Mr. Takata sat up even straighter, his expression serious. “Knowing what I know due to my work, and knowing what I know due to my connection to two Vivids, I can’t in good conscience sit by and do nothing. Regardless of what the Lighthunters decide to do, I am prepared to take whatever action is necessary to put a stop to this. I am at your service, Evelyn.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, still a little uncomfortable at the intensity of his devotion.
His grandmother patted his hand and smiled, the lines in her face deepening. He’d spoken in English, but she’d gleaned the gist of it.
“I don’t know what the answers are.” Alec took a sip of his own tea, scowling at the little cup as if he wished it were something stronger. “I’m not even sure what the right questions to ask are. But one thing I know for certain is we have to keep Evie safe.”
No one disagreed with him. Nina started to chat with Mr. Takata and his formidable mother in Japanese while Alec continued to scowl into his tea.
Tyler was leaning back against the wall of the teahouse, frowning, his unfocused gaze pointed at his feet.
I was just about to ask him where he’d gone when his shoulders tensed. The change in posture was barely discernible—something I wouldn’t have even noticed if I hadn’t been staring at him. His eyes remained unfocused but started to dart around, as if he were looking for something the rest of us couldn’t see.
I moved without thinking, my Light reacting to his body’s need for it. My hand covered his, and after only a few moments, he whipped his head up.
He flipped his hand so he could hold mine in a firm grip. “We need to leave. They found us.”
“What? How?” I demanded at the same time Alec shot to his feet with a growled, “Fuck.” He looked ready to throw me over his shoulder and just run down into the valley.
“We have about an hour until they reach us. They’ve been watching you since we met in New York.” Tyler nodded at Mr. Takata, and the older man frowned in confusion.
“It’s not possible. I’ve taken every precaution.”
“Your countermeasures were excellent, but some footage from the hotel lobby slipped through. It took them a while to put it together, but now we have a team of six, disguised as tourists, coming up the main path.” He pointed across the square.
“Are there any other ways in or out of the village?” Alec asked as everyone else got to their feet.
“No,” Tyler and Mr. Takata answered at the same time. The latter elaborated, “Climbing the peak of the mountains is too treacherous, and the descent into the valley can only be managed if you’re a goat.”
Alec cursed again, but Mrs. Takata cut in with a gentle touch to her grandson’s arm. She spoke in rapid Japanese, impossible for me to follow, but he translated for us.
“There is a young man in the village with an invisibility gift. He does not have a Vital, but if you are willing to share your Light, Evelyn, he can hide you all.”
“But what about you? What about the village? These men are dangerous.” I took Mrs. Takata’s hand. Her skin was paper thin, her hand fragile, but her grip was strong. I’d only just met her, yet I’d already learned so much. Now I was about to leave just as I’d brought danger to her doorstep.
A heavy, twisted feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Destruction followed me everywhere I went.
“If they are claiming to be tourists, there should be no issues.” Mr. Takata waved his hand. “If they ask questions, well, I am simply here visiting my grandmother. And if they get violent, we are more than capable of defending ourselves.”
He was such a calm, pleasant man I sometimes forgot Mr. Takata was in the same line of work as Alec and Tyler. I nodded reluctantly.
“We have a way off the mountain, but then what?” Alec asked. “We can’t trust any of our Melior Group contacts on the ground here. Not anymore. What’s our next move?”
“You come with me.” Nina crossed her arms, nothing but determination on her face. “I can get you out and somewhere safe, and it may be just what we need to convince the rest of the Lighthunters to take action.”
Alec looked to Tyler. We had no other ideas, and it sounded good to me,