."

Thorn nodded and left the room.

She grinned and walked over to sit on the sofa. "I wanted to ask about the girl, Ria."

Kaden's eyes widened. It was unlike Soraya to get involved in Order business.

"Ryver has already told me much about her, but there is one thing I need to understand."

"And that would be?"

"Her relationship with Ryver."

"Relationship? What relationship? They've only seen each other twice," Kaden replied.

Soraya smirked, like she knew something he didn't. "Sometimes it only takes once."

"What only takes once?"

The smirk turned into a small smile as she stared back at him. "To know your mate."

Kaden had no reply. His mouth had gone dry, and his voice had completely deserted him.

"I think Victoria Dalton is Ryver's mate."

Kaden had to sit down. "How?" he whispered.

She reached out to take his hand, but seemed to change her mind mid-motion, instead tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "Some pairs know each other for a lifetime before they find each other," she whispered.

Kaden swallowed hard.

"Like my brother and Lena."

"Of course," he said, sounding like he'd eaten a quarry full of gravel.

"For others, all they need is one look, one touch, one kiss. That is enough."

Kaden thought back to Hyde Park. Ryver had kissed Ria. He hadn't taken much notice, but he knew it happened. Could that really be all it took? Shouldn't it be something deeper? Something more profound than a grope in the park? "One kiss?"

"So they did share a kiss?"

"In Hyde Park, yes. Before that, I don't know."

"I see."

"What makes you think she's his mate?"

"He's suffering similar symptoms to what we saw in Thorn before he...um..."

"Claimed Lena."

She dropped her gaze, seemingly embarrassed. "Yes."

"Jesus." Other conversations with Soraya ran through his mind. Before Lena and Thorn mated, she said they had to find their own way to each other. If they didn't, all Vampires were doomed to walk alone. If they didn't mate, if they didn't show the way, then no one else would find their mate either. Soraya had foreseen it and he had no reason to doubt her, but he hadn't expected another mating to happen so quickly.

"There is another reason they connected so easily."

"Hmm?"

"She's a telepath too."

"Sorry?"

"Ryver spoke about it when he first came into my facility. I'm not sure he remembers—he was a little delirious—but he said he'd found a kindred spirit."

Yet again she'd left him speechless.

"I take it you didn't know?"

"No, I bloody didn't." It seemed both Ryver and Malandra had forgotten to mention that little detail. His jaw clenched tight. Once he took his leave of Soraya, he would be having more than words with his youngest brother.

"I didn't mean to anger you, Keeper," Soraya whispered.

Kaden reached out and placed his hand on hers. "You could never make me angry, Soraya."

Roarke burst in, taking them both by surprise. Kaden shot back in his chair and Soraya snatched her hand away. Kaden was pretty sure his expression matched hers perfectly—busted.

Roarke's mouth formed a perfect O as his surprised gaze shot from one face to the other.

Kaden collected himself and rose from his seat. "What do you need, Prospect?"

"I...um...well... I just wanted to um...let you know that we patched in the civilian network."

"Good. And?"

"And?"

"Do you have anything else to report?"

"No. Not yet, but Mercury said to update you."

"Now you have."

"Right. Um...I'd better get going then."

"Yes. You had."

"Right."

"And Roarke?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Next time, knock."

The kid's eyes flew wide before he nodded and rushed from the room.

Kaden waited till the footfall faded before retaking his seat.

Soraya gave him a look he couldn't quite decipher.

"What is it?"

"You can be quite intimidating when you want to be, Keeper of the Watch." Her voice was huskier than usual, sending a flash of warmth through him.

Kaden swallowed hard. He had no idea how to answer that.