Page 54 of Red Marked

“I think so too.”

He lets go, pulls the robe tight, and heads back toward the residence wing. This time his shoulders are square, and his head is up.

I turn the other way.

I hope he follows through and signs off on my proposal for night training. It will make things a lot easier.

I can come and go with a piece of paper instead of a hope and a prayer.

My phone buzzes against my thigh again before I reach the stairwell door.

“Are the females secure?” Magma asks as soon as I answer.

“Yes. Everything is under control. They’re fine.”

“Good.” He breathes out a sigh. “How did your boss take it? Do you still have a job?”

I laugh. “Yes, I do. In fact, he’s thrilled. I congratulated him on his forward-thinking because he allowed this training to happen in the first place.”

“Only he didn’t allow anything, did he?” I can hear that Magma is smiling.

“No way.”

Magma laughs. “You’re a menace.”

“I learned from the best.”

“I’ll be there at first light,” he says. “I’ll bring a team. As requested, Robyn is coming. It will be good for Koa to see a familiar female. The Council will have their paperwork ready, and Mistveil can argue with it all they like. Those three are Draig citizens, and they’re coming home.”

“Good.”

“Flint.” His voice drops. “Well done. I mean it. Carla is going to lose her mind when I tell her.”

I stop on the landing between floors.

“There’s something else,” I say under my breath.

“I’m listening.”

“I brought one of the Red females back with me. She’s the leader. Her name is Star.”

“What?” His breathing picks up. “Are you insane? Do you even know why they’re there in the first place?”

“Yes, I have more of an idea. We can talk about it tomorrow. The females on that mountain…Star’s people. They are believed to be dead.”

“Dead? Did I hear right? Did you say dead?”

“You did. I know it’s complicated, but you’ll just have to trust me. None of them did anything wrong except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s a cover-up. When word gets out about them being there, they will be in grave danger.” I keep my voice low. “Can you get them off Mistveil Island? All of them. Quietly to somewhere on Draig Island where nobody asks questions until we work out what to do. They are not safe where they are currently.”

The line goes silent.

I wait.

“You’re asking me to hide a whole group of supposedly dead females on our island,” Magma says at last. “And they’re all Reds.”

“I know it’s a big ask,” I say.

“It’s huge. If any of it gets out before we’re ready. If anyone finds out that Draig is harboring—” He stops. I hear him breathe out through his nose. “I don’t like it.”