I opened gritty eyes and found myself snuggled into my bed with no actual memory of how I got here. Using my good arm, I struggled into a sitting position, wishing I could stretch but terrified that I would trigger a charlie horse I'd never get out of. Glancing around, I saw that some kind soul had left a bottle of painkillers and a glass of water.

Fabric pulled against scabs as I reached for the pills. I'm not sure if I felt relieved or irritated that they had dressed me in my battle clothes, covered in blood and sand, before putting me to bed. Swallowing the pills, I limped to the bathroom. A long shower later, and I felt almost human. I stood in front of my closet for ten minutes, staring at the rows of yoga pants and tank tops. These were the clothes of Children in training. After last night, I felt that we'd earned the right to suit up like the other guardians.

Hoping they were still where I tossed them, I dug through my closet until I found the leather pants I'd discarded while unpacking. The boots were nearby, and I could make do with a black tank top. The look would be close enough. I gathered my blonde waves and secured it on top of my head in a tight bun, a feat which was nearly impossible with one hand.

The girl standing in front of the mirror was nearly unrecognizable. Dark circles hugged the bottom portion of my eyes, and angry red welts covered the majority of my skin. But she didn't look weak. She looked fierce, and I held that image in my heart as I prepared to go out and face the destruction of our paradise. One night had broken the illusions that we were safe in this world.

Pillows, blankets, and bandages cluttered the dark floors of the hallway. Nearly everything had touched blood. Crimson fingerprints and footprints told a tale of long hours of agony, and I prayed that Fleur and her team had held up. I had a vague memory of seeing her last night, her features pinched with exhaustion and worry.

Stepping outside, I swept my eyes around the courtyard, lingering on the crushed chairs Chloe and I had lounged on just hours ago when my biggest concern was breaking a man's heart. The sun burned high and bright in the cloudless sky, and the ocean had resumed its tranquil dance against the shore. The sand beneath my boots was still stiff from the magical downpour, one of the remaining physical reminders of last night's battle.

"Camille."

Putting my hand over my eyes to shield out the glare of the sun, I let out a joyful laugh when I saw Anna bounding towards me from the beach. The girl was a picture of health, with bright pink eyes and flushed cheeks, but I couldn't erase the horrific image of her unconscious and bleeding out despite my best efforts.

I drew her into a one-armed hug that lasted longer than necessary. Tears sparkled in her eyes but didn't fall as we separated, and she gave me a once-over, her smile slipping at what she saw. "Don't worry. I promise I look worse than I feel." Lies, but there were surely others who needed more help than I did.

"We're going to see Fleur at once about getting that arm fixed."

"It can wait. Where is everyone?"

"I imagine most of the students are sleeping. Many didn't make it to their rooms until after sunrise. The instructors have set up a new headquarters in the staff building. Calum's in there."

"I didn't ask where he was."

"Yeah, but you were wondering. When did that happen?"

We had started working our way towards the final beach house, but I came to an abrupt stop. She walked a few steps ahead before turning to see what was holding me up. "Where is this line of questioning coming from?"

"I mean, I've kind of wondered from the beginning. You two have mad chemistry. But last night convinced me. The man was a complete wreck before you showed back up. Then there was the holding you tenderly while you cried. Calum has a soft spot for damsels in distress, but he usually does the saving and gets out of Dodge. That man is not one for making attachments with new ladies."

"I'm sorry. I don't really remember much after I escaped from Gavin," I explained, sick that I couldn't recall a moment where Calum had held me in his arms.

"Hmmm, I'm sure it's just the shock of all that happened, but don't think I won't be getting to the bottom of this. Speaking things to get to the bottom of... Do you remember why you were wearing nothing but your undies last night? Do we need to have a chat about behaving like a lady?"

"Oh, my gosh!" I exclaimed, shoving her with my right hand. "I went skinny dipping, though I suppose that doesn't sound any better."

"Alone?"

"Yes," I screeched, "Just me. Or at least I was until the fight broke out." I left out the part about Calum rescuing me, his lips hot against mine as he breathed life back into my body.

"Just checking because you seem to have all the pretty boys chasing after you."

As if bringing him up summoned him, Kent appeared in the doorway of the beach house, his face lighting up as he saw us approach. Rushing down the stairs, he crushed me to his chest and ran his lips across my face and hair. "Chloe told me you were unconscious when you were brought into your room, and they wouldn't let me in to see you."

Pushing him away, I grasped the railing of the stairs to stay upright; the pain shooting through my arm causing spots to dance in front of eyes. Anna slipped a supportive arm around my waist while shooting daggers at Kent. "Broken arm, you nitwit," Anna hissed.

"It's fine Anna. He didn't see. I'm sorry Kent." The pain wasn't welcome, but I appreciated the excuse to escape his embrace. I hadn't forgotten the decision I'd made last night, but figuring out when to drop the hammer was going to be tricky.

"Why are you still injured?" The question was harsh and demanding.

"My arm can wait," I answered, put on guard by his tone. Kent was typically very reasonable. Surely he understood that only the most life-threatening injuries had deserved the use of a Healing Talent.

Anna placed herself between me and Kent while we made our way up the stairs. The inside of the staff house was similar to the main house that had been home to the Instructors. Similar to the main house that had been home to the Instructors, a spell had been cast to create much more space on the inside than the small beach house could actually provide. Shades of blue and green seamlessly merged on the walls, creating a sense of tranquility. Down the hallway I could hear voices being raised, and a quick peek at a now contrite looking Kent confirmed our destination lay toward the argument.

"You can't possibly be serious," a woman I recognized as the weather wielder instructor, Mara, was fuming in front of a large bay window.

Calum, Fleur, and Percy were leaning up against a heavy desk, their arms folded, and lips turned down in identical frowns. Chloe, Bri, Nelson, and Lily were propped up against the left wall. For the most part, they all looked confused about why they were there. Alex, Andre, and a man I didn't know stood behind the Wonder Team. All heads turned in our direction when we entered the room. Seeing Percy's relief at my presence shocked me, and I had to consciously avoid looking at Calum.

"What did we miss?" Anna asked brightly, disregarding the obvious tension in the room.

"What did ya miss?" Mara mocked with a slight Irish accent. "Ya missed Calum's daft suggestion that we promote these students to full Guardian status."

Mouth falling open, I swung my full attention toward Calum. He was watching me with keen interest, holding my gaze for longer than was comfortable before turning to respond to Mara. "It's not daft. These students played a part in ensuring we weren't completely overrun last night. You could train them for ten more years in a classroom, and they wouldn't learn as much as they did last night. We need them."

"So we promote every student here because they survived a battle?" The new speaker was the man I wasn't familiar with. His dark hair, streaked with gray, stood out as an oddity in this group.

"Do you see every student in this room?" Fleur spoke this time, her voice dripping with derision.

"Let's say I concede that most of these individuals are competent enough to assume the role of full Guardian, but not Camille. I've heard her background is rather questionable. She should've remained partnered with the other unstable students."

Indignation rose in my chest, but Calum beat me. "Catherine repeatedly told me that Camille showed more control and precision than any other student she has ever worked with, and she also has a Talent that will be vital to our mission."

"I fail to see how creating energy orbs is an essential talent to crashing Anton Mador's charity ball," Mara exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically.

I knew Calum was about to reveal my other Talent, and I imagined this was part of why he had decided to keep it secret. But my heart didn't fall to my toes because I was about to be outed in front of everyone. He wanted me to work on a mission that would put me closer to Anton. Cautious Camille was scurrying for cover, but the woman who woke up this morning was thirsting for vengeance.

"Camille has a secondary Talent," Calum explained, watching me for signs of distress. Every head in the room swung in my direction, causing me to blush. "Anton recognizes most of our faces. We'll be granted entry into his home, but he will watch us. He expects us to be there. While he's watching us, our newest Guardians will be doing the reconnaissance, particularly Camille, because she has intimate knowledge of his estate."

"Why can't Percy disguise you all?" I asked, not really trying to escape the role I was being asked to play, but wanting to understand why it had to be me.

"Illusions don't work like that. I can make a crowd think they're in a jungle, but I can't hold an illusion over an individual. As soon as someone touches the person, it'll break."

"Camille, will you show them?" The question was asked softly, with an apology buried beneath the words.

Nodding, I released the hold on the knot in my core. For one moment, I considered letting her out. Letting everyone see the girl I really was, but I stopped. I wasn't ready to shed that last wall. With a smile, I picked a form in my mind. My skin didn't ripple, lights didn't sparkle around me. One moment I was Camille, and the next I was Anna.

"Holy shit," Mara gasped, her hand over her mouth as she moved towards me. Her fingers pulled and pinched my hair and skin, eyes growing wider as she realized the transformation was fully physical and not a manipulation of her mind. Kent, who'd been hovering nearby since we'd entered the room, stepped back as if burned.

"Well, that's a new one," Anna gasped.

"Is this really something no one else can do? Shifters take other forms all the time."

"Not like that," Andre whispered.

"The goddesses didn't see fit to give us the gift of shifting into other human forms. I've heard rumors that people can achieve it through the use of dark magic," Mara whispered, her eyes wide and calculating.

"I've examined Camille on multiple occasions. The magic you're speaking of requires the sorcerer to wear a talisman. Camille has not been in possession of such a thing," Fleur said, coming to my assistance with a vehemence that surprised me.

Calum nodded at the blonde doctor and turned to address the room. "Now that you all understand the contribution Camille can make and you're in agreement on using these students to form a new team, can we please stop dragging our feet? We've got a lot to do and not much time."

I tugged on my power once more, and the persona they were all most familiar with took over. I could feel the eyes of the other students burrowing into my back, but I squared my shoulders and gave Calum my full attention as he explained the mission.

"The purpose of the attack last night was to retrieve an item we recently acquired: Carnwennan, Arthur's dagger. The abducted Children were just a bonus. Our priority has to be retrieving them, but we hope the dagger is held in the same location. It's imperative that we keep Morgan from getting her hands on it."

"And we think they're being held at Anton Mador's home?" Percy asked.

"Yes."

"How do we know they're being held there?" Mara demanded when Calum explained that the charity ball would be taking place in Anton's home.

"We've received intel from a retired agent who lives nearby. She's offered her home as our base," Percy answered.

"And it makes sense with what we've learned recently. Anton's home is equipped with a laboratory for testing Children. Until now, they've only ever preyed on the strays they could get their hands on. We've got to hurry before they transport them to another location that we don't have connections to."

"And how do we know this?" the strange man demanded.

Calum looked at me before continuing, "We spoke to someone who escaped his facilities. Now, I've received an invitation to the charity, as have Percy and Fleur. Anton is unaware that we know how closely Mador Industries works with LeFay Industries, and because we are well-known Guardians, he'll want us there to keep his cover. And most likely, he gets some twisted thrill out of having us so close to our people. The charity this year is holiday themed, and he will hire a large staff to work the party. I know it's cliche, but I think this is our best bet to get the others into the house."

"No. That's not going to work," I interjected. "Anton will use his house staff for the more menial, behind-the-scenes tasks. He's not one for inviting a lot of common strangers into his home. Also, no one that works in the house is male. Kent would stick out like a sore thumb if you tried to sneak him in there, and if you've received information that he's hiring a staff, then he's hiring female companionship for the party."

A dark cloud passed over Calum's face. "What's your suggestion, then?"

"Well, he knows his staff too well for us to mingle with the behind-the-scenes crew, unless of course, I shifted to mimic one of them. But we'd have to be able to snatch one of the girls, and that's a mission in and of itself. We're going to have to find out what agency he's reached out to, and we're going to have to be hired through the agency."

"How do you know all of this?" My knowledge of Anton seemed to have roused Percy's suspicion again.

"I worked for him at one point."

"You worked for Anton, who is closely linked to our greatest enemy, and you managed to get recruited by us?" The man I didn't know spoke again.

"Look," I snapped, "I don't know you, but I'm going to tell you something about me. I don't do well with passive aggressive assholes. If you want to come out and call me a spy, please be my guest. I'm not, by the way, but I don't really need or care to convince you of my loyalties. The people that matter already know where I stand."

His lips turned up in a smile, and then he laughed. "I like her Calum."

If he had hoped to put the large warrior at ease, he failed miserably. Calum started pacing the room, his hands running through his hair until the dark strands stood straight up. I found the habit endearing, which was a good thing since I was often the cause for his dishevelment. "What is Anton looking for?"

I hesitated with my answer. The details I was about to share would give away a lot about my true form. I could tell him Anton didn't have a type beyond beautiful women, but that wouldn't exactly be the truth. Addie, with her strawberry blonde hair, had been an oddity amongst his harem.

"He likes his women to have an exotic flair about them. Very rarely will you see him with a blonde or redhead. If the woman has blue eyes, her hair needs to be nearly black so that it provides more contrast. Mostly, he likes women with olive complexions and big brown eyes."

"Like father, like son," Percy snarled, earning a soft touch from Fleur, who shook her head and nodded towards Calum, who was clenching his fists together.

"Chloe will be fine. She already has the look. I'm afraid Lily is going to be too short for his taste. We could put her in some serious heels, but it might be a good idea to have her on the outside for a quick getaway. If we color Bri's hair pitch black, he'll be hooked."

Bri snarled her nose in distaste, but she seemed to have developed a little maturity as she wisely kept her mouth shut. Lily didn't look upset at being excluded.

Planning continued well into the evening. By the time we stopped, my head was pounding, and tears formed in my eyes anytime I had to move my arm in the slightest. Fleur kept an eagle eye on me, and I wondered how much of her Healing Talent involved sensing the pain of the people around her.

"Camille, can you stay behind?"

Kent paused in the doorway, his face unreadable. Since I had revealed my other Talent, he had kept distance between us, but I could tell that despite whatever concerns he had developed, he wasn't thrilled about me being alone with Calum. I cringed inside, wondering if everyone saw this thing between the two of us.

When the room was empty, I turned to the man who kept saving my life. I had no memory of speaking to him after the beach making this encounter more awkward than normal.

"Yes?"

"What were you doing in the ocean last night?"

I wasn't expecting him to lead with that question. "Really? That's what you want to talk about? After everything else?"

He shrugged, and I caught a hint of uncertainty about him. He was nervous.

"I was waiting for Kent to finish his volleyball game. We were supposed to go for a walk, and I decided I wanted to go for a swim. Did I miss some sort of rule about swimming being off limits?"

He tensed at the mention of Kent, and I prepared myself for another lecture on who I spent my time with; however, the anger that surged last time we stepped into this territory was absent. His reasons for staying away from Kent differed from my own, but I couldn't exactly find the energy to be annoyed when I was planning on breaking things off.

"Listen, I know that you and I have had our differences, but I want you to know that I do care for you. I am a friend, but right now, I need to speak to you as your commander."

The word friend hit me like a slap and caused me to ache deep in my chest. I knew what more felt like now, and the girl that woke up this morning was prepared to fight for it. I lacked expertise in the realm of romance, but I was convinced that Calum's feelings surpassed friendship. The second part of his statement managed to push through.

"You have a knack for getting into trouble. Let me finish," he said, seeing my mouth open to argue. "I understand you couldn't control most of those situations, but last night, you disobeyed me. You put yourself at risk as well as me."

"If I hadn't disobeyed you, Anna would likely be dead."

"You're right. You got lucky, but Anna is a trained soldier. She signed up to take those risks. You bolted into the fight, barely able to stand. What if Kent had seen you struggling? He could've been distracted and killed trying to protect you. When you're given a direct order during a fight, you have to obey. I need you to tell me you will not ignore a direct order again, or you will be off the mission."

He was right. I knew he was, but I couldn't stop myself. "You need me. You can't kick me off."

"We've run successful missions without you before. We'll manage again. You need to tell me you understand, or we will leave you behind. I will not watch you continue to endanger yourself or others."

The authoritative note in his voice turned harsh on the last sentence. The sound stole my anger.

"Fine," I agreed, wincing as a sharp pain bloomed behind my eyes. Resisting the urge to rub the bridge of my nose, I kept my eyes locked on Calum as I waited for his response.

"That's not the enthusiastic agreement I was looking for, but it's a start," he said. Lifting a hand, he rubbed his thumb along my top lip. I followed his gaze and saw blood staining the top of his finger. Fear flashed through his eyes, and he slipped an arm carefully around my waist and guided me to a chair.

"I'm not an invalid," I protested as he forced me to sit down.

"Your nose just randomly started bleeding. Does that happen often?"

I took the kleenex he handed me and attempted to stop the flow. The thin paper became soaked, and he handed me another until the bleeding ebbed. Gelatinous clots sat on top of the tissue, making my stomach churn as I crumpled the kleenex. "Not like this."

His hand found mine. "Fleur will take a look."

"Please promise me you won't use this as an excuse to keep me from the mission."

"Camille, I care about you, and part of that means that I will do anything to keep you out of harm's way. But I've been a soldier for a long time, and I know how important it is to be allowed to fight."

I squeezed his hand to show my gratitude and then launched into the words spinning in my aching head before I lost my nerve." I need to tell you something."

He grew somber and tried to pull his hand from mine. I stopped him and continued, "Kent and I will never be anything more than friends. That's why I was swimming last night. I was trying to calm myself so that I'd have the courage to tell him I couldn't be with him like he wanted me to be."