Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 156: Lyre: Assigned Missions

LYRE

Thankfully, Grace seems to have a natural affinity for arcana manipulation. It might seem as if it would be natural with her being an Anchor, but... surprisingly, it isn’t always.

I frown at my phone. No Plausibility warnings yet—which is suspicious in itself. My screen glows with a stomach-sinking alert.

It isn’t like I didn’t know it was coming, but still...

[ASSIGNED MISSION: Neutralize detected agent of Chaos in Region 23-BETA.]

The alert is region-wide, meaning Owen’s probably got the same message burning a hole in his pocket. At least he’s competent.

"What’s this?" Grace is staring at her own phone with a frown. When she sees me looking at her, she turns the screen toward me. "What does this mean, Lyre? It’s from that app."

The familiar interface of the Divinity App glows back at me. And a mission.

But this one is different.

[ASSIGNED MISSION: Investigate disturbance in Region 20-L. Locate and secure compromised artifacts. Report findings.]

Region 20-L. Blue Mountain territory. Grace’s old pack, and the same place she was running from.

"Let me see that." I snatch the phone, scanning for details. Grace is nowhere near ready for field assignments. She’s barely grasped the barest concept of her own power, for fuck’s sake.

Then my eyes land on the bottom of the screen.

[Temporary Guardianship Assigned By: Reaper Caeriel]

"That son of a bitch!" The words explode from me before I can stop them.

The camper shudders violently, dishes rattling in the cupboards. A few books tumble from their shelf. Grace yelps as her coffee cup slides across the table, grabbing it just before it tips over the edge.

"Earthquake? Do we even get earthquakes here?!"

I force my breathing to slow, pushing my rage back into the box where I keep all my other inconvenient emotions. "No. Not an earthquake."

That overdressed, obsessive bastard. Caeriel knows exactly what he’s doing. Assigning guardianship of an untrained Anchor without consultation? Sending her back to the place she just escaped?!

He’s trying to corner me, force my hand. And the worst part is I can’t follow her there—I’m bound by my own mission parameters.

Fuck!

Before I can explain anything to Grace, the door’s yanked open. Caine fills the doorframe, wild-eyed and bristling with protective fury.

the hell was that?" he demands, eyes darting between us. "Grace,

wolves in this

out the door. Another flick of my wrist slams it shut, and

starts immediately. "Lyre! Open

to Grace, who looks torn between shock and wanting to let him in. "Listen to me very carefully." I keep my voice deadly serious, and she jerks her eyes away from the door to meet mine. "Caine cannot know about the app. Not now,

"But why—"

about missions and divinities, he’ll think you’ve lost your mind." I lean

draw together. "What does

means reality will shift to maintain coherence. And those shifts are rarely gentle." The banging on the door grows more insistent. "I don’t like telling you to keep secrets, especially from him. But this is

what I’m asking settles on her face. She nods slowly, reluctantly, as Caine continues his

then? What am I supposed to do?" Grace asks, her voice steadier than I would have expected from someone who

old pack. To Blue Mountain." The words

voice goes up into a half-shriek; I can’t

jaw. "And I can’t go with you. I’m pinned here by my own assignment.

I get

is such a fucking pain in the ass. There’s no way I’m going to find his agent

Damn it.

don’t want me there. And I don’t know what I’m looking

The app will help." I run a hand through my hair with a grimace. This is not how I expected today to go. I was hoping to grab the Sleeping Beauty of a wizard

point of filling him with arcana if this stupid fucking mission is in the

tried to stay away from this

eye socket. If that pretentious divinity hadn’t made direct contact with you, we wouldn’t

Fenris’s deep, warning growl join Caine’s demands. The kids are shouting, too, and Grace doesn’t like it. Her hands

of my finger

they’re still outside banging and yelling away. But now at least Grace

my chest twists at the fear in her

work on her

you. And if you

frowns at me. "Why

she would bring up the annoying and mysterious Rafe. It looks like Caine’s finally eclipsed her

for him. What a useful

girl

than you even

I hope.

Caeriel lets

I’ll have to send him a warning,

notification there. It won’t go away until the mission is completed, one way or another. "How long will