y

and the first thing my old teacher

artment with an ice pack press

Ashby," I

l's chief interpreter for twenty years

final apprentice. Three years ago, the week before I was supposed to fly out t

spoken to

tly, you lasted a year longer than I bet you would. Are you done wasting t

phone. "I owed you an apolog

her end. "The Council is hosting a delegation from the Desert Pack tonight at The Aster. Sheikh Fais

by, I haven't worked a Cou

she snapped. Then her voice softened, just a fracti

es

in the phot

ic

finished climbing all the

of the staff briefing room at The Aster in a tailored

aining camp were lined up in front of Diane Lowell,

Do you do Council summits a lot?" she whispered. "If I mess up

small shake

se, a sharp voice cut across the

is there someone her

head t

aight at me, her nostrils flaring slightly as she t

Council summit? They'll sme

ainees snickered u

badge pinned to her

ld her final trial in Chicago, there had been one oth

arance was signed by the Council's chief

et. Tessa's face went

side me tugged my sleeve, her eyes huge. "I'm Lindsay Shaw. Wa

Ashby had told the Council to save my

l's party just pulled up. Vaughn Pack's head is meeting him inside to disc

Dire

arble rotunda at the to

o Council security guards we

t issued by the Council," t

pped, his face dark with humiliation as three other Alphas

and saw me comin

d. "Ivy? What

own. I didn't e

opened instantly for my silver Council badge, and stopped in fr

, classical Gulf Arabic, welcoming the Desert Pack to

rise before he smiled and answered me in ra

voice cracked acros

do you spe

d two steps behind him. Ton

s were blinding. I guided the Sheikh toward the hosti

stopped dead

ear-old powerhouse who ran half the energy grid in Texas. I recognized her sharp cheekbones

charcoal bespoke suit that fit his broad s

slated the introductions, gesturing toward th

er with narrowed eyes, their nostrils flaring slightly, as if they w

his eyelashes. He shook the Sheikh's hand as if

ecurity, refining quotas. At the end of a long sentence about shipping schedules, the Sheikh added an offhand m

rt of the formal terms, so I kept my tra

inch toward Ryder, her

take t

fixed on the skyline outside the window. His voice was

ple would share their researc

face twitched as I turned back to the Sheikh and

od the Arabic.

ue spok