224 The Message (1/2)

”Sometimes I think you have the most rotten luck, Dean,” Arah noted after she'd read my story.

I nodded in agreement as there have been one too many close calls in my life this past year.

”It's not all a loss,” I answered.

”The Claw burning the one place we could find clues in wasn't a total loss?” Arah reminded me. ”How so?”

Right at that moment, Aura was walking toward us and I noticed the rolled up scroll in her hand with its unbroken seal.

I got up from my seat next to the fire, but I remembered to answer Arah's question right afterward.

”We figured out which group of teens they're after,” I answered.

”Who? Tell me,” Arah asked impatiently.

I reached out a hand to receive the scroll from Aura.

”Sophomores… they're looking for one of us,” I replied in an ominous tone.

”How in blazes would you know that?” she asked as she too got up. ”Did you read the signs in the fire or something?”

I knew Arah was making a joke, but I actually thought she'd hit near the mark on that one.

”Actually, I did, yeah,” I chuckled.

I inspected the seal in the scroll. It belonged to the Council which meant I was probably getting new orders. This made me sigh deeply as sudden orders often meant something wicked this way comes.

”I watched the fire raging inside the records room for a full five seconds before I decided to gamble on luck and activate Eagle Vision,” I explained. ”Lo and behold, the golden glow that appeared whenever I needed insight lit up a file cabinet for three Sophomore classes… including ours.”

From the corner of my eye, I could see Arah shaking her head at me.

”You didn't think to use Eagle Vision while you were in there the first time?” she criticised.

”I know, I know,” I shrugged. ”I'm pretty beat up about it too… I really need to use that ability more often so I can get the hang of it some more…”

”You should be using it all the time,” Aura cut in.

”Exactly,” Arah agreed. ”Who doesn't use the most effective investigative tool in their bag of tricks?”

I frowned at the pair of them.

As these two got closer and closer, they'd gotten into the habit of ganging up on me whenever I made a booboo. It wasn't helping my confidence at all.

”A little help here, Ty,” I called to my friend who'd remained in his seat and staring into the bonfire.

”I'm not getting in between you and A-squared,” he said.

That was a mistake, one I was very happy he made as neither girls liked the nickname Ty and I had given them. And while their wrath had now turned on him, I broke the seal on the scroll and examined the contents written within.

At the end of my examination, I let out a long and troubled breath. ”As if I didn't have other things to worry about…”