Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 423: Ava: New Order

These two know each other?

"Indeed it has, Orion." The Grand Sage is dwarfed next to the Magister. He speaks with warmth, though. "Though I wish our reunion came under better circumstances. This isn't the first time I've caught you breaking into one of my ships, is it?"

"Ah. It was yours, then. We were concerned… Well, never mind that." The giant man looks sheepish as he ducks his head. "My apologies, Grand Sage. Though now that I am seeing you both, I must ask—is your friend safe now? The human girl?"

"Lisa?" My heart swells at his concern. Even after all this time, he remembers. "Yes, she's safe."

The Grand Sage nods in confirmation. "We've kept her well protected since her return."

"Good, good." Magister Orion's shoulders relax slightly. "We have feared the worst in these past months. Establishing contact with friends has become impossible with the New Order in place."

"The New Order?" My throat tightens as memories of the press conference flash through my mind. The President's vacant stare. His monotone voice. The way everything felt wrong.

That must be it.

Of course they have some terrible name like the New Order.

"Ah." Magister Orion's face darkens. "You've seen them, then?"

"The President's speech, right?" I shift my weight, and the sole of my boots squeak over packed snow. "It was strange. All the supernaturals there."

a puppet." Magister Orion's voice drops to a growl. "The New Order seized

Orion's party, inspecting them all one by one, even as he speaks. "What do you

The registered communities live under martial law. Even the unregistered territories have fallen." He spreads his massive hands. "They've taken everything, little witch.

no one

New Order was thorough. They infiltrated every level of power. By the time anyone realized

we suspected, Selene

much of it together over time, though we still don't understand who they are. Or

continues. "They've placed their people in every major pack. Every vampire coven. They monitor

my legs feeling a little like jelly. Greg reaches out in silence to grab my elbow

happy vibration it was doing earlier, but a morose kind of rocking and rolling with a tinge of

and my mind refuses to process the implications. It has so many other questions

Orion telling us to escape. The door exploding. Guards invading, yelling for his arrest. "They said you murdered Florice.

shoulders rise and fall. "That particular misunderstanding was cleared up rather quickly. It was little more than a ruse

something as simple as a misunderstanding.

more interested in me, it seems like overkill to pretend he murdered

she speaks up for the first time. It's good to see her, too. "It

of

Magister Orion's laugh booms across the snow. "Little witch, they never got me that far. Don't you worry. There is no

of Layla. She's missing. Most of the faces here with the Magister are unfamiliar, or only vaguely familiar.

running a resistance cell