Page 31 of Witch Untold
Two out of three would have to do. “I’ll be back before you know it.” I made the jump to Anna.
* * *
“I have to go.”I paced Anna’s office, hands on hips. “Jasper is…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence. I didn’t even want to think the word.
“He can’t be dead,” Anna said softly. “He’s a malevolent spirit. He isn’t alive in the conventional sense, therefore he cannot die.”
Don’t get mad. Don’t get mad. “Semantics won’t change the fact that I can’tfeelhim any longer, which means…bad shit. Look. Anna. I’m all for being a team player, and I get that this is probably a trap, but I can’t just sit back and do nothing. I have to go after them.”
I was getting so tired of having to justify myself, but going behind her back felt wrong. Maybe it was unreasonable to want the people who mattered to be on board with a plan that could get me killed, but so be it. Call me unreasonable.
Her brows pinched together in a frown. “You’d do this, even if it means risking the seal?”
The seal. The fucking seal. It was always about the seal. I took a deep breath. Calm it, Cora. It’s a valid question.
“Look, Anna, the way I see it, the fanged bastards are coming for me either way. I’d rather take the fight to them.”
Anna pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew I wasn’t asking permission. I was giving her a chance to be on board with what I was about to do. “You do know this means that they’re not as weak as we anticipated. At least here you’d have the support of your wolves and the gargoyles.”
And Jasper, Elijah, Conah, and Bramble would probably be dead. “Yes. I get it. I’m safer here. But safe isn’t always the best option. Safe won’t win us this battle. If the coven had played it safe, then Croatoan might still be free.” I was making excuses, justifying my decision, and I didn’t care. “You’re right about one thing, though: the longer we wait, the stronger they grow, which is all the more reason to strike now before they can power up.”
She ducked her head for a long beat, and for a moment I thought I’d pushed too hard. But was there too hard in this situation? Shit. I wanted her on board for this.
She finally raised her head to meet my gaze. “Sloane will go with you, and so will Lauris.”
I sagged in relief.
“There’s no sunlight this time of year in Barrow, so Lauris will be with you around the clock. You’ll take spells from the armory. If stealth isn’t an option, then you’ll go in on the offensive. You’ll do as much damage as you can, grab our people, and get out.”
She was all business now that she’d come around, and for a moment it was as if I was in one of those action movies where a motley group of misfits banded together to take on the big bad. Except we were a motley group of powerful outliers able to kick mystical ass.
Anna reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a coin. “I had this commissioned just in case.”
“A portal?” She’d suspected something like this would happen. I guess there was a reason she was in charge, but I didn’t need it. “I can jump there in a blink.”
“Yes, but you won’t be able to jump back with everyone. You’ll need a portal. Use it to get to Barrow. Save your energy to teleport our people out of the Sons of Adam’s clutches and to the portal back home.”
“It’s a two-way portal?”
“Yes. A rush job. It’ll only stay open for six hours, so you need to work fast.” She held out the coin. I went to take it, but she pulled it back. “Promise me you’ll put the seal first. That you’ll jump out of there if the balance of power is in their favor. You won’t stop to save anyone. You’ll save yourself.Promiseme.” Her eyes gleamed with fervor. “Cora, youhaveto promise, and youhaveto mean it.”
Fuck. Leaving anyone behind wasn’t my MO. I’d just have to make sure it didn’t come to that.
I met her gaze levelly. “I promise.”
Three minutes later, I was banging on the door to The Elites’ quarters.
A messy-haired, sleepy-eyed Sloane answered. “Cupcake, what’re you doing here?”
“I need you.”
The sleep left her eyes and her electric blues sharpened. “What’s happened?”
“Get dressed and take me to the armory. I’ll explain on the way.”
* * *
“And the wolvesare okay with this plan?” Sloane gave me a side-eyed glance.
