CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

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Adrenaline and energy course through me as all three of the agents step into view

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Adrenaline and energy course through me as all three of the agents step into view.

Please don't see me.

They're a few yards away. So far, they haven't noticed me, but if I run now, they definitely will.

I hunch down, trying to make myself smaller, but it's pointless. I'm crouching against a tree in the open, and there's nowhere to hide.

Their apparent leader holds up a closed fist, and the other two go perfectly still.

The leader's got pale skin and dark brown eyes that look sunken in the dim light. Only a few streaks of gray run through his black hair, but the deep wrinkles in his face make him look like he's older than he likely is... and as though he's angry at the world.

My skin prickles with instant dislike, and my heart rate skyrockets as he opens his other hand and glances down at the metal device he's holding. It's like what Ethan had in the cave... It looks like a large compass.

The man narrows his eyes and looks right at me.

I'm paralyzed, utterly frozen, as he shakes his head and glances back down at the device.

"Could be a cloak." He looks up again. "She's still nearby."

The other two have their wands out now, and they're aimed in my general direction.

"I thought you said she's untrained?" the woman says, her voice low. "If she's a Guardian, we have to call the Enforcers to handle this."

"She is untrained," the leader snaps. "We ran a search. She's not with Cerberus, not a Guardian, and has never been to the Academy. The Atlantis Society has no prior record of her. She's Undocumented."

"Nobody's Undocumented," the other agent mutters.

"She is," the leader says. "Headquarters signed a priority warrant on this. We are going to bring her in. Today."

The woman shakes her head in apparent disbelief and scans the trees. There's no way she can't see me.

But... she can't.

None of them can.

A little jolt of shock races through me, and I straighten up slightly from my crouched position and wave my arm.

No one even notices.

Holy crap!

They really can't see me!

I don't understand. How is that possible?

The leader slips the compass device into his vest pocket and pulls his wand from its holster at his belt. The other two look even more nervous now, their eyes darting about warily, wands at the ready.

"Cloak deactivation sigil," the leader barks.

All of them aim their wands right at me.

An unexpected giggle bubbles up in my throat, and I press my lips together to hold it back.

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