I could hear their voices in the hallway, growing fainter as they moved toward the main entrance. Good. That gave me time to think about the next steps in my real plan.
I was still thinking through the details when I heard footsteps returning. The door opened and Darius walked back in, closing it behind him.
"Is everything alright?" I asked, noting something tense in his posture.
"Fine," he said, but his tone suggested otherwise. "Ronan's gone."
"Good. So the mission tomorrow?" I asked.
Darius looked at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "Are you ready?"
I frowned. "Ready for what? You told me I'd be leaving tomorrow morning. Xander is supposed to brief me tonight on the details."
"Right," Darius said, but he still looked uncomfortable about something.
"Is there a pro
