“Why are you telling us all this now?” Josh asked one of the things I’d been wondering too. “You were so secretive when we brought you in to find Eve, then Charlie. Why lay it all out now? Why even bring us here?”
“I trust you.” She shrugged. “I think our goals are aligned, and I think it is time. We know more about the outside world than your Melior Group does, but we are still isolated from it. I am hoping that by bringing you here, the reality of what is happening beyond those cliffs will become more concrete for those who rarely leave.”
She was helping us, keeping us safe from Davis’s greedy clutches, but she was also trying to effect change—in her own community and in the wider world. I admired her for that.
“Nina!” The exclamation was half reproach, half disbelief.
We all turned to look down the street. A small group of people were marching in our direction, varying degrees of anger and confusion on their faces.
Nina groaned. “If they don’t excommunicate me first,” she mumbled before standing to face the group.
The man who’d shouted, the one in the lead, was tall, his full head of white-gray hair a contrast to his dark olive complexion.
“What were you thinking?” he demanded as he reached us. “You brought non-enlightened here? Have you gone completely mad?”
“I understand this goes against our traditions, but I felt I had no choice.” Nina spoke in a low voice, her head bowed, her hands crossed in front of her. “Elders”—she raised her head, looking at them all before turning slightly to us—“this is Evelyn Maynard, a Vivid with great power. She is in danger, and she may just be what we need to help us come to a decision. These are her Bondmates.”
A dozen sets of eyes focused on me. I resisted the urge to hunch my shoulders and sink into the chair, opting instead to wave and smile awkwardly.
Twenty-Seven
The first few days with the Lighthunters were like a holiday. They freezed us out of most of their discussions while they decided what to do with us, and we were placed in a cottage on the quiet side of the island. There were no beaches, but the hill was slightly less steep—not like the sheer drop we’d had to climb up on the way in. It was still impossible to walk down, although the goats didn’t seem to have any issues.
Our cottage was nestled in among about a dozen others. They were temporary accommodation for Lighthunters who didn’t live on the island. As most of them were currently out visiting Vitals and Vivids, all the other cottages were empty.
Ours had a kitchenette, a dining table with four chairs, and a living area with a couch. At the back was a small bathroom and a decent-sized bedroom with two queen beds. Once we’d pushed the beds together and Josh had dragged an extra chair over from the cottage next door, we were actually quite comfortable. A little patio with chairs overlooked the cliff and the stunning view beyond, and farther down, there was even a pool and a traditional Turkish hammam.
We spent the days exploring the island; the perimeter could be walked in under two hours, and we were banned from some areas, so it didn’t take long. Josh found a library in one of the main buildings, so he ended up doing a lot of reading. Alec and Ethan exercised frequently, and I joined them for daily runs.
Tyler struggled the most. He was so used to being in control, calling the shots, and knowing everything. Now, suddenly, he was supposed to just stay out of it. There were no newspaper deliveries on the island and no TV in our cottage. We’d all left our phones behind, and he immediately started having major tech withdrawals.
The sun hadn’t even set on the first day by the time Tyler talked someone into giving him a laptop with a secure connection. He was able to keep an eye on the news; speak with Lucian, Kyo, and Charlie for short periods of time; and with Charlie’s help, even keep an eye on restricted intelligence channels. He didn’t share the info unless someone asked, but he was looking more and more worried each day. It wasn’t a surprise to any of us that things were going downhill.
We spent the evenings eating slow dinners on the patio and sipping Mediterranean wine. We played truth or dare, laughed, and