Kara wound through the aisles of the gear shop she usually visited with Lev. It was a familiar place that was suddenly full of risk. She’d left Teorin in the back to find a backpack that would fit his jacket.

  Right now, she needed something to help her blend in. She was well-known enough in this city that people would recognize her on the streets. There wasn’t much she could do about that, but her hair was her most distinctive feature. The golden waves tended to stand out, making her easy to pick out of a crowd.

  A hat would help. She headed to the ballcap section and grabbed a blue one on sale before making her way to the register.

  Unfortunately, Gemma was working today. Kara knew her. If it had been a stranger, they’d be less likely to remember her, but with Gemma here, it was inevitable that word would get out: Kara had been in the store with a guy no one recognized.

  Ugh. That was going to be all over the gossip mill. Maybe she could muddle the timeline a little.

  “Hey, Gemma. What’s up?” Kara said as she approached the counter, setting the ballcap down.

  “Not much. Slow day, ya know, with most people on break,” Gemma replied.

  “Right,” Kara said with a nod.

  “You?”

  “Just grabbing some gear with my cousin, then heading back up to my office.”

  Gemma raised an eyebrow. “Cousin?”

  “Yeah. He’s just visiting,” Kara said with a shrug. “He likes the beach.”

  “Nice. So why our store, if ya don’t mind me asking? Not a lot of beach stuff. He into backpacking?”

  At that moment, Teorin stepped out from the rows of outdoor gear. Gemma’s eyes widened slightly. Whatever she had expected Kara’s cousin to look like, Teorin clearly wasn’t it.

  At least he had taken off the wing jacket. He clutched it in one hand now.

  Kara forced a laugh. “Yep. Super into backpacking. Can’t get enough of the woods. Right, cuz?” She turned slightly so that Gemma couldn’t see her face, giving Teorin a pointed look: play along.

  Teorin hesitated a moment too long. Kara’s expression shifted to pleading. If Gemma got suspicious, she’d start looking for news, and this store didn’t have net access. She probably didn’t even know about the fire yet.

  Finally, Teorin nodded and gave a small smile. “Right. We figured now was a great time to be out in the woods.”

  Kara barely resisted sighing in relief.

  “For sure,” Gemma said, nodding as she took the backpack from Teorin and started ringing it up. “Just this and the ballcap?” Her eyes stayed on Teorin, though Kara guessed the question was for her.

  “Yep. Just these,” Kara said, nudging Teorin lightly with her elbow.

  “Right,” Teorin muttered under his breath before turning to Gemma with a polite smile. “They’re both on me.” He dug into his pockets and pulled out a 200-reon mark.

  Gemma rang them up. The numbers spun to 183 reons, the mechanical register dinging. Stores with glass windows only used burstproof tech.

  Gemma handed over the change with their purchases. Teorin passed the ballcap to Kara, who shot him a meaningful glance from the backpack to his jacket, then back at him. He got the hint.

  As he slid the jacket into the backpack, Kara turned to Gemma with a bright smile, keeping her attention. “Thanks, Gemma! Hopefully, I made your day a little more interesting.”

  “Oh, you did,” Gemma said with a knowing grin.

  “Lev and I will have to swing by again sometime. Maybe I can get him to bring one of his teammates,” Kara said.

  Gemma chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind that, but also…” She cast a glance toward Teorin.

  Kara cursed internally. It’s those green eyes, isn’t it? Why did he have to stand out so much?

  She glanced back. Teorin was already outside, waiting. Finally.

  “Yeah, my cousin…” Kara hesitated, then leaned in slightly. “If you could not mention him to anyone, I’m sure he’d appreciate it. His family is, uh, kind of extreme.”

  Teorin swung the door open again, calling back, “Coming?”

  “Yeah, just a sec,” Kara said.

  Gemma just smiled and let off a series luminance—an unspoken, Fine, but you totally owe me. Why hasn’t your cousin visited before?

  Kara snorted. “It’s complicated,” she muttered, waving as she headed for the door Teorin was holding open.

  She could only hope Gemma would stay quiet. Otherwise, this whole lay low attempt would spiral out of control fast.

  Slipping past Teorin, Kara scanned the street. No one was around, thankfully. She dug into her backpack and fished out a hair tie. As they walked, she started weaving her hair into a quick braid. She glanced sideways at Teorin, who now sported a t-shirt with the logo of a well-known orchestra.

  Didn’t expect that.

  At least now, he looked like a student.

  Kara still wasn’t sure what to make of him. A lot of his explanations about why they couldn’t publish the pages or go to the authorities sounded extremely paranoid. But Kara was good at telling when someone was lying, and Teorin had seemed sincere.

  And people had been willing to burn down a building to get their hands on those pages.

  So maybe, just maybe, he was telling the truth.

  Either way, Kara knew she had to stay with him. If she left now, she’d never see those pages again—not with how secretive both Teorin and Novem were being.

  She tied off her braid and pulled her hat back on.

  “Did you really need a baseball cap that badly?” Teorin asked.

  Kara shrugged, turning a corner. “Most people around here recognize me by my hair. This was the best incognito option I could come up with on short notice.”

  Teorin’s lips twitched. “And the part about me being your cousin?”

  Kara sighed. “Gemma knows me. The only person I ever go there with is my brother, so when I show up with a random guy? Instant gossip fuel. I had to say something.” She smirked. “Though maybe I should’ve just said boyfriend. Would save me some explaining later when you disappear.”

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  Teorin raised an eyebrow.

  “You didn’t catch her luminance?” Kara asked innocently.

  Teorin shook his head. “Just flashes. Couldn’t make out the specifics.”

  Kara grinned. “Basically, she thinks you’re attractive and would like a date as a favor for keeping quiet.”

  Teorin blushed.

  Interesting. Kara hadn’t been sure how he’d react. He’d seemed totally oblivious to Gemma’s interest. Was he just clueless? Uninterested? Or did he just have bigger things on his mind?

  Probably the last one.

  “You’re making that up,” Teorin muttered.

  Kara chuckled. “Why would I lie about that? Apparently, you’re Gemma’s type.”

  She turned onto a busy boulevard. Teorin glanced around warily but kept walking.

  “If you’re looking for a date after this is all over,” Kara said, trying to lighten the mood, “I will have no trouble finding you one. In fact, after the gossip about my attractive cousin starts, I’ll probably have twenty girls begging me to set them up.”

  Teorin snorted. “Somehow I doubt that.”

  “You’d be surprised what people ask for,” Kara muttered, more bitterly than she intended.

  Teorin caught it. “You have experience with this?”

  He didn’t know. Maybe he didn’t even realize she was Lev’s sister. It was sort of nice for someone to recognize her first for once.

  “Oh, I do. It comes with being a Tanel.”

  Kara waited, watching. It took a second, but then his eyes widened. “Cascades. Lev Tanel. He’s your brother, isn’t he?”

  “Yep.”

  Teorin groaned. “I feel like an idiot now.”

  “Don’t. It’s refreshing, actually. You have no idea how nice it is to be recognized as someone other than Lev’s sister.”

  Teorin hesitated, like he wasn’t sure how to respond. Finally, he said, “Do you really get that many people asking you to set them up?”

  Kara grimaced. “Most of the college girls have figured out that asking me is an automatic strike against them, but that doesn’t always stop them from trying. Most of them just want to say they dated Lev Tanel.” She rolled her eyes. “Not that it’s much of an accomplishment. Lev is happy to oblige plenty of them.”

  Lev had no shortage of admirers. Serious relationships, though? Not really his thing. He just bounced from person to person—like he was always searching for something but too scared to let anyone find him. With valid reason. His affinity made things complicated, but still, she personally didn’t think a trail of broken hearts was a great solution.

  Teorin let out a short laugh. “And here I was thinking I had family drama.”

  Kara smirked. “Oh, don’t worry. You still win that category.” She tilted her head. “Speaking of… any famous siblings other than the one currently hunting me down? What exactly made him go off the rails like that?”

  Teorin was silent for a moment. Then—“My dad died.”

  Oh. Oh.

  And she’d just shoved it in his face like she was trying to carve him up. Not on purpose. Not like that man from before with his sneer and ugly words, but still painful.

  “I’m sorry about your dad.” Her voice was quiet now. And while she was at it, “I’m sorry about earlier, too. About that man on the road.”

  Teorin let out a small, wry laugh. “Wasn’t that the kind of attention you were warning me about?”

  “No,” Kara said, voice flat.

  Teorin’s grin faded. He got it.

  She exhaled, rolling her shoulders. “It just… ticked me off.”

  Teorin glanced at her. “You’re not the one he was talking about.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Kara said. “I’ve been there.”

  Teorin raised an eyebrow.

  She kept walking. “It’s different, sure, but mostly just different words. Not ‘time bomb.’ Smaller things. Being called nothing but a living history book. Lev getting trashed for being famous just for existing, for coasting on a name.”

  Her voice dropped slightly. “The disgusting ones. Being told I’d be a prettier picture if I lit up, but since I don’t, I should give them something else.”

  Teorin exhaled sharply.

  Kara chuckled, shaking her head. “You don’t get that one?”

  “I don’t even know if I could take that sitting down,” Teorin said. “Did you?”

  She considered him for a second. He’d walked away from just as bad earlier, just a different angle. Did that make her respect him more or feel sorry for him?

  “I can’t blast someone across the room even if I wanted to.” She shrugged. “Not saying you would, but you could.”

  Teorin didn’t argue.

  “Still,” she continued, “I learned to deal with it eventually. Make sure they know they don’t get to talk like that for free. Of course, sometimes someone gets a little overprotective and does it for me.”

  Silence stretched for a moment. “That one?” Kara smirked. “Lev punched him in the face.”

  Teorin blinked, then laughed. “Your brother’s a bit of a hothead, huh?”

  Kara grinned. “You have no idea, but people don’t mess with him much anymore. He knows exactly how far to go. Me? I’ve still just got words.”

  Teorin huffed a quiet laugh. “I honestly think you scared that guy earlier.”

  Kara smirked. “Oh, he was definitely scared by the end, but I’m pretty sure he thought you were about to blast him into a wall.”

  Teorin snorted. “True. Though if I had acted, I doubt I’d get off scot-free.” He shook his head. “We can’t all be Lev.”

  “Yeah. Lev is—” Kara cut off. The words stuck in her throat.

  He’s one of a kind.

  And he’s right here.

  A cold weight settled in her stomach. Then, her pulse kicked up.

  Teorin’s stance shifted, suddenly alert. “What’s wrong?”

  Kara swallowed, trying to steady herself. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Yet. But… you don’t think they’d go after Lev, do you? If they couldn’t find me?”

  Teorin didn’t answer. The silence made it worse.

  Panic clawed up her chest. Lev was so easy to find, and he didn’t even know he was a target.

  “I have to tell him,” Kara said, breath hitching. “My parents live in another city, but Lev is right here. If they hurt him—”

  “Kara. Calm down.”

  Her mouth snapped shut.

  Teorin’s voice was firm but not harsh. “I doubt that’ll be their first thought. Lev is too visible. They’ll try and find us first, alright?”

  Kara took a deep breath, forcing herself to nod.

  Teorin exhaled, watching her carefully. “I know you don’t trust me much, but we aren’t just wandering around, right? Where exactly are we going?”

  Kara took another breath, slower this time, trying to settle the spiraling panic. “The ice cream parlor is probably our best option,” she said as they reached an intersection. She turned left and crossed the street—

  But Teorin was no longer beside her.

  She glanced back. Teorin had stopped dead in the middle of the intersection, staring at her like she’d grown another head. “An ice cream parlor?” he demanded. “That’s your plan?”

  Kara almost smiled. His reaction alone made the choice worth it.

  “I know the owner, John, pretty well. He and my uncle are good friends, and at this time of day, there shouldn’t be much business. We can stay for a while. Besides,” she added, smirking slightly, “I doubt anyone would go looking for us there.”

  Teorin huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “That might be true. Are we close?”

  “Yes.”

  Teorin fell back into step beside her. “Do you have a way to message Lev? Without getting us caught?”

  “I can call him. He should be on campus right now. If I leave a message, he’ll come meet us.”

  “Kara. That sounds exactly like the kind of plan that gets us found. We’re hiding, remember?”

  Right. Right. Secrets and lies and… She just wanted to live her life. She just wanted Lev to be safe. Why did this have to happen?

  She tried a different approach. “I won’t say I sent the message. Lev visits John all the time. They’re friends. If being followed really is a danger, then saying anything about us in the message would be dangerous. Even warning Lev he could be followed would tip them off.”

  Teorin frowned. “So how exactly are you going to get him to come without telling him who you are?”

  Kara shrugged. “I just need some reason for John to invite him to the ice cream parlor.”

  Teorin ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to be running through the possibilities in his head.

  Kara let him think.

  Finally, Teorin sighed. “Fine. Have Lev meet us there.” His voice was cautious. “But we have to be very careful. My brother doesn’t seem to be following us, but after all the effort they went through to burn the building down?” His expression darkened. “It doesn’t make sense for them to just ignore us.”

  That did seem odd now that Teorin mentioned it.

  “You know these people better than I do,” Kara said. “What kind of group is your brother even working with?”

  Teorin scowled. “Technically, he’s a mercenary, but he has a permanent contract with the da Silvas.”

  Kara stopped short. The da Silvas? One of the big three Clans?

  She knew they were secretive, but they were known for their companies, not outright destruction. They held seats on research councils, bankrolled entire expeditions, and quietly pulled strings in the background.

  But burning down a building? That wasn’t their style. If anything, it sounded more like the Ribeiro Clan, but even then, only in whispers. She wanted to ask more, but the hard set of Teorin’s jaw told her not to push it.

  Instead, she asked, “So if they’re not ignoring us, what are they doing?”

  “I don’t know.” His voice was tight. “Just keep your eyes open, alright? We’re not out of the woods yet. Not even close.”

  Kara nodded. “Will do, but for now, we’re here.”

  They rounded the corner, and Kalin Bay Ice Cream came into view. The name was painted in old-fashioned lettering across the front. When they were younger, she and Lev had teased John endlessly about it, throwing out more and more ridiculous name suggestions with every visit.

  “Windows?” Teorin asked.

  The storefront was glass, revealing several empty booths and tables inside.

  “There’s a room in the back for large groups and reservations,” Kara said. “We can go there.”

  Teorin didn’t look thrilled, but he nodded.

  Kara strolled toward the door. “I hope you like ice cream,” she said before pushing inside.

  Because they might be stuck here for a while, and ice cream was about the only perk.

  eviction. If you want me to keep paying rent, you’ll let me do it my way. They all know they can follow the archive.