words had been written in that stupid journal. He was beginning to wish they’d never found the fucking things.
“Whatever happened to the last group, happened fast, I think. In fact, it looks like Malek was the only one left. There’s mention of him closing up the house and planning to secure all the spell books. The last few entries are shorter, and the handwriting is bad before the journal just stops. He had to have been the one to put the trunk in the storage unit.”
“Injured and dying, he was still planning for the next group of us.”
“Wanted to make sure we had what we needed.” Clay closed the journal and tossed it onto the bed. “I’m still trying to find the journal for one of the other Circle members for the same time frame. I really want the one for the Soul Weaver, but either they all kept journals intermittently or some of them are missing.”
“Did you…er…Malek say anything about their plans for the final confrontation with the pestilents?”
Clay cursed under his breath and ran his hand through his hair. “No. Nothing particularly detailed.”
“Is there anything helpful in there?”
“He talks about spells a lot, which ones were helpful and which weren’t. I planned to start cross-referencing with the spreadsheet Wiley is creating. I think we should focus on the magic more. We’ve all got the basics of what our powers can do, but I think we need to work together more.”
“Like how you and Grey can team up?”
Clay’s frowned deepened, and he looked as if Baer stabbed him in the heart. Baer had no desire to hurt his best friend, but right now, he had little reason to trust this journal and a hell of a lot of reasons to trust Grey.
“Yes. We need more of that, I think. We can leave Dane to work on the house.”
Baer nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “I also think we should show this to the others.”
“Not yet. Not until we find out more. There could be so much more information in the other journals.”
“And we could all be looking for it. Everyone looking would make this go faster,” Baer argued.
“And it could turn everyone against Grey without any proof. The man is already hurting and isolated, thanks to his injury. I don’t want him to feel like he’s lost his brothers as well.”
Baer groaned and rubbed his temples. He was starting to get a headache with all this arguing in circles. “Then we need to rip out that page and burn it.”
“Baer—”
The Animal Weaver’s head snapped up and he glared at Clay. “Do you trust Grey or not?”
Clay paused and licked his lips. He actually paled before Baer’s eyes. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “A month ago, I would have easily said yes. He’s done nothing to make me doubt him. He’s a complete pain in the ass, but he’s a good man. But that note…if he betrayed the Circle in the past, how do we know it’s not a part of who he is? The man can read our emotions and thoughts. It wouldn’t be hard at all for him to manipulate and lie to us without us ever knowing it.”
That, unfortunately, was true, but Baer still refused to think Grey capable of it. There had to be more to this story.
“Fine. We keep digging quietly, but the man still deserves to be told the truth. Even if we find nothing. Maybe the last Soul Weaver made a mistake. Doesn’t mean this one will.”
Clay nodded. “Until I figure it out, let’s keep this to ourselves. I don’t even want you to tell Wiley.”
“Keeping secrets from our soul mates? You really think that’s a good idea?”
“I don’t have any good ideas right now, Baer,” Clay said, throwing his hands up in the air. “I’m flying just as blind as you are. All I know is, the past me decided to put out this warning, and he must have had good reason.”
Baer’s belly tightened into a hard knot. Keeping things from the others, especially Wiley, didn’t sit well with him at all. But he could see the logic in looking for more information first. He reluctantly nodded. “I’ll keep this to myself, but don’t let this color your view of Grey. I truly believe he’s on our side.”
“So do I. And right now, him knowing about this would only make him feel worse. He’s got blindness to deal with.”
Baer’s heart went out to his friend. He looked exhausted and emotionally torn.