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"

all these powerful families, then? Vanessa asks. "Why aren't

spreads his hands.

249 Ava: Unnest

Alpha Renard, or any other shifters in the city, including the rogues who

I murmur, wondering how all this ties into our inability

way

What aren't we seeing?

has my head spinning one way, then

woken

this feeling is getting too familiar. How many more times will the rug get pulled out from under me? "Someone is coming who might

recalling the stern woman who resembled my mother. Her cold

of grudging respect in his tone. "But she's also a wealth

information might she have

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 a ploy

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

over. "So she trusts you because

Magister Orion nods. "I've never aligned myself with any faction. My only interest is in magic and its

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

comes with the territory; he's

She's rigid, inflexible, and often infuriating, but she's also honest to a fault. If she's coming

be dire enough for someone like

249 Ava: Unrest

fall asleep not long after,

up again, still groggy. Vanessa's gone, and only Marcus

suppressant's working. That's

"You feeling okay?"

gruff voice warms my

puddle of my own sweat, but

Marcus says, noticing when I look

slowly tugging at my memories. "Oh. Florice. Wait, how long have

"Three hours."

That's it?

my face, he says, "You

muddled head,

Shoving myself into 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 little better," he

want a shower, and about twenty pounds of bacon, but I'll settle

for Florice."

slide off the edge of the bed, I fall to

my arm as