Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles 3)

Lena smiled.

It’s not funny, L.

I’m not laughing.

Macon raised his hand. “Enough. It’s quite possible something isn’t trying to get into Ravenwood at all. It may already be here.”

“Don’t you think we’d notice if one of Abraham’s Dark creatures had breached the Bindings?” Lena sounded unconvinced.

Macon rose from his seat, his eyes fixed on me. He was looking at me the same way he had the first night we met, when I showed him Genevieve’s locket at this table. “A valid point, Lena. Assuming we are dealing with a breach.”

Leah Ravenwood studied her brother. “Macon, what are you thinking?”

Macon walked around the table until he was standing directly across from me. “I’m more interested in what Ethan is thinking.” Macon’s green eyes started to glow. They reminded me of the luminescent color from the Arclight.

“What’s going on?” I whispered to Leah, who looked shocked.

“I knew Macon’s powers changed when he became a Caster. But I had no idea he could Mindhunt.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” It didn’t sound good, considering that Macon was completely focused on me.

“The mind is a labyrinth, and Macon can navigate his way through it.”

It sounded like one of Amma’s answers, the kind that doesn’t really tell you anything. “You mean he can read minds?”

“Not the way you’re thinking. He can sense disturbances and anomalies, things that don’t belong.” Leah was staring at Macon.

His green pupils were glowing and sightless now, yet I knew he was watching me. It was disturbing to be seen without being seen. Macon stared at me for a long minute. “You, of all people.”

“I what?”

“It seems you have brought something—no, someone— here with you this evening. An uninvited guest.”

“Ethan would never do that!” Lena sounded as surprised as I was.

Macon ignored her, still watching me. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something has changed.”

“What are you talking about?” A sick feeling was building inside me.

Marian stood up slowly, as if she didn’t want to startle him. “Macon, you know the Order is affecting everyone’s powers. You aren’t immune. Is it possible you are perceiving something that isn’t there?”

The green light faded from Macon’s eyes. “Anything is possible, Marian.”

My heart was pounding in my chest. A second ago he was accusing me of bringing someone into Ravenwood, and now he had what—changed his mind?

“Mr. Wate, it seems you are not yourself. Something quite significant is missing. Which explains why I sensed a stranger in my house, even if the stranger is you.”

Everyone was staring at me. I felt my stomach lurch, as if the ground was still moving beneath my feet. “Missing? What do you mean?”

“If I knew, I would tell you.” Macon started to relax. “Unfortunately, I’m not entirely sure.”

I didn’t know what Macon was talking about, and I didn’t care anymore. I wasn’t going to sit here and be accused of things I hadn’t done, because his powers were all screwed up and he was too arrogant to deal with it. My world was collapsing around me, and I needed answers. “I hope you had fun hunting, or whatever you call it. But that’s not what I came to talk about.”

“What did you come to talk about?” Macon sat back down at the head of the table. He said it like I was the one wasting everyone’s time, which only made me angrier.

“The Eighteenth Moon isn’t about Ravenwood or Lena. It’s about John Breed. But we don’t know where he is or what’s going to happen.”

“I think he’s right.” Liv chewed on the end of her pen.