(Isla)
I found Caius and his father still sitting at the table when I returned. The wooden box in front of Caius hadn't been there when I left, and I recognized the metal disk beside it before I reached them. The divided circle had become too familiar for me to mistake it. I looked at Caius before taking the seat next to him.
"Where did that come from?" I asked.
"My grandfather gave it to my father before he died," Caius answered. "He was told to keep it unless someone came asking about Silvermere."
I looked at his father. "So your family really did know about the protection network."
"My father knew more than I did," he answered. "I wish I'd asked more questions while I still had the chance."
I understood that feeling better than most. There were questions I would never be able to a
