“Ephephany?” Ariel said. “I thought she didn’t want to help us train?”

“She doesn’t,” Jett said. “I’m assuming she’s here for another reason.”

“Maybe she misses Gwen,” Mathis said.

“Ha!” Gwendoline said. “More like she misses you.”

Mathis wrapped a possessive hand around Gwendoline’s shoulders. “She’ll have some problems if that’s the case.”

“Damn right,” Gwendoline said.

“Well where is she?” Cliff said, surveying the foliage that surrounded the camp’s central courtyard. He always got jumpy whenever someone new was coming. He acted the same way when Jett visited the camp during the early days when Ariel had first joined the pride. It seemed a lifetime ago.

“Flame is escorting her here now,” Jett said.

A moment later Ephephany emerged from the trees, stepping into the camp from the direction of the gravel parking lot. She appeared to be a young girl of about seventeen or eighteen, and was dressed in business casual: a blazer covered a white dress shirt, topping a black skirt. Thick stockings sheathed the uncovered portions of her legs, revealing thin thighs and calves. Her feet were adorned in small, shiny dark shoes, while black spectacles completed her outfit.

Her hair was clipped into a high ponytail, high school sports style, which made her seem younger still. She didn’t wear any bone accessories: as a dragon shifter, she could tap into the magic that flowed through the universe via her own bones. Jett had once told Ariel that Ephephany was the most powerful dragon in all of Midnight. She could have ruled the city if she wished, but that was not the path of the Wayfarers. Her role was only to act as adviser to the king of Midnight. Though technically she still served her witch masters, apparently the Wayfarers had granted her a lot of autonomy, given her power.

When Ariel saw her, she instinctively reached through her bone accessories and touched the Strength, readying herself to act in case the witch decided to strike. Ariel wasn’t sure she’d be able to do much against a dragon witch like her, but she’d sure as hell try. She’d protect Jett and her pride as much as she was able.

Ephephany was overshadowed by Flame, who emerged behind her, and Ariel couldn’t help but be distracted by him. The gorgeous man possessed skin of an unnatural, deep red hue. He was much too beautiful to be a fashion model, and the baleful glint in his eye and the dangerous way he held himself hinted at his darker profession. A thin beard outlined his jaw line, and either side of his head was shaved. The hair on top he grew long and spiked, and the way it curled to one side made his head seem a little like a lit match.

He wore ebony boots with scarlet streaks of flame running up the sides, below camo leggings patterned in forest digital. He had a thin harness strapped over his bare chest so that his sculpted abs and pecs were readily visible underneath. He carried a pistol holstered on either side of his hips, and two swords scabbarded in an X pattern on his back. Ariel had never seem him use them, as she had only witnessed Flame fighting while in his terrifying dragon form, but she could tell by the graceful, slender way he moved, that those weapons were extensions of himself. She was reminded of a snake poised to strike.

“It never ceases to amaze me how little you age,” Mathis said as Ephephany approached. “Though that’s one of the benefits of being a dragon witch, I suppose.”

Ephephany eyed Gwendoline and Mathis uneasily.

“I think we’ll take our leave,” Gwendoline said. “Mathis?”

“Ah, yes.” Mathis stood, as did Gwendoline.

“No,” Ephephany said. “You need to hear this.”

Gwendoline exchanged a look with Jett, and then sat back down with Mathis.

“So you have decided to join us in Blue Hurricane, and help train Ariel and the others?” Jett asked.

“Not exactly,” Ephephany said. “Midnight needs me now more than ever.”

“Maybe she’s come to collect us for her Wayfarer masters,” Ked said. “And take us back to the Steel Tower.”

Ephephany swallowed nervously, as if Ked had hit on the precise reason.

“That’s not why you’re here, is it?” Jett asked.

“No,” Ephephany said. “I came to warn you.”

“Warn us?”

“My eyes and ears in the court tell me Gabriel intends to hand you and all of Blue Hurricane over to the witches,” Ephephany said. “To appease the Wayfarers for the attack you made against their Steel Tower. At least, that’s the excuse he’s using.”

“Flame and Brazen, too?” Jett asked. “Gwendoline?”

“He intends to hand over the two White Swords as well, yes,” Ephephany said. “But not Gwendoline. Only you, Flame and Brazen will face charges for roaming the land of the witches uncollared.”

“But the witches know I participated in the battle against their Tower without a collar, too,” Gwendoline said.

“Yes,” Ephephany said. “And they want you, but apparently Gabriel has refused them. He doesn’t want to lose you. But Jett, on the other hand…” She shrugged.

“When does my brother plan to take us?” Jett asked.

“His attack party will arrive tonight.”

Jett had made a contingency plan for this very thing. He owned a warehouse in the city. He glanced at Ariel, then Cliff. “Looks like we’re going to be leaving the woods behind for a little bit.”

“The pride can be packed in an hour,” Cliff said.

“Good,” Jett said.

“Should we start?” Cliff asked.

Jett nodded. “Might as well.”

“You heard the man, shifters,” Cliff said. “Start packing your things!”

“But we’ve only just settled in,” Sarah said.

“Sorry sweetie, that’s life,” Cliff said. “Unless you want to go back to the Steel Tower?”

That got her to her feet fast.

In moments the table had cleared, save for Cliff, Ariel, Gwendoline, Mathis, and Hugh. The latter individual was Mathis’ Keeper, a baseball-cap wearing, big-biceped, T-shirt clad hunk of a man who had sworn to protect Mathis with his life. Speaking of protectors, Flame hovered in the background, also ready to defend Jett and the others if Ephephany betrayed them.

“Have a seat.” Jett beckoned toward the picnic table.

Ephephany bowed her head in thanks and sat down. Jett plunked down across from her.

Ariel decided it was safe to release the Strength at that point, so she did. She missed the sensation of power flowing through her veins, but it was a comfort to know that it was there, readily accessible through the bone she wore. Ariel wondered how it must feel to be a dragon witch like Ephephany, with the very bone under her skin and muscles providing the Strength. The witch merely had to reach inside herself, Siphoning through her own skeletal system… it creeped out Ariel slightly just thinking about it.

Now that Ephephany was seated across from her, Ariel noticed the dragon witch was wearing a familiar silver band around her throat. That band restricted her dragon powers, and prevented her from transforming. Jett and Gwendoline wore similar collars, but theirs were fake, courtesy of an expensive jeweler Jett knew in town. But Ephephany’s was real, no doubt. The witch didn’t strike Ariel as someone who would break a rule that was otherwise so zealously enforced by the Wayfarers Ephephany served: when a dragon leaves a den, by decree of the witches, he or she must do so collared.

“Have you talked to Gabriel, asked him why he’s doing this?” Jett asked.

“No,” Ephephany said. “Gabriel rules only through his advisers of late, and is rarely seen. He won’t even see me, in fact. But I think he’s only doing it because he wants you as far away from here as possible. He fears you could rally the dragons against him and retake the throne. The witches are merely providing him with a convenient excuse.”

“But he’s my brother,” Jett said. “I can’t believe he’d do this to his own blood.”

“Neither can I,” Gwendoline said. “I want to go see him. Talk to him.”

“No,” Jett said. “Even though Gabriel hasn’t agreed to give you to the witches yet, he could change his mind at any time. Especially if you walk right into his hands.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Gwendoline said. “He wouldn’t betray me. I know him.”

“I thought I knew him too…” Jett said.

“Jett is right,” Ephephany told Gwendoline. “It’s too dangerous. He’s been turning on those most loyal to him. Already he had most of his advisers rounded up and executed.”

“What?” Gwendoline said. “That doesn’t sound like Gabriel!”

“I know,” Ephephany said. “I’m worried someone has him under the influence of some kind of compulsion.”

“But he’s immune to compulsion, like the rest of the royal family,” Gwendoline said.

“A vampire witch doesn’t need compulsion to control a dragon,” Mathis said quietly.

“What are you saying?” Ariel asked.

“He’s implying Gabriel is undead,” Ephephany said.

“I refuse to believe that,” Jett said. “Undead. A fate worse than death.” His eyes shone with anger. “My brother. My dear brother...”

Ariel wrapped an arm around him and squeezed him tight. “I’m sure he’s all right.”

Jett didn’t say anything, his expression remaining dark.

“Does she know about the vampire witch?” Mathis asked Jett.

“What vampire witch?” Ephephany said.

Mathis looked to her. “Apparently Blue Hurricane was attacked by a powerful vampire witch shortly after Jett abdicated. She had a whole troop of undead Orions serving her. She tried to kill Jett, drain his blood. I’m guessing she intended to raise him as undead afterward. She failed, of course. One of Jett’s lions blew off her head with a rifle, and they slew the Orions, leaving the bodies where they fell. But a few weeks later when a hunting party stumbled on the site of the battle, they noticed that the witch’s body had vanished. Plus, there were several dead crows, drained of blood, littering the area next to the bodies of the minions. Also, they couldn’t find the restraining collar Jett had removed from his own neck.”

“I had heard about the battle at the Steel Tower in quite extensive detail from certain Wayfarer colleagues who witnessed it,” Ephephany said. “But this local skirmish, no, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

“Queen Yvonne doesn’t keep you in the loop with happenings near your own capital city, does she?” Mathis said.

“Apparently not,” Ephephany said. “Assuming she ever learned of it.”

“So what do you think?” Gwendoline said. “Could this vampire witch have penetrated into the upper echelons of Midnight society? Could Gabriel truly be undead?”

Jett shook his head ardently.

“It’s possible,” Ephephany spoke before Jett could get in a word. “But I believe the chances are remote, given the defenses we have in place against such a stealth attack. As to Gabriel being undead: the two times he has made a public appearance, I haven’t noticed the characteristic smell of the undead, but that could be a red herring: I’m no expert in Death magic, but I’ve heard the stench of the undead can be a masked by a special Weave known only to a very few high ranking vampires. I will say this: Gabriel did seem... drugged, however.”

“Drugged?” Ariel asked.

“Yes,” Ephephany said. “His movements were slow, sluggish. An assistant helped him the whole time.”

“Might someone have been moving his body with Weaves of Air?” Mathis asked.

“No,” Ephephany said. “At least not those two times. I would have sensed the Strengthwork. And it would have been extremely draining on the witch attempting such Weaves, what with the Strength suppression in place.”

“But you still believe someone is coercing him?” Jett asked.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” Ephephany said. “He may have merely been drunk. The Gabriel we know could be lost. Dragons can be corrupted when they take the throne. Look at what happened to Lanfen in the Far East. Killing her whole family as a preventative measure to ensure none of them assassinated her and took the throne.”

If memory served her, Lanfen was a member of the Council of Seven and dragon queen of the Far East. She seemed to be one of the few dragons Jett feared.

“The Queen of Assassins,” Gwendoline said softly.

“What?” Ariel said.

“That’s what we call Lanfen,” Gwendoline said. She sighed, biting her lower lip. “If something has happened to my brother, that means it’s even more urgent I see him.”

“You’re next in line for the throne,” Ephephany said. “If you’re wrong, and Gabriel is only cleaning house, you’re just as much a threat as Jett. Maybe even more so. I’d highly advise against setting foot in Midnight. Already members of his Black Guard have been spotted watching the estates of several nobles, including yours. Two have even been stationed outside my own estate. Gabriel hasn’t made a move against me or the nobles yet, but when he does, the attack will be swift. I don’t think he’d dare attack me, but when the noble families are dead, Gabriel can add their hoards to his own.”

“Things sound worse than I thought,” Gwendoline said. “It’s more important than ever that I talk to him. Come with me, Ephephany. With you at my side, Gabriel wouldn’t dare touch me.”

“I can’t interfere. Besides, you know that my powers are restricted in Midnight...”

“Not if you remove the Weave that dampens all magic,” Gwendoline said.

“I can’t do that,” Ephephany said. “That Weave has saved us from many surprise attacks by Orions and vampires over the centuries. It’s also intrinsically linked with the Weave that prevents all transformations in the city. If I remove one, we lose both.”

“So you won’t help me, you’re saying?” Gwendoline asked.

“That’s what she’s saying,” Jett answered bitterly.

Ephephany glanced at Jett. “You know the rules as well as I. Wayfarers may only advise, nothing more. We cannot take sides in any internal struggle for the crown. To do so would be beyond my mandate.”

“Wait,” Ariel told the dragon witch. “If you can only advise, and can’t otherwise intervene in internal matters, then why warn us about the raid tonight in the first place? Seems like you’re doing a bit more than advising right here…”

“To repay my debt to Jett,” Ephephany said. “For all the times he has watched my back over the years, and protected my from the palace intrigue.”

Ariel stared at Ephephany suspiciously, not sure she entirely believed the motives of the dragon witch.

“What if I could prove he was undead?” Gwendoline said.

“For the last time, he’s not undead!” Jett said.

“Jett, it’s okay.” Ariel massaged his thick arm and he relaxed slightly under her touch.

Gwendoline rephrased the question. “If something bad has happened to him, then would you help me?”

Ephephany considered that. “If he was undead and you could prove it, by Wayfarer law the crown is yours. Then I could help you remove him, yes.”

“He’s not undead,” Jett repeated quietly. He was starting to sound like he didn’t believe it anymore, and he was speaking the words only to convince himself. “He’s not.”

“I hope you’re right,” Gwendoline told him. She glanced at Ephephany. “What if Gabriel isn’t undead, but he’s still under someone’s control, maybe the vampire witch Mathis spoke of, or another dragon?”

“I couldn’t help with a dragon,” Ephephany said. “That would be considered interference in internal dragon affairs. A vampire witch on the other hand is external interference, so yes I could step in. But again, you’d have to prove it.”

“All right, good,” Gwendoline said. She glanced at Jett. “I’ll return with Ephephany. Go with Blue Hurricane to the city. I’ll contact you when I know more.”

“Nope,” Jett said. “I’m coming with you. Can’t let you do this alone, sis.”

Ariel’s heart was suddenly in her throat, and she looked at Jett fearfully. She was hoping he was joking, but he seemed dead serious.

“Not only are you wanted by the witches, you’re banned from Midnight for breaking the First Rule, remember?” Gwendoline told him.

“She’s right, you’ll never make it past his guards,” Ephephany said.

Ariel slumped slightly, relieved. She couldn’t imagine Jett returning to that viper pit. Especially without her.

“You can disguise me, witch,” Jett told Ephephany.

“As I said before, that is beyond my mandate,” Ephephany said.

Jett crossed his arms, and his biceps bulged underneath his black and gold dress shirt. “Fine, I’ll go on my own. Disguise myself.”

“You’ll be asked to show your face before you’re allowed an audience with the king...” Gwendoline said.

“I don’t intend to seek an audience,” Jett told her. “I’ll be going to your estate to gather the remainder of my White Swords. If Gabriel is under the control of a vampire witch, we’ll need them. And you’ll need me as well, especially if Ephephany won’t help. Even if she does, if she refuses to repeal the Strength suppression Weave, she’ll be borderline useless.”

“I’ll probably refuse, yes,” Ephephany said.

“There you go.”

“Okay, it’s settled,” Jett said. “I’m going with you and Gwendoline back to Midnight.”

“Actually, nothing is settled,” Ariel said. She couldn’t imagine losing her dragon, and she wasn’t about to let him walk into a trap on his own. “I’m coming, too.”

“No,” Jett told her. “I have to do this.”

“Sorry,” Ariel said. “You chose a lioness as a mate. I’m not going to back down from this. I won’t let you go alone.”

“I won’t be alone,” Jett said. “I’ll be with Ephephany and Gwendoline. At least until I’m at her estate.”

“Not good enough,” Ariel said.

“Fine, I’ll bring Flame and Viper,” Jett said.

“Still not good enough,” Ariel said.

“I’m coming, too,” Mathis chimed in.

Jett threw up his arms. “Your Strength will be useless in Midnight, witch.”

“I don’t care. I’m not leaving Gwen.”

“If he goes, I go,” Hugh said. The muscular Keeper folded his arms in front of his chest, making his biceps bulge to an immense size. Those arms had to be as thick as an ordinary man’s legs.

Jett glanced at Ariel. He must have realized that if he let Mathis and Hugh go, he couldn’t deny Ariel.

“No,” Jett said. “Flame and Viper will come with me and Gwendoline, and no one else.”

“Mathis and I are coming,” Ariel said. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“You two couples have all day to argue about it,” Ephephany said. “Because none of us can return today. The woods will be teeming with the king’s guards. Plus he’ll have mechanical drones scouting the skies. If he catches me, he’ll know it was me who warned the pride, and I’ll be useless to you. Whether we like it or not, we’re all hiding out in the human city tonight with Blue Hurricane. Tomorrow morning, once we’ve decided who comes and who stays, we can make plans for our return.”