“Mischa! Damn it, answer me. What did you See?” Mandla grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard. She finally snapped out of her trance, but started shaking so hard I don’t think she could’ve answered if she wanted.

I was so absorbed in the drama, while keeping an eye on Hashim who looked as if he might leap onto Mischa to get answers, I didn’t see Travis admit another person into the room. Big mistake on my part. Because it would have been nice to not squeak like a little girl when the Alpha Female stepped forward.

“What is going on here?” a tiny girl with dark skin and darker eyes and hair asked. She was wearing a Manchester United t-shirt, ripped jeans, and flip-flops, which made her look all of nineteen. If it hadn’t been for the power radiating off of her, I would have actually considered her harmless.

The Seers all went down on one knee, even Mischa, who almost collapsed trying to get there.

It was Hashim who answered his queen. “Mischa touched the Thaumaturgic. She’s refusing to tell what she Saw.”

The Alpha Female cocked her head to one side, sending a heavy curtain of hair cascading over one shoulder. “Mischa?”

“I… I can’t remember.” Mischa’s eyes darted to mine for the briefest of moments. In that fleeting look one thing was overtly clear: She was lying. “I’m sorry, your highness.”

“Are you certain you can’t remember? You do understand the penalty for lying to me, don’t you?”

Mischa visibly paled. “I promise. Let Lizzie read me.”

The Alpha Female nodded at the red head. “Do it.”

Lizzie placed her hand on Mischa’s cheek, closed her eyes, and started swaying as a strange humming noise emitted from her throat. She went on like that for longer than was entirely comfortable before releasing Mischa and opening her eyes.

“I only get confusion and fear, your highness. I believe her.”

“Can you See the truth?” It slipped out before I remembered I should be attempting to be invisible.

Lizzie blushed, which made her look even younger. “I’m a Soul Seer. I pick up on emotions and the occasional stray thought.”

Emotions and the occasional stray thought? Talley could totally kick her butt in a Soul See-Off… not that it was a competition or anything.

“Harper is it?”

“I prefer Scout,” I said, sounding more calm and collected than I actually was.

“My name is Sarvarna, but I prefer ‘your majesty’, ‘your highness’, or, as you Americans are so fond of, ‘Alpha’.” The funny thing was, she wasn’t trying to be ironic. The chick really thought I would want to know that she preferred to be addressed royally.

“You’re the Alpha?” When a healthy dose of pissed off flicked across her face I backtracked. “Sorry, it’s just that I’m confused. I was under the impression the Alpha Male and Alpha Female were mates.”

One corner of her mouth lifted. “We are.”

Oh. Okay. So, her and Stefan…

Ewww. Just, ewwwwwwww.

As the realization and my feelings on the matter played across my face, Sarvarna’s smile widened, showing teeth just as small and perfect as the rest of her. “It took quite a bit of doing,” she said, “but eventually I was able to win him over.”

She looked rapturous. Mischa and Lizzie both looked a bit uncomfortable. True looked as ill as I felt.

“How… fortunate for you,” I said. “Stefan seems… nice?” God, what were you supposed to say to a real life Lolita?

“Your approval means the world to me, Thaumaturgic.”

I made my tongue bleed to keep from saying something ill-advised. Lizzie spoke into the stilted silence my efforts caused. “Want me to take a turn, your highness?”

“Are you certain?” Sarvarna asked.

Lizzie’s head nodded as her fingers drummed on her thigh.

“Causing her harm will forfeit your life.” The words were severe, but the Alpha Female’s expression was bored. “Are we clear?”

“As a bell.” Because it’s really hard to get that confused.

With a nod from Sarvarna, Lizzie approached the cage. Her steps were smaller and more hesitant than Mischa’s, but I admired the way her eyes didn’t waver from mine. She was young and scared, but she had bravery in aces. Under different circumstances I might have liked her.

When she stopped in front of the bars, she did the same palm up routine. I placed mine on hers, and then as a spur of the moment decision, tried to project the way I did with Talley.

Take what you can. I have nothing to hide, I thought at her.

Her eyes widened in shock before narrowing in concentration. I started feeling a slight pull where our hands met, as if the leeching of my thoughts and emotions had a physical representation. Lizzie probably would have stayed that way for half the day, but on a nod from Sarvarna, Hashim stepped forward and pulled the Seer back.

“Well?” Sarvarna asked. “Did you get anything?”

Lizzie’s cheeks flamed red once more. “Just bits of memories and emotions.” Once again I felt as though a Seer was lying about what she pulled out of me. Oddly, I found that comforting. “But I didn’t feel anything bad or sneaky. I…” She cleared her throat and stared at her bellybutton. “I don’t think she’s a Thaumal… Thaumam…” Another clearing of the throat. “I don’t think she’s a witch.”

The thing about the power surrounding Sarvarna is it was different than the Shifters. Take Travis, for instance. As long as he was within five hundred feet of me, I knew he was there because Wolf Scout acknowledged the existence of another predator. I could feel the competency of his wolf, the strength and the cunning. It was a constant, no matter his mood or the situation. The power was like a favorite hoodie. It just draped over him, there but not screaming for attention.

On the other hand, Sarvarna’s power didn’t just scream, it pitched a full-on temper tantrum. Instead of a hoodie, it was an every one is going to be talking about this for years Oscar gown. A living, breathing, reaching out to choke you Oscar gown. And Lizzie’s declaration of my innocence pissed it right off.

Sarvarna took a deep breath, the power around her quivering in anticipation. “I think Scout and I need some time alone.”

Even without telepathic abilities, I knew exactly what True was thinking. See you later, dead girl was written all over her face. Lizzie and Mischa, on the other hand, kept those carefully blank expressions.