“The Men of the Shadows?” I repeated, taken aback by their reactions. All three of them were staring at me like I’d just mentioned something forbidden.
“Do you… know them?” I asked slowly.
Damon shook his head, jaw clenched, eyes darkening. “The real question is how you know them, Julian.” His voice was colder now, harsher. “How do you know those monsters?”
I blinked, startled. “What is going on?”
“Do you or do you not know the Men of Shadows?” Lucian asked, calmer than Damon but still tense.
“Do I have to answer that?” I replied cautiously.
Before Lucian could speak, Raven cut in, her voice sharp but trembling underneath. “Just—please.” She swallowed, eyes glistening with something dangerously close to panic. “Tell us if you know them. If they’re still alive.”
Her composure—the thi
