When Riley stepped back inside the Lodge with Gabe, Alley shook her head. “Riley, you need some sleep.”
Gabe kissed her. “Come find me as soon as you get up.”
Riley went to her room and lay down on her bunk. She wiped her eyes and wrapped her arms around her pillow, hugging it close.
Jack, Will, Reed…
Within seconds, she was asleep.
***
“Riley?”
She opened one eye, then the other. Alley was kneeling next to her.
“Xander’s back. He wants to see you.”
Jack, Will, Reed… Riley suddenly had a lump in her throat. “What time is it?”
“Three in the afternoon.”
I’ve been asleep all day?
Riley stood. “Give me a minute.”
She went into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Wake up, Riles. After rubbing oil on the pendant Gabe had given her, she walked out into the lounge.
Xander, Gabe, Katrina and Darren were talking quietly when she emerged. When he saw Riley, Xander stood. He walked around the ottoman over to where she was standing and pulled her into a strong hug.
“I’m so sorry!” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I know last night had to be one of the worst nights of your life. But Riley, your turtle wisdom was spot on. You said the right things to Reed, you got the right set of people to come get you, you went straight to the Colonel, and you had the good sense to invite Ned and to bring Gabe. Really, really well done.”
She felt hollow inside. “Thanks, Coach.”
“I sent the others away so we can talk privately,” he gestured around the room to everyone who was present. “I want to hear from all of you what happened last night. Then I’ll share what Reed told me.”
“Before we get started... how are the guys?”
“Afraid for you.” Xander sat back down in the recliner and gestured for her to take a seat beside Gabe. “Tell what you saw last night, Riles. Chief James, the Colonel and Ned met this morning, and they decided that none of it will be a secret.”
Neither she nor her turtle wanted to talk, but Riley briefly repeated for Katrina, Darren and Alley much of what had happened the night before.
When she’d finished speaking and her clanmates were done exclaiming, Xander leaned forward with a frown. “I spoke to Reed for about an hour after all this shook out. He is now in the unfortunate position of having to work as a double agent. He’s been undercover for us for some time. Now Jack and Will have instructed him to work for them as well. They want Reed to come to camp to see Riley as soon as possible, both so he can feed them information about her, and so they can find out what’s going on at Greenwood. The Colonel has agreed to let that happen.”
“He has?” Darren asked.
Xander turned to Riley. “Tomorrow afternoon, Reed will come to Greenwood, ostensibly to check on you for Jack and Will. But while he is here, he will report to the Intelligence Committee. And the I.C. will decide which pieces of information Reed passes back to Jack and Will.”
Poor Reed.
“Awesome!” Katrina said.
Xander put his hand on top of Riley’s. “You should be very proud of him. Reed did well last night, too.”
“What happened after I left?”
“The first thing that happened was that all hell broke loose.” Xander leaned back into the recliner. “Reed said it was a good thirty seconds after you disappeared in the driveway before it occurred to either Jack or Will that he, Reed, had just seen his sister vanish into thin air and did not freak out. As soon as that sank in, the interrogation began.”
“I bet it did.” Riley could picture the whole thing. “How much did he tell them?”
“He told them you’re a turtle, and that for some reason you require mud instead of dry soil. He said you were discovered and claimed by me the day of your field trip. He explained that you hadn’t been given a warrior name yet, and said that’s because we’re waiting for your power to emerge. He kept the fact that you can see dreams a secret, because he wasn't sure if we'd want him to share that or not.”
Katrina frowned. “Don’t they think she’s the teleporter?”
“Not anymore. Reed told them she’s never teleported. He hoped that would discourage future attacks.” Xander turned back toward Riley. “He told them you’re a ‘larger than average turtle… think giant tortoise,’ and that if people are standing inside your shell you can make them invisible along with you. He thinks he left them with the impression that you’re four or five feet across, just big enough to make Pash disappear on the trail.”
Riley nodded.
Xander shifted in his seat. “He also told them who and what I am, and that I’ve been coaching the two of you. And that Alley and I, and Gabe, are Greenwoods. He told them my warrior name and that I’m a panther, but he told them he didn’t know what Alley or Gabe’s names or powers are.”
“And they bought that?” Alley asked him.
“It sounds like it. Reed told them that Riley and I have been secretive with him about Greenwood since he didn’t actually join the clan. And to a degree, that’s true. He revealed his own animal and his power to them, but he’s using his power to hide the fact that his hawk’s true size is huge. He knew they’d assume Riley is huge too, since they’re twins. And Riley, he also didn’t tell them that you guys cancel each other out. He says he's certain they’d try to use him against you if he did.”
“They cancel each other out?” Gabe asked.
Xander nodded. “Riley and Reed have to stay at least fifteen feet away from each other whenever they’re Unveiled. If Reed steps anywhere inside Riley’s shell, neither one of them can use their abilities. They can’t even see behind the Veil anymore.”
“Damn!” Darren tore his gaze away from Alley and looked at Riley. “That’s a huge vulnerability. For both of you!”
Xander nodded again, then added, “I’m certain that’s why your parents thought you were Unseeing, Riles. They were testing you when you were next to each other.”
“How did Reed explain to Jack and Will that he was claimed clanlessly?” Katrina asked.
“He said I offered and he refused. He told them he tried to talk Riley out of coming to camp at first because he thought Greenwood was a cult. And that after the three of us had argued about it for a few weeks, he decided to have me claim him clanlessly ‘so he couldn’t be just randomly claimed by another clan in the future the way Riley had been.’ It was genius. I’m so proud of him.”
Riley glowed brighter. She thought they were a cult in the beginning. Reed had used her actual feelings as his explanation.
“After that, Riley, he told them he was sure that no matter where you were at that moment, you were headed to Greenwood. So they drove ninety miles an hour all the way to Bainbridge. Then they sat outside the entrance to Camp Lane, waiting for a car to go in so they could stop it, search it for you, and take you back by force.” Xander turned to grin at Katrina. “Because Riley had you with her and took the tunnel, no car ever went in. They just sat outside camp all night long. Reed said Jack spent the whole time they were waiting kicking himself for not testing Riley and Reed again as soon as they moved to Ohio. He thinks their abilities must've been triggered by being physically on Shawnee land.
“Reed also said that Will has lost his mind.” Xander looked back at Riley, his expression now tender. “Will is a wolf, and he accepted you very young… almost a decade ago, Reed said. On the day that picture on your dresser was taken. But members of fire clans are not permitted to have Veiled partners because they see all Veiled people as being Condemned. The Terrapins let it go when he was young, hoping that you’d still turn out to be one of them. But when Will showed interest in you as a grown man, Jack stepped in to stop him. He had no choice. Their elders threatened to kill you if Will made a move.”
Full of conflicting emotions, Riley looked away. “So now that I’m Unveiled...”
“He’s not going to leave you alone. Ever. In his eyes, you are his wife.” Gabe growled a low feline growl as Xander continued, “I’m certain the only reason Will isn’t standing outside the shield right now, demanding that you come out and join him, is because he knows the Poxinosa are watching. And anything that would put you in danger is not an option to him.”
Xander rubbed his hand over his beard. “The fact that we’re dealing with a mated wolf is great news, Riles. Not only is Will going to help us keep you safe, he would never hurt anyone you care about. In fact, he’d protect Gabe in a fight now. Or Alley, or me, because he knows that if any of us were hurt it would hurt you. Knowing that you’re a Greenwood has tied his hands completely against all of us.”
Riley let out a long breath that she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“If Will is a wolf, what’s Jack?” Alley asked.
“A raven,” Gabe snarled.
Everyone else cringed as Xander nodded, adding, “That may be why the Terrapins gave him the assignment of coming out here to assist the Poxinosa. Ravens are the most clannish people in existence, Riley. Their only loyalty is to their own. I’m sure Jack hates the Poxinosa every bit as much as we do. But because we, Greenwood, have taken you away from him and Will, we are now at the top of his hit list. Where Will would protect us for your sake, Jack would now go out of his way to take any one of us down.”
That much I could have told him. If there’s a threat here, it’s Jack.
Jack can do anything.
Riley heard some commotion outside, then footsteps on the porch. The other Lodge members were returning.
“Do you want to tell them?” Darren asked.
Xander nodded. “We should give them an overview.”
“I’m tired of reliving all this,” Riley complained. “I need to get away from it!”
Xander’s expression was sympathetic. “Please stay a few more minutes. It’s almost over. I’ll do all the talking, Riles.”
She climbed into Gabe’s lap to make room for Pashika to sit beside them. And once everyone was seated, Xander called them all to order and explained — this time without Riley’s help — what happened in Oxford the night before, and that they’d all acquired another roommate.
Riley stared off into space as he spoke. She, too, was thinking about the night before. But what stood out in her mind was not the dreams, or walking out, or racing back to camp, or telling everyone what she’d seen.
It was the moment when she became Unveiled, and Will had gasped.
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