Tangled

258 Ava: The Distance Between Us

By the looks on everyone's faces, they're thinking the exact thing I am.

"So, we won't only be fighting the enemy. We'll be fighting our friends. Family. Lovers."

My voice is flat and distant, the words feeling like they're coming from thousands of miles away.

"It is possible," Acarus murmurs, rubbing his eyebrow as he sighs. "Without knowing how they do it, how long it takes, what it involves..."

But my ears aren't listening. I'm thinking back to Sister Miriam and how she popped into my room out of nowhere to give me cryptic warnings. "Sister Miriam knew what they were doing.

Acarus hesitates. "In a sense, yes."

I pin him with a hard stare. "She knew what they were doing and never told us."

Marcus and Vanessa's gazes go dark; Sister Miriam has been a solid ally of recent times, but her nonanswers have not endeared her to the wolves.

The man claiming to be Sister Miriam's son holds up his hands. "Don't look at me like that. I do not have power over the knowledge my mother divulges, or doesn't."

Marcus scowls, and Acarus sighs. "Understand, my mother is full of knowledge. Some relevant. Some not. Things that never came to pass. Things that did. Most with clairvoyance go mad, living half in this world and half in another. Whatever information my mother deigns to share is a gift. It is not fair to put the weight of your world on her shoulders, don't you think? If she does it for you-then who next? How many more times must she go through several possibilities, never knowing which will come to pass?

When he puts it like that...

I shift uncomfortably, realizing that I've shredded my last piece of bread into little more than crumbs. "Where is she now?"

"She and your dog-wolf are with your alpha. From what I understand, the wolf won't leave his side."

Selene? Not leave Lucas' side?

That's beyond unexpected, going straight up the ladder to bizarre and out of character.

"Do you know how close I need to be to gain contact with Selene again?" I ask, throwing the question to any of them to answer. Acarus shakes his head. "I am no expert on Lycan bonds."

Marcus looks thoughtful. "A bond between low-ranking members of the pack to their alpha is about fifteen miles. A delta can reach Lucas over thirty miles away. Kellan and Lucas have been known to communicate at fifty miles, though it requires a great deal of concentration. Mos missions are created with these general guidelines of distance in mind. Of course, these are

C

250 Ava: The Distance Between Us

This is the first time I've heard it broken down in such a way. "What about mated pairs?"

Vanessa clears her throat. "It depends on the bond between them and their individual strength. Vester can only reach me about forty miles apart, but I can reach him from as far as one hundred. He can't respond, but he can receive."

"Can you reach-"

"No." She cuts me off gently, sadness in her eyes.

Of course. She needs to see her mate, too.

So, farther than a hundred miles away. I think back to the times Selene and I have been apart. "I feel like my range with Selene is much shorter."

"It's a new bond. No matter how close you are with your wolf, it takes time until you can think ast one. You and Selene have been at odds, haven't you?"

"No." I frown. "Not at odds, but she's been quieter lately, and I question her more than I used to."

"Growing pains," Marcus says out of nowhere. "Happens to all of us."

As we fall silent, Acarus clears his throat. "Now, as far as traveling to meet your allies-the journey to your pack is safer in these rural areas, Acarus says, his voice calm and reassuring. "There's little established wolf presence here, so there has been no war."

My heart leaps in joy, but Vanessa's brow furrows in confusion.

"Wait," she interjects. "If there's no wolf presence, how is Lucas being treated in a hospital?"

It's a valid question, one I hadn't even thought to ask. My mind had been so focused on the possibility of seeing Lucas that I'd overlooked the logistics.

Acarus nods, acknowledging Vanessa's point. "He's in a small hospital run by supernaturals with no affiliations. They're registered supernaturals, to be clear

Marcus frowns, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "There are no supernatural communities on

the far border."

But Acarus doesn't seem fazed by Marcus's doubt. "These are registered supernaturals who have chosen to integrate with human society. They're not part of established communities in the traditional sense, though they abide by the laws of the land."

But if there are supernaturals in this place, how can it be safe?

Acarus glances at me, seeming to understanding my unspoken question. "While human cities

those with established pack presences. The

have been attacked, they are all major cities o

country is still safe, for now"

For now. For how long, though?

Marcus grunts. "Do you have a map?"

"I do." Acarus gets up immediately, heading to a large cabinet. "There's more news that should make you happy, Ava," he adds over his shoulder.

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"Your friend-the one liberated from the Mad Prince's dungeon-should be there soon. These

are refugees from the supernatural communities to the north."

My heart beats furiously. "Lisa's coming?"

Knowing she's safe and being able to see her with my own eyes are two very different things. Knowing I'll be reunited with the people I care about most has my limbs limp with relief, despite the horrors and atrocity outside of this house. "That's wonderful. Do you know how she's doing? Who she's with? Is she okay? Healing fine?"

"She's doing well, from what I hear. Aside from malnutrition, she's been fine. I assume trauma as

well, but they aren't great with therapy in that community. Not very modern. Supernatural

mental health falls behind advances in modern medicine."