Eclipse Sector (V-Clan #3)

31. Ivana

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

IVANA

Ashlyn’s journals were spread out across the floor, their designs identical.

So much for recognizing one of them, I thought, blowing out a breath.

The only identifier on any of these was a symbol on the bottom right-hand corner of each front cover. But no one seemed to know what the symbols meant.

No one being me, Cillian, Kieran, Lorcan, Quinn, and Kyra.

Several of us had started scanning through piles of books while Lorcan and Cillian looked up the symbols in their data archives.

But three hours later, none of us had gotten anywhere.

“We’re missing something,” I said, looking at Cillian. “She told me about these journals. She told me to be careful with Prince Cael, that he’s surrounded by darkness. And she told me to tell you a new life is more important than an old one.”

That last part still didn’t make sense to me.

Was she talking about our baby? Or something else entirely?

And who is the old life? Her?

“What exactly did she say to you?” Kieran asked, his focus on Cillian as well.

“She called me stubborn, said my decisions didn’t just impact my life, but someone else’s, too—which I’ve since realized likely applies to Ivana. And she seemed pretty spooked by seeing Grey.” Cillian frowned as he uttered that final reveal. “She said he didn’t mean her harm, though. Just expressed surprise that their destinies were crossing this early.”

Kyra and Quinn shared a look.

“She didn’t join this program to find a mate,” Quinn said. “You and I both know that.”

Kyra nodded. “She’s always been interested in Alphas, but not in a mating kind of way.” She glanced at Lorcan as she added, “She wanted to know how to fight them.”

“How to defend herself,” he clarified.

Kyra shrugged. “Same thing.”

Her mate grunted. “Only to you, little killer.”

He talks a lot more now, I thought, blinking at Lorcan.

Yes, it’s unnerving, Cillian replied into my mind, a hint of amusement underlining his words.

“But my point is, we knew from the beginning that Ashlyn joined this program for a purpose that had nothing to do with taking a mate,” Quinn said. “And now I’m thinking it was to protect the other Omegas.”

“Only, they were still dosed with the estrus party serum,” Kieran replied, his gaze intent as he studied his Queen.

“Yes, but Sylvia was dosed first.” Quinn’s expression turned thoughtful with the words. “What if that was unintentional? And meant as a sign? A way to get the others out of Glacier Sector before everyone went into heat?”

“You think Ashlyn drugged her?” Kyra asked, incredulous.

“No… I don’t know. I just…” Quinn paused to blow out a breath. “Look, everything Ashlyn does has a hidden purpose. It has always been that way. And she asked to room with Sylvia.”

“So maybe she saw what happened to her, and whoever is behind this took Ashlyn to silence her,” Kyra offered.

“Or maybe she already knew what was going to happen and wanted to make sure Sylvia was found,” Quinn countered.

The pair of them studied each other for a long moment, their conversation seeming to continue with just their eyes.

They were best friends, and moments like this just drove that history home.

I let them continue their silent discussion and went back to look at the journals again. Specifically, the symbols.

“Do you think these relate to some sort of language?” I asked, talking to Cillian more than to the group. “Like maybe something Z-Clan wolves use to communicate?”

Because the letters looked a bit rune-like. Except they weren’t a script I’d ever seen before, and given what little Lorcan and Cillian found in their archives, it wasn’t anything they recognized either.

Which said a lot, considering their ages.

But maybe we needed an outside opinion.

“We should ask Alpha Grey,” I commented out loud, my eyes widening. “She told you their paths were destined to cross, right? Maybe that was a clue. Maybe she meant they were supposed to cross now. Like, today .”

“Or she was hinting at Grey being the threat,” Lorcan interjected.

“No, she very specifically said he didn’t mean her any harm,” Cillian replied. “And I don’t think she was solely talking about the ice pond incident.”

“That sounds like the Ashlyn we know,” Kyra mused. “Every comment is always a layered riddle.”

“You usually like those riddles,” Quinn commented dryly.

“Not when Ashlyn puts herself in danger,” Kyra growled, her expression darkening. “I’m going to wring her neck whenever we find her.”

“That sounds about right,” Lorcan drawled.

Kyra narrowed her gaze up at her dark-haired, dark-eyed mate. “Do you want me to kill you?”

His lips curled. “I love it when you flirt with me, little killer.”

“Stop distracting me.”

“Stop propositioning me,” he countered.

“You’re infuriating.” She uttered the words with conviction, then threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck as he hugged her back. “Thank you.”

I don’t understand what just happened, I told myself, and Cillian by proxy.

But then I caught some of the answers in Kyra’s and Lorcan’s thoughts.

Lorcan had purposely goaded his mate to take her mind off Ashlyn. Just for a moment.

Because she was blaming herself for not pushing harder when asking Ashlyn about her intentions.

Actually, as I surveyed the group, I realized there was a lot of self-blame going on here.

Cillian, Lorcan, and Kieran all felt responsible as Ashlyn’s protectors.

At the same time, Quinn and Kyra were chiding themselves internally for not making Ashlyn talk.

“She wouldn’t have been able to say anything, even if you had tried to force her to confess,” I blurted out. “She told me she couldn’t share her visions. That’s why she wrote them down.” I held up two of the diaries. “And these are full of gibberish without timelines. Going through them all is going to take weeks. But if we can figure out what those symbols mean…”

“They might help,” Cillian finished for me. “I agree. And I agree that we need Grey. I don’t think Ashlyn was talking about the pond incident that day; I think she was trying to tell me something else.”

“What about the darkness around Cael?” Kieran asked. “Was she warning us that he’s somehow involved in all this?”

I slowly shook my head. “I don’t think so. She purposely said surrounded by darkness. And she also told me he wasn’t dangerous.”

Kieran nodded. “Then we’ll call Cael and Grey, see if they recognize these symbols, and go from there.”

“Do you think we can trust them?” Kyra asked, her head against Lorcan’s chest. He hadn’t stopped hugging her, but her gaze was on Kieran.

“No,” he replied. “But I’m willing to entertain the concept.”

“As am I,” Cillian agreed, his thoughts telling me why.

My eyes widened as he recalled everything Cael had said to him about me, how he’d called Cillian unworthy, telling him he needed to do better .

Apparently, Lorcan had done the same.

I gaped at him and then at Cillian. They said all that?

He glanced down at me, his lips twitching at the sides. Surprised?

Yes.

Why?

I… I don’t know. I just… I frowned. Lorcan never talks. It was a lame excuse, but the first thing to come to mind. For Cael, I had no comment. I was… stunned.

As you already noted, Lorcan’s a little more chatty these days, Cillian drawled, his arm coming around my shoulders. And he cares about you. Me, too. Which is why I’m curious about Cael’s motives.

Out loud, he shifted topics, telling Kieran about Cael’s growing power.

I listened intently, still surprised by everything I’d overheard in his mind, and even more stunned by what he said about Cael blocking him.

It sounded like what I’d been able to do. Sort of.

Only, my gift , as Cillian had called it, seemed to revolve around brain processes. Or sensing those processes, anyway. Or perhaps just sensing other mental talents.

All of it was very confusing.

However, I was intrigued to learn more about Cael and his potential abilities.

No, Cillian said into my mind, his hand catching my chin. “Stop thinking about Cael. You’re mine.”

I snorted. “You haven’t bitten me yet.”

“Ivana,” he growled, low and with warning. “I will bite you right fucking here and rut you, just so I can ensure Cael gets the fucking message that you’re mine.”

A shiver traversed my spine at the possession underlining his tone. “I?—”

“I assure you, that won’t be necessary,” Prince Cael interjected as he appeared without warning in Kieran’s office. “While I enjoy a good bout of voyeurism on occasion, now isn’t one of those moments.” He turned to address the Blood Sector King. “We need to talk, O’Callaghan.”

“Yes, it would seem we do,” Kieran murmured, his head canting slightly to the side. “I was just about to call you.”

Prince Cael smiled. “I know. That’s why I’m here.”

“You’re going to need to explain that,” Cillian growled, his protective instincts firing.

“Yes, that and a great many other things,” Prince Cael replied. “But first, Alpha Grey needs to review those diaries. There’s an answer inside one of them that we all desperately need.”

“You mean a confirmation,” a deep voice rumbled as Grey materialized in the room, his long blond hair billowing around him in an ominous manner.

I didn’t feel either of them arrive, Cillian growled, his words for Kieran and Lorcan, but I heard him thanks to my adopted talent.

“Start talking,” Kieran said, his power punctuating the statement.

“We think we know where Ashlyn is,” Prince Cael replied. “And we think we know who took her.”

“Who?” Kieran demanded.

Prince Cael met his gaze directly and growled, “Prince Tadhg.”