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“So where are Dad and Kaz?” Daniel asked.

“I’m not sure,” Sonia said. “Matthias grabbed Kaz first thing this morning and said he needed her help with something. He’d been talking to Sal so I think she knows what’s going on.” She led them across the Briarthorne campus to where Sarah was staying.

Sarah opened the doot before they reached it. “Hi! Looking for Matt?” she asked before looking over Sonia’s shoulder to Lydia. “Lydia! How are you today?”

“Better, thank you,” Lydia said.

“Yes, we’re looking for Matt and Kaz,” Sonia said. “You know where they are?”

Sarah nodded. “I needed some extra backup for treating Andrew’s friends. I didn’t want to call in my usual help because we’re trying to keep them secret and people will gossip. Matt and Kaz both have good secondary life affinities and already know. It seemed logical.”

Sonia nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, it does. How’s it going?”

“Well,” Sarah said, “but slower than I’d like, which is why I called in help. Anyway come in, we were just having a break.” She led them into lounge where Karen and Matt were sitting. Both looked tired.

“Lyd!” Karen leapt up. “Sorry about last night. How do you feel today?”

“Okay, still sore.”

“Let me have a look,” Sarah said. “I want to make sure your essence is healing correctly.”

“Of course,” Lydia said.

Sraah guided her to a chair and the closed her eyes. Lydia hissed because Sarah’s probe stung as it skittered over her essence.

“Yes, you are tender aren’t you?” Sarah said after a moment. “But it seems to be settling down nicely. Try and avoid doing anything too strenuous for a week ot so. The transformation has only bruised your essence but you could tear it open if you strained yourself. We could fix it of course but you don’t want that level of pain.”

“You really don’t,” Sonia agreed before looking over at Matthias. “Was it really just this that you dragged Kaz off for?”

“Pretty much,” he said. “I do have a few little jobs I need her to do. Nothing to worry about.”

Lydia looked at her father sharply. Why was he being so evasive? Sonia obviously noticed it as well because she snorted.

“I wasn’t worried,” she said dryly. “Just curious. Now I’m worried. When you say there’s nothing to worry about it means you think I’ll worry. You’re usually right about that too, but I’m usually right to worry. What are you getting Kaz into?”

“It’s nothing, mum,” Karen said. “He just wants me to try and turn Helena Merryweather away from her family.”

Sonia hissed sharply at that. “Nothing to worry about?”

“Helena’s an odd one,” Sarah said. “She has fey syndrome. That alone might make her turnable and seperating her and Jasmine would weaken the Merryweathers, which we all want.”

“Fey syndrome?” Sonia blanched. “Excessive empathic sympathy in that family? Poor girl… Still, the Merryweathers are dangerous. Have you spoken to Anthony about this?”

“Actually he was the one who raised it,” Matthias said. “He’s sure that last time he had to flee from his family, he only got way unscathed because she let him go.”

“Do I want to know?” Lydia asked.

“No, but you probably should,” Sonia said. “The Merryweathers are – um – Astral supremicists. Very dangerous ones. That’s why Anthony disowned them.”

“Dad had to expell Ryan Merryweather after he attacked Lisa because she’s an ember,” Sarah added. “Everyone hates them, that’s why we didn’t invite them to the meeting. But they’re huge and close-knit so we’ve never been able to shut them down. Matt’s right that Helena could be an important asset but it is also very dangerous. There has to be another way.”

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