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Chosen.”
    Even though she was pleased someone seemed to understand her, she was slightly irritated that it had been Ryker.
    “No one can get into this cave without our knowledge,” Clotho said.
    “No. No one could get into your cave. Since your powers have begun to wane, it’s not entirely impossible anymore.”
    “They have to be wrong,” Atropos insisted. “Artemis, tell them they’re wrong.”
    Kyana would have called the old Fate a fool, but waited to see what Artemis would do. Much to Kyana’s relief, Artemis nodded in agreement. “She’s right. We must find out where the key is, and which of our trusted Order members took it.”
    Artemis looked from Kyana to Ryker and back again. “And you two are going to have to work together to find both.”

Chapter Three
     
    O h hell no. No no no no no. Kyana wouldn’t work with Ryker. He was arrogant, stuffy, and prone to giving orders she wasn’t prone to taking.
    The already tiny cave suddenly felt smothering. “Give me any details you have. I’ll keep you posted on my progress, but I’m not working with him.”
    “I chose you for this task, Kyana.” Artemis narrowed her authoritative gaze. “Don’t make me regret it. This is not merely a task for a tracer.” Artemis picked up her leashes. “Alone, you both fail. Together, the world stands a chance at survival. You’ll find the key, and he’ll apprehend our traitor.”
    So Artemis had already suspected a traitor. Why else would she have already summoned the aid of a sentinel general like Ryker? They were afraid that Kyana would find the key and stash it inside the head of the person responsible. Ryker, on the other hand, would remain as collected as ever and bring him in for questioning.
    Nice to know my reputation is intact.
    “Find me just after sunset and I’ll make certain you have everything you need to get to the penal isle where Cronos was exiled,” Artemis said as she prepared to leave. “I want you on your way as soon as possible, and I think you’ll agree your search should begin there.”
    As she watched Artemis walk away, anger warmed Kyana’s normally icy skin. She didn’t know what pissed her off more—that Artie didn’t trust her to do the job alone, or that she believed Ryker was the best choice for a partner.
    “I can go alone! I won’t go off half-cocked!” she shouted at Artemis’s back. The goddess didn’t even turn around, certain she’d be obeyed without question.
    With more bite in her voice than she’d intended, Kyana snapped her gaze back to the Fates. “No more lists. Whatever replacements you choose, find another way to give the names to the tracers. We can’t chance having more of their identities discovered before we can bring them in.”
    Clotho scowled. “We must create the lists. We mark the names for their positions. It is magic, Kyana. Without scribing their names on that parchment and marking them appropriately, there are no Chosen.” She pointed at the familiar mark beside Jordan Faye’s name on their current list. “That mark you saw on Jordan’s breast is this mark. The moment I branded the parchment, her body became branded as well. Do you see?”
    Yeah, she saw all right. She saw more opportunities for their traitor to get his or her hands on more names. Saw more blood spilled. More threads clipped. Even Artemis’s tracers had never seen that list before. Each tracer was given four or five names for each night of hunting, and that was it. No one but the Fates knew the list in its entirety. Well, no one except the Fates and the traitor, that was.
    “Then I suggest this time you don’t let the damned list out of your sight for a second. Stick it up your ass if you have to, but our traitor only has the names on that first list. Unless you screw it up, the new Chosen should remain safe until we can find them.”
    Kyana marched to the exit, banging shoulders with Ryker in an effort to pass him. She shoved harder than necessary. “I’m not