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strong illusion.”
    Talrasar shook his head. “That can’t be right. No enchantment, no matter how powerful, would hold for several months. Even if it is unraveling now, Alwyn has been here for quite a while. We should have seen a sign earlier.”
    “It might have worked if Alwyn himself was holding up the illusion,” Kael offered.
    Rachen glared at the older draechen. “He’s a victim in all of this. Do I have to remind you that we wouldn’t even be considering the possibility if he hadn’t said something?”
    His tone came out biting and accusing, and while Rachen didn’t regret it, Kael obviously didn’t like it. He opened his mouth to answer, but Talrasar elbowed him in the stomach. “We’re just throwing around ideas for now,” the fae said, smiling at Rachen. “Stay calm.”
    “How can I when everyone seems intent on believing the worst of my mate?” That wasn’t exactly true, but Rachen was getting so angry it was seriously hard to think straight. He’d have probably said something even more scathing, but Sari stopped him before he could continue his rant.
    “Wait a second,” the fae offered. “If he’s right…if this is all a huge illusion…then who did I see in the vision? Was it our Alwyn or someone else entirely?”
    That was an option Rachen hadn’t considered, but certainly made sense. The Alwyn he knew would never go against Rachen’s family. “That’s actually very possible. I know my mate. He wouldn’t hurt any of us.”
    There were nods all around, and Karein actually looked a little relieved, having obviously been uncomfortable with the idea of having to fight Rachen’s mate to protect his own mate and child. Oh, Rachen had no doubt that Karein would have done it if need be. In the end, Rachen himself would have shed all loyalties for Alwyn, just like Karein would for Sari. Nevertheless, the idea that they wouldn’t have to, that the man Sari had seen in the vision was not Rachen’s Alwyn at all, lifted a great weight off his chest.
    “So let me get this straight,” Camden Isaiat said. “The Alwyn in Draechenburg isn’t the real one. There’s another Alwyn running around out there, and he’s the one who’s guilty of whatever Imperial Consort Sareltae saw. Then this brings us to several problems. How did Elina find out about it? Was it truly Ferradul Cyraltin who killed her? Where is the real Alwyn and how are we supposed to stop him?”
    “Ugh, I’m getting a headache,” Taryn muttered. “I almost wish I’d never suggested we use Ferradul Cyraltin’s family at all.” He looked at Rachen and smiled slightly. “Almost.”
    Rachen hadn’t realized that bringing Alwyn here had originally been Taryn’s idea. He supposed he should be very thankful to the werewolf, because otherwise, Rachen and his mate might not have met at all.
    But now was not the time for such things. He had to come up with a solution to answer Camden’s and his own questions. His mate was relying on him.
    It occurred to Rachen in that moment that his brother had made grandiose plans for Ornoz, plans that included cooperation in the paranormal world as a whole. An idea sparked in his mind. “We’ll keep the sprite’s involvement a secret,” he suggested. “We’ll explain that Elina’s death is being investigated, but in the meantime, we won’t put Hareem’s original idea on hold. So as we advance with that, we can send envoys to the rest of the paranormal community, including in Elusia.”
    “Do we truly need such subterfuge to spy on them?” Sage inquired.
    “I don’t think Rachen just means to spy,” Karein answered. “You want to go yourself and take Alwyn with you. You aim to see Ferradul’s reaction, and perhaps to kick-start your mate’s memory. Is that it?”
    As always, Karein had pinned down Rachen’s idea perfectly. Of course, what Karein wasn’t saying—although Rachen had no doubt his twin realized it—was that Rachen also aimed to use this chance to get his mate