Tangled

Unshift 249

Unshift 249

249 Ava: Unrest

Magister Orion's booming voice wakes me from the unsettling dream, though it's too much work to open my eyes. I'm exhausted. My body feels like it weighs a thousand pounds. My ears tune in before I'm fully awake.

*-in an uproar. Every portal is guarded, and the death tolls keep rising. The militia's working on the riots, but they might not be enough. It makes no sense at all. There's no rhyme or reason to

1. it.

"How safe are we here?"

"It's impossible to tell. The High Fae have already taken one family into custody for insurrection, but it's possible there are more. It's as though everyone's lost their minds."

That doesn't sound good.

My eyes snap open and I struggle to sit up, pleasantly surprised my body's aches are gone, even if I still feel heavy.

"What's going on?"

Magister Orion's face swims into view, his contorted features smoothing over. The sight jolts me fully awake, my heart rate picking up.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, his voice gruff.

I wave off his concern. My health isn't as important as this conversation. "I'm fine. What's going

on?"

Magister Orion exchanges a loaded glance with Vanessa. My stomach tightens.

H

"The city is in an uproar, Magister Orion says, his words heavy. "In the First, Second, and Third Wards, there are riots and uprisings. There's no rhyme or reason. Vampire against vampire, Fac against Fae; it's unclear who is ally or foe."

The timing is suspect. We can't contact anyone outside this place, and now there's civil unrest?

My mind reels, leaving me dizzy. "Does this happen often?"

"No, never." He clicks his tongue, running a hand over his face in frustration. "There have always been struggles of power, but they never involve the city. Assassinations, maybe. Financial destruction. Things of that nature. Too many powerful families have allied to keep peace in this sanctuary; no one can stand up to their combined power."

"Until now," Marcus says, surprising me. I didn't realize he was here.

"Until now," Magister Orion echoes with a sigh. "Too many people are missing. The body count keeps rising"

powerful families, then? Vanessa asks. "Why aren't they keeping the city in

spreads his hands.

249 Ava: Unnest

"There's no sign of Alpha Renard, or any other shifters in the city,

murmur, wondering how all this

no way this

What aren't we seeing?

p Trying to process this information has my head spinning one way, then the other. It feels

woken

the rug get pulled out from under me? "Someone is coming who might have answers," Magister Orion adds. "Do you remember the strange Fae named

the stern woman who resembled my mother. Her cold demeanor is hard

a hint of grudging respect in his tone. "But she's also a wealth of information. She goes through almost every document a

information might she have

she seems agitated by the situation. That alone is cause for concern. Florice never involves herself in politics. She lives and breathes paperwork." "Why would she come to you?" Marcus asks suspiciously. "Do you think this could be

his salt-and-pepper hair catching the light. "Florice may dislike me because I refuse to play by

she trusts you because

aligned myself with any faction. My only interest is in magic and its

posture tense. "But how can we be sure she's not using that neutrality against

I guess it comes with the territory; he's here to

a wry smile. "Florice is many things, but not duplicitous. She's rigid, inflexible, and often infuriating, but she's also honest to a fault. If she's coming to me,

would be dire enough for someone like Florice

249 Ava: Unrest

awake doesn't mean I'm healed; I fall asleep not

point I wake up again, still groggy. Vanessa's gone, and

guess the suppressant's working. That's good

"You feeling okay?"

voice warms

lying in a puddle of my own sweat, but my mind

downstairs, waiting on Florice," Marcus says, noticing when

while to start up, slowly tugging at my memories. "Oh. Florice. Wait,

"Three hours."

That's it?

my face, he says, "You can go

my muddled head, I'm

a seated position, I twist my hair off the back of my neck. The room air is cool against the sweat gathered at my nape. "I think my fever's broken." "You look a

of bacon, but I'll settle for going downstairs

for Florice."

the edge of

steadies me, holding onto my