"Hey, look who finally decided to join us," Carter said when I walked into the cafeteria, and he grinned in amusement. "Did you have a nice nap?" He raised an eyebrow before he wiggled them, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.

"I did have a nice nap, thank you very much," I said, and Samuel bit back a small snort. I looked at the other male, giving him my best annoyed look before I looked at Carter again. "What about you? Did you get any rest?" I raised an eyebrow in question.

Carter and Chase looked at each other before they shrugged and looked at me and shrugged again, looking nonchalant.

"We've been plotting," Carter said, "and making sure that whatever we need to write is good enough for Samuel," he added, looking at the other male before he looked at me. "We're also waiting to see where we need to go next."

I slowly nodded while I pressed my lips into a thin line. "I'll see where that is later," I said. "However, for right now, I think I need to get something to eat."

"Are we planning on getting your pack or the other sword first?" Samuel asked, and I shot him an annoyed look. He looked at me with wide eyes and gulped while he shifted in his seat. "What?" he asked innocently and cocked his head while he studied me. "It's an honest question."

"We're getting the other sword, Samuel," I said, feeling annoyed with him and wondering if I needed to deal with him or not. "I thought you were there when we discussed this the first time."

"Even though, I want to say we should go get them first and then the rest of your sword last," Carter said, and I looked at him. "I mean, we do have a secret weapon." He gestured to Clarice, and Clarice stopped eating and looked at us with a look of fear on her face, her eyes growing wide.

She didn't say a word while she looked between us, and her face grew paler. She didn't want to go there at all, and I wasn't going to make her, nor did I think it was a good idea either.

"No," I said, vetoing that idea with a shake of my head. "Even if we were going to get them first, we aren't taking her no matter how knowledgeable of the place she could be."

"And why not?" Carter asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Because she could be killed," I replied. "As much as I don't like her, I am not going to let her die at the hands of her father or his "master" because I don't think it's him calling the shots."

"It's not," Clarice said, her voice barely above a whisper while she slowly started to relax and shook her head. She let out a small sigh of relief before she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "There is someone else that is calling the shots, but I don't know who."

I nodded in agreement before I cleared my throat. "In any case, we aren't going to be able to get them until I am ready. I've told you this before, Carter." I looked at him and gave him a pointed look.

Carter nodded and grinned. "I know," he said, "and my promise still stands." He cleared his throat and gestured to the food. "Now, get something to eat so that you can start planning again and getting the rest of your sword."

I rolled my eyes and scowled but did what I was told to do and went to get some food, and I wasn't surprised when Samuel got up from the table and went with me.

"Wh-"

"Shut up, Carter," I said, interrupting him and not looking back at him. "That is none of your business."

"Bu-"

"Dude, she said shut up, so zip it," Chase said, and I had a feeling that he nudged Carter's shoulder while he interrupted him.

"Fine, but I hope that you answer my questions later."

I didn't respond and flicked him off, and all he did was laugh, knowing that I wouldn't tell him until it was necessary, and at this time, it wasn't necessary for him to know what was happening between Samuel and I.

***

As soon as we were "alone," Samuel hesitated but touched my elbow, and I stopped and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Jaz?" he asked, his voice soft and barely above a whisper. "I need to talk to you real quick. If that is ok."

I glanced around to make sure that there was no one near us before I looked at the male that didn't act like the geek he was supposed to be. "What is it?" I asked, my voice soft and barely above a whisper as well. "Are you sure that you should be doing this and not hiding yourself like you should?"

He shrugged and grimaced. "It's fine," he said. "You'll be fine."

I bit back a scoff and rolled my eyes while I scowled. "It's not me that I am worried about, Samuel," I said and gave him a pointed look, and Samuel shrugged, indifferently.

Samuel bit back a small smirk and dipped his head closer to his chest while he stared at me. "I will be fine," he said. "Tryon knows that I wanted to talk to you."

I pressed my lips into a thin line before I slowly nodded, deciding that it would be fine to talk to him. "Ok," I said before I cleared my throat. "Where did you want to talk?" I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Here is fine," he replied and shrugged. "I have made sure that they don't know what we are talking about and how I am acting."

I pressed my lips into a further thin line but nodded, not sure if that would be safe but decided not to press for us to move. "What about my mate?" I asked. "Would he know that we are talking while you're doing this?"

Samuel shrugged and grimaced. "He's getting checked out right now. We should be done before he comes here and "sees" us. You do need to eat and get ready to leave to get the rest of your sword."

I set my jaw before I sighed and slowly nodded. "I know," I replied. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet while I grew serious. "So, what is the plan now?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Samuel bit back a sigh before he moved a hand through his hair. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "You get the rest of your sword," he said. "I will watch your back while you do it so that you can stay safe."

I pressed my lips and slowly nodded. "Do you actually not know where the pieces of the sword are?" I asked and cocked my head while I studied him, and Samuel smiled sadly and shook his head no.

"I wish I did, but I do not. Unfortunately, none of us do. That is why we have to wait for the Shandhi to collect them." He gestured to the necklace around my neck, hidden under my shirt.

I sighed before I moved a hand across my face and slowly nodded, feeling exhausted and frustrated. "And you don't know the stuff that I might have to face, correct?" I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Correct," Samuel said and nodded. "However, I will be able to help you since I am allowed to be in this form." He gestured to himself, and I raised my eyebrow higher but bit back a small smirk while I looked him up and down before I met his gaze again, staying silent.

He sighed and held back an eye roll because he understood what that look meant. "Ok," he said. "I won't be dressed like a geek, but instead I will be in my normal form."

I slowly nodded and pressed my lips into a thin line. "What do you have to tell me?" I asked and raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how much time you have left before you have to let me get back to whatever I was doing."

Samuel grew serious before he nodded and cleared his throat. "Tryon wants you to be careful," he said. "He wants you to know that you are able to contact him if you need him. However, he wants you to be careful when you do contact him."

I stayed silent and waited for him to continue while he tried to come up with something else to say.

He sighed and moved a hand through his hair before he shook his head and cleared his throat. "You're going to have to contact him when you are alone," he said, "and in a protected place."

I bit back a sigh before I nodded. "What else do I need to know?" I asked and folded my arms across my chest while I raised an eyebrow in question.

Samuel sighed before he moved a hand through his hair. He cleared his throat and licked his lips, growing serious. "You're going to have to be careful," he said, and I shrugged, "more careful than normal."

I nodded again and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Does anyone else know about this and about you?" I asked and cocked my head while I studied him.

"Adele somewhat knows," Samuel replied and shrugged while he grimaced. He cleared his throat and pressed his lips into a thin line also. "However, she doesn't know that much, and I would like to keep it that way."

I nodded and raised an eyebrow when I thought of something. "When you went to get those books, why did it sound like you were going far away?"

Samuel shrugged. "I had to use a bit of magic and go to a different library than the one we were in," he said, and I raised my eyebrow higher and stayed silent.

I waited for him to say something else and bit back an annoyed growl when he didn't. "Well, spit it out," I said and raised my lip a little to show my teeth, baring them.

Samuel bit back a sigh before he shifted on his feet and looked away. "I am able to connect myself to a different world," he said, not meeting my gaze. "It's a world where Tryon lives, and it will be a place where you will reside when you have all of the pieces of the sword."

I narrowed my eyes and set my jaw, trying to keep my mind calm and not raging with multiple thoughts and worry. "And my pack?" I asked, my voice cold and nervous, and he dipped his head closer to his chest and didn't look at me. "What about them?"

Still, he didn't answer and looked away from me, not able to hold my hard gaze.

"Samuel," I snapped and bared my teeth in warning before I growled and took a threatening step toward him. "What about my pack? Will they be able to live with me?"

Samuel sighed and moved a hand across his face. He shook his head and cleared his throat while he looked away from me. "I don't know," he said honestly while he looked at me. "Unfortunately, you have to ask Tryon when you see him."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and didn't say a word. I narrowed my eyes while I looked at him, trying to see if I couldn't intimidate him, even though I had a feeling that I knew that I wouldn't be able to.

Samuel raised an eyebrow in question and cocked his head. "Are you going to ask me how to tell you?" he asked and cocked his head further while he looked at me.

I pressed my lips further into a thin line before I moved a hand through my hair and sighed. I shook my head and cleared my throat while I looked at him. "I know that it won't do anything, so why bother?"

Samuel bit back a small smirk and slowly nodded, relieved. "Good," he said. He cleared his throat and grew serious. "He might allow you," he said randomly, and I raised an eyebrow in question but didn't ask when he smiled apologetically and shook his head. "Worry about that in the future."

I pursed my lips in annoyance but slowly nodded. "When will they get to know?" I asked, changing the subject while I looked in the direction where Chase and Carter were talking with Clarice. "Or do you want them to ever know?"

Samuel shrugged and grimaced. "I don't want them to know for now," he said.

I bit back an annoyed sigh before I slowly nodded in agreement. "What about later?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"When it is time, yes," Samuel said and nodded. "I will let you know when you can tell them."

I pursed my lips in annoyance but didn't say a word.

Samuel sighed and shook his head before he cleared his throat. "I know that you are annoyed, but it is for both your protection and mine. I'm still in deep shit, remember?" He raised an eyebrow in question, and I pursed my lips in annoyance further before I nodded.

"I know," I said before I cleared my throat and grew serious. My stomach growled, and Samuel smirked and dipped his head closer to his chest, amused.

"I guess that means it's time for you to get something to eat," he said. "We can talk more later. Ok?" He raised an eyebrow in question, and I pressed my lips into a thin line before I slowly nodded.

"Of course," I said with another nod.

And with that, I walked away from him and Samuel released me from his hold, making me be seen by everyone again.