Page 50 of Panther in the Shadows
Silence falls heavy. "Meaning?"
"Meaning if the ritual completes, stopping it might require someone dying." Grayson's eyes meet mine. "Someone with power equal to what's being summoned."
Moira. The sea witch with enough power to potentially counter a necromancer raising the drowned.
"Then we stop it before it completes." My tone leaves no room for argument. "We stake out these locations. We find the necromancer. And we end her before the final death happens."
Declan nods. "I'll coordinate the watches. Each location gets two shifters minimum. If anyone shows up with hostile intent, we take them down hard."
"And Moira?" Jax asks. "She researches while we do the work?"
"She's preparing defensive magic. Researching the ritual for weaknesses." My tone sharpens. "Anyone have a problem with that?"
The challenge hangs in the air. No one takes it.
"Good. Then we start tonight. Santos will provide you with communication equipment. You report anything suspicious immediately. And if you identify the necromancer?—"
"We end her." Kian's smile shows too many teeth. "Permanently."
The meeting breaks up, each shifter taking their assigned location. Declan stays behind, studying me.
"You care about her."
No point denying what he's already figured out. "Yes."
"That makes you vulnerable. Compromised."
"It makes me motivated. There's a difference." Hold his gaze without flinching. "And right now, motivation is what we need. Someone willing to hunt this necromancer to the ends of the earth and not stop until she's dead."
"Just make sure your motivation doesn't get her killed." He moves toward the door. "My father honored Siobhan's bargain. I inherited that obligation. Don't make me choose between protecting her granddaughter and pack safety."
"You won't have to. We end this before anyone else dies."
He leaves. The warehouse empties. And I'm left with evidence scattered across my desk and the knowledge that more people could die before this ends.
Unless we stop it first.
Moira's in the main room of my quarters when I return, surrounded by ingredients and open grimoire pages. Salt circles and protective wards shimmer faintly in the air around the space. She's been busy.
"The brotherhood?" she asks without looking up from her work.
"Coordinated. Each location has eyes on it starting tonight." I move to stand beside her, studying her work. "This is impressive."
"It's necessary." Her focus stays on the grimoire page in front of her. "We'll need portable protections when we confront her. And if things go wrong, if we need to fall back, your quarters become a secure position. Multiple layers of defense."
"I won't let it come to that."
"You can't promise that." She finally looks up, and exhaustion shadows her eyes. "You can't be with me every second. And she knows where I am now. Knows I'm the weakness she can exploit."
"You're not a weakness." I look at her directly. "You're the only person on this island who understands what we're facing. Who can counter her magic if it comes to direct confrontation."
"Or die trying." She returns to her work. "The research from Amsterdam. Did it say anything about stopping the ritual once it's complete?"
I don't want to tell her, but she deserves the truth.
"It requires a sacrifice. Someone with power equal to what's being summoned."
Her hands still. "A sea witch."
