Chapter 14 "The Choice Of Strategy"

• The morning of her departure for Moonrise Academy, Desi found herself in the family's rose garden, surrounded by the pink and white blooms her grandmother had planted fifty years ago. The Georgia air was thick with humidity and the promise of autumn, carrying scents of magnolia and honeysuckle that reminded her of childhood summers spent learning about justice and leadership from two of the supernatural world's most respected diplomats.
• Her parents found her there as the sun climbed toward its zenith, both dressed in the formal attire that marked important family conversations.
• "Second thoughts?" David asked, settling onto the stone bench beside her.