"Listen, kid," Marcus said, his tone lively but edged with seriousness now. "The academy you're headed to is called Cresthaven. Got that? Cresthaven."
Rian blinked, scratching his cheek with his free hand.
"Crest… what?" he mumbled, puzzled.
Marcus let out a low chuckle, like he was dealing with a lost toddler.
"Cresthaven, Rian," he repeated, slower this time. "That's the name of the academy they signed you up for. That's where you're going."
Rian nodded slowly, though Marcus couldn't see it.
"Oh," he said, voice flat but tinged with relief. "Thanks for that." He lowered the phone a bit, glancing at Lena for a sec before pressing it back to his ear.
"You going alone?" Marcus asked, curiosity creeping in. "Not my business, but I'd hate to picture you wandering around like a headless chicken."
Rian shrugged, leaning back in his chair.
"Yeah," he replied, short and sweet. "No problem walking there. Done it before."
Marcus let out a long sigh, almost a growl.
"Look, kid," he said, voice turning stern. "Cresthaven's not too far from where you are, sure. But hoofing it'll take you ages, especially since you don't know the city. You know how to use the GPS on that phone Lena gave you?"
Rian frowned, eyeing the white phone in his pocket.
"GPS?" he echoed, scratching his neck. "No clue what that is, but I can figure it out."
"By the gods," Marcus muttered, chuckling again. "It'll save your bacon, trust me. Just get Lena to show you how before you end up lost in the boonies."
Rian was about to nod again, mouth opening to reply, when something snapped him into action on pure instinct.
His eyes caught a silver glint in the air, and without thinking, he lunged across the table. His fingers snagged a thin needle just before it hit Lena, who sat across from him, clueless with a fork in hand.
The move was so fast that plates and glasses flew sideways, crashing to the floor with a racket that turned every head in the restaurant.
Lena dropped her fork, golden eyes popping wide as she gawked at the mess.
"What the hell was that?" she yelped, her voice pitching up. She leaned forward, scanning the wreckage of food and shattered glass. "What'd you do, Rian?"
Rian straightened up slowly, still holding the needle between his fingers. Whispers and curious stares filled the restaurant.
A waiter—a skinny guy in a black apron—rushed over, wiping his hands nervously.
"What happened here?" he asked, voice shaky as he eyed the trashed table. "You folks okay?"
Rian ignored him and held the needle up to Lena, showing it off with a baffled look.
"This was coming for you," he said, voice steady. He jerked his head toward a corner near a tall window. "Think it came from over there, but nobody's around now."
Lena took the needle carefully, her fingers trembling slightly as she studied it. Her eyes narrowed, a flash of anger crossing her face.
"Where'd this come from?" she growled, whipping around to the spot Rian pointed out. It was empty now—just a bare table and a curtain fluttering in the breeze.
She turned to the waiter, still hovering anxiously.
"Someone just tried to attack me," she said, her tone sharp but controlled. "Check the place's security. Now."
The waiter nodded fast, nearly tripping over himself as he bolted toward the back of the restaurant.
Lena spun back to Rian, needle still in hand.
"Give me my phone," she said, thrusting her other hand out quick.
Rian handed it over, scratching his neck as she snatched it.
"Someone just tried to kill me again," Lena said into the phone, voice tight but clear. "It was a dart. Think it's poisoned."
"How many?" Marcus asked on the other end, his tone hardening instantly.
"No idea," Lena replied, frowning as she eyed the needle. "Just saw this. Someone shot it—probably a blowgun. No noise." She ran a hand through her white hair, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
"Stay sharp. I'm on my way. Don't move 'til I get there."
Lena hung up after firing off her exact location to her grandpa, then slammed the phone down on the table with a sharp move just as the restaurant staff buzzed around them.
Two guys in black uniforms hustled over, one bending slightly toward her.
"Miss Blaze," he said, voice respectful but edgy. "Please come with us to a safe spot. We'll keep you covered."
Lena nodded, but before moving, she jabbed a finger at Rian.
"He's with me," she said, her tone firm and no-nonsense. "He's coming too."