I run after Taecyeon and appa, weaving around fighting Strategia and dead bodies. The heavy door is half open and the guards previously stationed at it are either missing or dead. I run out of the great hall into a mostly bare foyer fund with tapestries. Luckily there is only one hallway to choose from. But before I can run for it, I hear boots pounding straight for me. And out of the shadows at the end of the hall charges a man dressed in all black. He locks eyes with me and I recognize him as the guards who held the knife to Rosé's throat last night in the dungeon. He unsheathes a sword.

I hold up my knife and ready my stance as he barrels toward me, aware that my weapon is no match for his. As he gets closer his movements become more deliberate and his face more focuses. He slashes at me with so much force that the air moves. I barely manage to jump out of the way, avoiding his blade with just inches to spare.

As he raises his arm again the distinctive hum of a bowstring comes from behind him. But before he can turn, I hear the thud of metal hitting flesh. His eyes bulge and he stumbles, dropping face-first to the floor, an arrow sticking out of his back.

I look down the hallway, and from the shadows comes a tall guy with coconut hair and a serious expression.

"Jungkook?" I say in disbelief. Has has a half-empty quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder and a longbow in his hand.

"Suzy," he says, and we share an awkward nod, neither of us knowing what to say, and no time to say it if we did. For the briefest moment there's a glimmer of understanding between us, but then we're both moving again, him into the great hall and me chasing after appa and Taecyeon.

I pick up speed, not stopping to assess my surroundings the way I normally would. Instead, I race down the hallway, through the door at the end, and into an empty banquet hall. But the only person in the room that matches the arrows in Sejeong's and Jungkook's quivers.

I move as fast as my legs will carry me around tables set with fine china, push through another door at the far end of the room, and burst into an enormous kitchen. The staff doesn't jump, but there is a general air of nervous tension that tells me something happened here. And what's more, hey look from me to the side door, as though someone just passed through that way and they expect me to do the same.

I fly across the kitchen and through the door, stopping short as my boots hit grass and the cold air hits my sweaty skin. There in the middle of the open courtyard is a small crowd of Strategia, and all eyes are turned to appa and Taecyeon.

One the ground, not far from the side door, are two dead guards. By the way Taecyeon glances at them disappointedly, it's clear he came this way because he thought they would be here. Both of them were shot with arrows. Thank you, Sejeong and Jungkook.

Appa stands in front of his father with a knife in his hand and his back to me. Taecyeon lifts his own blade. I want to let appa know I'm here, but I don't dare call out his name for fear I'll distract him.

"Your guards are dead," appa says to Taecyeon, "and there's no one left to do your killing."

"Is that what you think?" Taecyeon says, adeptly slashing his knife at appa. "One simple command and everyone here will tear you limb from limb."

Appa fends off Taecyeon's blade with his own, and it's immediately obvious that they are well matched. I anxiously scan the onlookers to see what effect Taecyeon's words had on them. I recognize a few of their faces from inside the great hall but have no way knowing what Families they belong to.

Taecyeon lifts his chin, his stance prideful. "The person who kills my son will be rewarded with my absolute loyalty and an enormous sum of money. You and your Family will be favored in all deals and all agreements. You will be fully supported by the Tigers and be envied by all other Strategia."

Taecyeon throws a kick at appa, who doges.

My pulses races and my muscles tense the way they do before a fight. I'm positive an offer like that isn't easily passed up, not with the money and influence Taecyeon presumably has. I raise my knife, moving closer to appa. But he catches sight of me and puts his hand out, indicating I should stop. And I do, bracing for the inevitable onslaught.

Appa slashes his knife at Taecyeon, who leans out of the way. But Taecyeon is fast, and returns with a kick that connects squarely with appa's ribs, sending him staggering back a few feet. I take another anxious step forward, and again appa gestures for me to stay where I am.

As though they heard my silent plea for help, Sehun, Sejeong, Jungkook, and Rosé come flying through the kitchen door. I can only assume the battle in the great hall is over and that it went in our favor, but none of that will matter if Taecyeon wins this fight. My friends look from me to appa and Taecyeon, assessing the situation and moving closer, weapons in hand. But even with four more fighters, if this crowd turns, we're outnumbered by at least ten.

Taecyeon runs at appa, getting so close that his knife tears through appa's shirt. Before appa can recover, Taecyeon advances again, this time nicking appa's shoulder and sending a line of line down his arm. Appa returns with a punch, connecting with Taecyeon's jaw and splitting his lip.

Taecyeon spits blood onto the grass. "Did you hear me?" he says in a commanding voice, glancing at the crowd. "I said kill him!"

Three seconds tick by and the onlookers stare at one another as though they expect someone else to make the first move. But no one draws a weapon; no one jumps to his aid. Appa advances with a punch and Taecyeon blocks, but appa nicks Taecyeon in the cheek with his knife, not enough to do any real damage, but enough to make him bleed. Taecyeon reaches his fingers to his face, incredulous.

A snarl escapes Taecyeon and slashes his knife through the air in two fast swings, but unlike his previously precise movements, these are furious and out of control. And just like when I was a kid and my emotions got the better of me, appa moves, waits for his moment, and delivers a perfect hit. He catches Taecyeon's knife midswing and sends it flying through the grass.

For a second, everyone is perfectly still. Taecyeon eyes his weapon, but it's too far away for him to retrieve.

"You reign is over," appa says, his voice confident. He takes a step toward Taecyeon. "I want to be perfectly clear with you what that means: you're not only done leading" -as appa continues, his voice booms in the stillness- "you're done being Strategia."

"They'll never follow you," Taecyeon says, not backing down. "You're weak."

"I disagrees," appa replies, and for a second, I think I misheard him. Leading? As in leading the Tiger Family? But he doesn't . . . he couldn't . . . could he?

"You're an embarrassment to this Family," Taecyeon says in a condescending tone. "You rejected Strategia; you avoided your duties, you have no place here."

"I never rejected Strategia. I rejected you. And while you're correct that I didn't build a reputation among Strategia as your son, I didn't disappear from society. The Strategia know me by a different name." He pauses. "The Ferryman."

There are gasps in the crowd and the confident expression drains from Taecyeon's face as he realizes he publicly announced that the Tigers hired the Ferryman to . . . capture himself. I'm so shocked I nearly drop my knife. And suddenly the missing pieces fall into place. Siwon said Tiffany and Sunny helped the Ferryman capture appa. Which means that while the blood in the apartment was real, the scene was staged. Siwon was also at the ball. I couldn't understand why appa sent me into such a dangerous situation without a net, but Siwon was the net; Siwon wasn't hunting me, he was keeping an eye on me. I stare at appa in awe.

Taecyeon's expression hardens. "Taeyeon-" he begins, but appa cuts him off.

"Taeyeon will lead with me," appa says, and I can't believe what I'm hearing. Appa is going to lead with Taemin's mom?

Taecyeon puts one of his hands to his heart as though he's going to say something, while the other drops by his side. But it drops unnaturally fast. For a second I can't decide is his wrist flicked slightly or if I just imagined it. Then I see it-a small glass vial in the palm of his hand. The lightning poison! And from where appa is standing, I know it's not visible.

And once again I see a flash from my dream-the great hall filled with dead bodies, Taecyeon holding poison. While Rosé and Sehun were right that it was a dream, I realize that it wasn't the death that scared me; it was the fear that I wouldn't be able to do what I needed to do in order to stop Taecyeon.

There is no time to warn appa, so instead I ready my knife and yelled the one thing I can think of that will affect them both.

"Ok Taecyeon the crooked," I scream.

Taecyeon's eyes flit to me just as I hoped, and I can tell appa has registered my mean-Taecyeon is being crooked. And as taecyeon raises a blowpipe to his mouth, I don't hesitate. I pull back my knife and throw.

My aim is true and my knife dodges deep in Taecyeon's chest. But to my utter surprise, a dozen more knives and an arrow strike him as well. Not only did appa and I react in time, but my friends and some of the crowd did, too.

Taecyeon falls to his knees, gasps for one last breath, and slumps to the ground. We're all still for a beat, everyone absorbing what just happened and braced for backlash. But no one defends Taecyeon. No one even looks upset he's gone. After it becomes obvious that the conflict is over, my friends lower their weapons and everyone starts talking, astonished voices filling the courtyard.

Appa turns to me, but I don't move. It feels like I'm frozen in place, stuck between my moment of terror and my relief.

"I hope his last words were the desire to look like a pincushion, because if so, he got his wish," Rosé says. Even in the midst of her grief, Rosé can't help being Rosé.

But I'm not looking at my friends because I'm running full-speed to appa.

"Appa?" I manage, my voice cracking.

He opens his arms, pulling into a big hug and swinging us around. Appa, who I love more than anything, is here, hugging me, not lost in Gyeonggi or chained in a dungeon. His familiar scent brings tears to my eyes and he rest his cheek against my head.

"My Susweetie," he says gently, and I soak up his reassuring voice like it was sunshine.

For a few long seconds, I just hold on to appa, nothing needing to be said, nothing needed to be done.

But my moment of peace is short-lived. I pull back, staring at him. "You left me," I say, and there's hurt in my voice, but also an accusation. "You made me chase you all over Gyeonggi, from Suwon to Incheon to Seoul! And, and, Kyungsoo, and that ball. How could you?" All the feelings I've suppressed over the last month are bubbling to the surface.

Appa examines my face, taking careful note of my upset. "I owe you an explanation, Soo. You have every right to be upset with me. We will talk at length and I'll answer all your questions. Just not here," he says, and glances around the courtyard. "Let's get you kids inside."

➶ ⱠɆ₮'₴ ⱧɄ₦₮ ⱧɆⱤ ➴

We follow appa down a long hall and he opens a door to a cozy sitting room. There are an oversized wine-colored sofa with two armchairs and a coffee table, a set of bookshelves, a few old trunks, and a lit fireplace. He holds the door open  and Sejeong and Jungkook filed in, with Sehun and me behind them. Rosé is last, and before she comes through the door, appa quietly talks to her.

"Rosé," he says with a heaviness in his voice, "I cannot tell you how sorry I am."

For a moment, Rosé looks surprised, like she's not used to adults showing concern over her. But as I register the grief on her face, I realize my own frustration with appa is a luxury, that I can only be mad because he's here, that while I might not like what he did, I have everything to be grateful for.

Rosé shakes her head as if to downplay her sadness. "Lisa was proud to fight here today. She would have made the same choice one hundred times over."

Appa watches Rosé thoughtfully, reading her expression and her reaction to his tone. "I don't know what your plans are going forward, if you intend to return to the Academy, but if you need time, you're welcome to stay here with us."

For an instant, Rosé seems shocked by the offer, and I'm reminded that appa isn't like the other Strategia parents that his time in Jeongsan changed him. Or maybe being raised by Taecyeon made him choose a different direction, a direction that involved being a loving and affectionate parent. Whatever the case, it's clear that Rosé isn't sure how to react.

"I ... well ... I should really ...," she starts, and it's the first time I've ever seen her at a loss for words. She sighs. "Thank you. Maybe I will."

Appa closes the door behind Rosé and gestures us to sit.

"Sejeong and Sehun," he says. "Yoona's kids. Your mother and I were once good friends when we were studying at the Academy."

I look from appa to Sejeong and Sehun, trying to make sense of his words. Their mother went to the Academy with appa? Is that why Sejeong and I were paired as roommates? And then it occurs to me that appa's favorite whittling knife has a wolf handle. He told me his best friend gave it to him when they were teenagers.

"She always spoke highly of her days with you as well, sir," Sejeong says, but Sehun matches my look of shock. I could groan. No matter what is happening, Sejeong always manages to know more than the rest of us.

"Jungkook," appa continues, his voice taking on a meaningful tone. "You and Sejeong were invaluable today. Your strategy and skill were advanced far beyond your years."

Jungkook seems almost embarrassed under appa's prideful look. "It was an honor to be a part of it," he says with a polite and almost shy formality.

"There have never been Academy student who have taken so much risk or accomplished so much as you all," appa says, and I feel my cheeks get warm at the dadness of his gushing. "Because of what you did here today, the power balance will not only restored among Strategia, but the world at large will be safer. Of course this adjustment will take time and it will take work, work that will involve the Council of Families and all of your respective Families." He pauses. "Now, I'm certain you all have questions," he continues, "and if I can answer them, I will."

"Did you know that Taecyeon intended to start a war with the Eagles?" Sejeong asks, wasting no time, and I look from her to appa.

"I did," he says. "But by the time Suzy's uncle and I realized what was going on, the Regent and Taecyeon were already planning their attack. If we didn't act immediately, the other Families would be forced to take sides and Strategia as we know it would forever changed."

I reflexively look at Sehun and he meets my eyes, an understanding passing between us. This is the reason Sehun had been searching for. This is the reason everything happened when it did.

"Suzy's uncle took care of the Regent," appa says, confirming what I already suspected. "We sent Suzy to the Academy to protect her and to keep Yoo from killing Jungkook, and I came here to stop Taecyeon."

They all look at me, but I'm just as surprised about Jungkook as they are.

Rosé chuckles. "Boy, Jungkook, I bet you feel like a jerk for punching her."

Jungkook's eyebrows dip and he looks like he wants to say something to her, but he stops himself and closes his mouth. Maybe he's going easy on her because she's in grief or maybe he's just more mature than she is. But whatever the reason, I'm not paying attention to Rosé's needling, I'm looking at Jungkook.

"That punch . . .," I say, my voice trailing off. "It was Kang, wasn't it? Kang told you to punch me." My thoughts race as I connect the dots. "So everyone would believe we're enemies, completely disguising the reason I was there." The best options are psychological and emotional, Professor Hisakawa taught us. "And Yoo redirected his energy to me." I look at appa. "Omo. You knew Yoo would want to kill me more than he wanted to kill Jungkook." The question I don't ask, though, is how did appa know Yoo wouldn't succeed?

"Truthfully, it was more than the Tiger's attack on Jungkook that we need to prevent," appa says. "If Yoo's actions remained hidden, the Tigers would have succeeded in systematically killing the best students from noncompliant Families, and the surviving young Strategia would have been forever tilted in the Tiger's favor. Either because they were fearful or because they were loyal, the remaining Strategia would have grown up pledged to Taecyeon. Change the young, change the world. My father knew this, hence the beginning his attack at the Academy. What you did in that school is every bit as important as what we accomplished out here."

We're all silent for a moment.

"When Taeyeon realized what her father was planning at the Academy, we all decided it was time to take action," appa continues, but I cut him off.

"Taeyeon? You were talking to Taeyeon?" I say. Lisa surmised he needed a contact in the Tiger Family to pull of the Regent murder, but it never occured to me it was Taeyeon.

Appa nods. "We've been in contact for some years now."

"Junho," Sehun says, shifting topics. "He mentioned the Ferryman to Suzy. Did he know it was you?"

Appa nods. "Junho was an old friend," he says. "He's known me since I was a boy. And the tip you acquired about Siwon's crew being vulnerable, while true, was also orchestrated by him."

Sehun raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by appa.

"Kyungsoo was another story, however," appa says. "There was no avoiding him, but there was also no controlling him."

"Exactly what I said!" Rosé says, and gives Sehun a vindicated look.

"And Siwon's crew," Sehun says. "They were in your employ the entire time?"

"They were," appa replies. "They kept track of you all for me and were meant to run interference at the ball if things went wrong. If you were looking closely, you would have seen that under that executioner mask was Shindong."

I stare at appa, baffled by the scope of what he did here and the skill it took to pull it off.

"And the note," I say. "The one you left for us in the apartment telling us to come to the dungeon. You acted surprised to see us. But you knew we were coming the whole time, didn't you?"

Appa takes a heavy breath, a weight appearing the rest on his shoulders. "I never wanted you all to come to the dungeon. It was never my intention. But Taecyeon found out you were in Seoul shortly before the ball and he was preparing to send his assassins with instructions to kill everyone but Soo, whom he planned to execute publicly."

Rosé whitens.

"With no better alternative, I slipped information to Kyungsoo, giving him a chance to make more money, win Taecyeon's favor, and outwit you. Then Taeyeon convinced Taecyeon that he should let you all come to him, to sneak into his dungeon, that it would be impactful for all of Strategia to see the far reaches of his power."

We're all quiet for a beat and I look at Sehun and Rosé. Would they still be here if Taecyeon's assassins had come for us? I shiver involuntarily.

Jungkook, who has been mostly silent, clears his throat and glances toward the door. "Forgive me, I don't mean to interrupt, but I can't stay. My Family is expecting me."

Appa nods, understanding. "Tell Yuri I'll be in touch shortly," he says without further explanation.

"I will," Jungkook says, and stands, but turns toward me before he leaves. "Also . . . I just wanted to say, Suzy, that my mom's in town for another few days." He pauses. "And well, if you want to meet her, I think she would really like that." The tension that's usually between us is noticeably absent.

My eyes widen and warmth spread deep in my chest at the idea that eomma and Uncle Jin's sister wants to see me. "I'd love to," I smile, my delight seeping through my words, and with a friendly nod he turns. "And, Jungkook," I say, calling after him. "Sorry I punched you in the face the other day."

He shrugs. "I guess that's just our thing."

We share a smile and he walks out the door, closing it behind him.

I turn to appa, to find him watching me, and realize how different we both are since the last time we saw each other. But my moment of reflection is short-lived because it suddenly occurs to me that Jungkook is leaving but we aren't.

"Why aren't we leaving?" I blurt out. "I mean, why are we still here, at the Tiger estate?"

They all look at me, then at appa.

His expression reminds me of the day he told me I was going to the Academy; it's reassuring and sympathetic, with the recognition that he's delivering difficult news. "We're staying here."

"Staying here?" I say in disbelief. "Do you mean for the next few hours, or-"

"For the foreseeable future," he says, and my eyes pop out of my eye sockets.

I swallow. "You can't be serious. You want me to live here, in the Tiger estate with Taemin."

Rosé chuckles. "Just think, if you need to kill him, at least you'll know where he is." Even Rosé's optimism is twisted.

"Appa?" I say.

Appa looks thoughtful. "We need to be here during the transition," he says. "There will be some discord as a result of Taecyeon's death and it's important that we get the Tigers organized and cohesive as soon as possible." He pauses. "But after all our affairs are in order, I'm not opposed to looking for a new location for the estate."

I press my lips together. It's not lost on me that I'm being selfish in requesting that a huge household of people shift because I don't like the building, and if I'm being honest with myself, it's actually not the estare that I don't like-the estate is just a fancy manor house-it's the idea of it that I'm resisting. But his response makes it easier; I'm calmed by the thought that I'm not trpped here, that appa is listening, and that he cares how I feel.

I've never seen such utter shock in my friends, though, who like all Strategia tend to mute their expressions but are not doing so presently. They just keep looking from appa to me and back again, like we're a puzzle they can't solve.

Rosé looks like she might faint. "If my parents loved me that much, I'd never leave home," she says. "Not for the Academy or any reason."

I look at Rosé. This is by far the most vulnerable thing she's ever said in front of me, no jokes, no sarcasm, just awe. And I realize that while I might be in a difficult situation right now, appa truly loves me, and so I let it go, whatever frustration I was harboring. In that moment it disappears.

One more chapter to go! Hope you all are enjoying this book as this was kind of out of my comfort genre!