“I need to use the ladies’ room,” Janine told the guards.
“There are facilities on the plane.” The head guard approached us. “I need all electronics and weapons.”
“Weapons? We don’t have any weapons?” Grady asserted.
The guard pointed at me. “He has a blade attached to his leg.”
I bent, unhooked it, and handed the knife to the guard along with my phone. We followed them to the elevator and exited in a parking garage. A black van waited.
“I can’t believe my life is being hijacked like this,” Tyler complained as we buckled our seatbelts.
“Aren’t you taking a gap year anyway?” I asked as the truck moved forward.
“I still have important stuff to—”
“It’s your sister.” I rolled my eyes, not believing he was acting so flippant. I studied our surroundings, realizing there were no windows or latches for the doors. “They have this system sealed tight. I wonder how often they use it.”
“This is the second time,” came a voice through the speaker.
“Good to know,” I mumbled under my breath.
There were multiple turns. Then, judging from the speed of the vehicle, we got on a highway. I timed the ride on the highway to forty-five minutes. After slowing and a few more turns, we stopped. When the doors opened, we were in a hangar. Several private jets filled the space.
“Your plane.” The guard motioned us to the closest craft.
Tyler whistled. “I could get used to this.”
Our compartment on the plane looked like a living area. The seats fully reclined for sleep, and a table sat in front of each.
A woman dressed in a uniform approached us as we surveyed the space. She showed us to the restrooms and indicated we could choose our seats. Taking a seat opposite Janine, I stretched out my legs. I’d done it. I’d gotten us to Alena and Hunter. My knees bounced as I wondered how soon we could plan to rescue Camille.
Disconcerted by not being able to see outside the plane as we took off, I flipped through a magazine. Once we were at cruising altitude, I relaxed. The flight attendant brought us boxed lunches. Finishing, I reclined in my seat and closed my eyes. Breathing sounds on my right woke me from my light sleep.
Seeing Janine pat her eyes. I leaned towards her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry. I’m not usually the weepy type. I’m worried about Camille. All the witch and vampire stuff didn’t seem real until today. I guess I was in denial.”
“No, it’s okay.” I handed her an extra tissue box. “She’s a fighter. She’ll be okay. We’ll get her back.”
She asked me about our time at the camp and the compound in Italy. I told her how Camille had gotten scared on the ice wall, how she asked me to save Frida first, how she formed a sculpture of Grady from balls with her magic, about training with Miguel and how we could talk to each other telepathically, and how she’d saved the canaries.
“Thank you for being her friend.” Janine patted my arm.
“Camille is amazing. I will get her back for you.”
Tyler cleared his throat. “Dad says these witches are really powerful.”
I locked eyes with him. “I’ve broken Camille out and escaped the compound before. I can do it again.”
“I hope so.” Tyler craned his neck to look at the front of the plane. “How long have we been in the air, anyway?”
Checking my watch, I told him ninety minutes.
“Your flight time will be three hours, give or take,” a voice over the speaker told us.
Tyler rubbed his palms down his pant legs. “We could be going to Canada, Alaska, North Dakota, Texas, or Mexico. I’m hoping for a Mexican beach.”
“I don’t think we’ll be seeing the sun for a long time.” I laid my head back and drifted into a light sleep.
I felt someone nudging me and woke to see Janine jostling my arm. “We’re landing.”
Like takeoff, the lack of visual clues made the landing uncomfortable. We taxied some fifteen minutes, and when they opened the door, we exited in the interior of another hanger.
“We could have been flying in circles for three hours,” Tyler noted as we got in a sports utility vehicle. Again, the van had no windows or door handles in the back.
“Did you ever stop to think maybe Anne Scott is working with Michael’s coven?” Tyler asked.
“We have Camille’s visions. We have to trust those,” Janine told him. “Nobody would be in this mess if we had trusted them in the beginning.”
Grady patted her arm. “Don’t blame yourself.”
“Oh, I don’t,” she said, swatting his hand away. “I blame you.”
“Mom, this isn’t going to help,” Tyler piped up.
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m just tired.”
“We all are.” Grady rubbed his neck.
I closed my eyes, hoping they’d give us our electronics back. I’d downloaded all my pictures of Camille to it. My chest felt empty without her, my head too quiet. I knew at some level, but I didn’t realize how much our silent conversations meant to me until she was gone. The past two weeks without her felt like the longest of my life. Having images of her reminded me how strong she was and helped me feel close to her.
The vehicle slowed and stopped and then inched forward again before the engine died.
“We must be here.” Janine leaned forward in her seat.
I exited the vehicle to see a guy and girl, about my age, and an older woman and gentleman standing before us.
“Welcome.” The guy approached me, holding out his arm. I took it, using the traditional witch greeting, and he squeezed my arm in kind. When he did, my chest warmed as it had when I’d joined my family’s coven. He released my arm and put his hand to his chest. “I’m Hunter. You must be Jude.”
“I am.” I turned to the rest of our group. “This is Tyler, Grady, and Camille’s mother, Janine.”
Tyler stood rigidly still beside me and then stepped up to Hunter, arm stretched out. “I’m Tyler Thornton. I’m here to help.”
My mouth hung open. The kid, I shouldn’t have thought of him as a kid, as he was older than me, who seemed so on again, off again, now looked confident. His shoulders squared, he gripped Hunter’s arm and turned to Alena. “Princess.” Arm crossed over chest, Tyler dropped to one knee.
Alena’s face flushed, and she held her hand out to him “You must be my herald, Tyler Thornton.”
“I believe I am.” With his eyes fixed on her face, he rose.
Alena turned to me. “Welcome, Jude.” We locked arms, and the surge of heat grew in my chest again.
Her eyes darted from mine to Janine. “You must be Ivy’s, sorry Camille’s, mother.” Alena squeezed Janine’s hand and looked to Grady. “And you her father.”
“Yes.” Grady locked arms with Alena.
Quick as a wink her eyes were back on me. “We”—she hooked her arm in Hunter’s—“are so glad you found us. We have so many questions.”
I swore a low growl had emitted from Tyler’s chest but redirected my thoughts as Hunter cleared his throat. “Let’s finish introductions and perhaps get them settled first.”
“It’s okay.” I joined them. “I’m eager to get started.” Studying our surroundings, I realized we probably were underground. ‘How long have you been here?”
“A little over three months.” Hunter motioned to the older woman and man. “Please meet Orm and Chalondra.”
As I gripped each of their arms, warmth grew in my chest. “Are you all of the same coven?”
“Except for Chalondra.” Orm nodded. “You feel the family affinity?”
“Yes.”
“Seems Ivy chose well,” Chalondra smiled at me.
“I’m not sure she chose as much as I was drawn to her, even before I knew I was a witch.”
“Let’s get you guys situated.” Hunter motioned to the entrance.
As he walked towards the door, Alena skipped to his side.
“Hmm.” Tyler grunted beside me and increased his pace.
I caught his arm. “You okay?”
“Sure.” His eyes darted from me to Alena as if he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. “What is she?”
I decided to use my telepathy to answer him. Half witch, half vampire. For a second, his stare hardened, and then it softened again. Yes, like mine had when I saw Camille for the first time after awakening my powers, his world had turned on its axis. And all would revolve around Alena, or Alena and Hunter, I thought. I wondered whether I was drawn to Camille because of our magical connection or my love for her was real.
Alena stopped and spun to face me. “It’s real. Don’t worry.”
I stared into Alena’s eyes, dumbfounded by her words.
“You’ve got to stay out of people’s heads.” Hunter took her hand as he held the door open.
“Can you read everyone’s mind?” I stopped as we reached them.
Hunter held up his wrist. “Pays to keep stones on.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
Alena cocked her head. “We’ll give you a tour.”
Following behind Alena, I dug in my bag for the bracelets. Finding them, I fit one on each wrist. They led us to the tech room, gym, and cafeteria, Alena’s quick movement picked at my nerves. I tried to look at, think of, anything else, but my concentration kept drifting back. Even though I’d felt the warmth of a family connection when we locked arms, mentally I repelled her. I needed to figure out the reason for my aversion, fast. It wouldn’t do to have a teammate I didn’t trust.
I studied her hair, her facial movements, her gestures, the way she walked. My mind jumped back in time to when I was five and Mom had taken me on a tour of my elementary school. I remembered how she held her chin and her sometimes flowing but then suddenly jerky movements. The girl in front of me mirrored Mom’s tone, and it clicked in my brain. Alena’s half-vampire nature reminded me of my mother, a woman I tried to think about as little as possible. I understood better why she’d jumped from drug addiction to alcoholism, to finally abandoning society and leaving me. But I was eight, and especially with an absent father, I needed my mom.
Plus, I couldn’t be prejudiced against vampires when I was part one. That would be the worst type of hypocrisy, unjustified and unfair. Grady and Tyler perhaps had a case for not liking the species, but I was being a baby, feeling sorry for myself about something that happened ten years before.
Alena ended the tour at our sleeping quarters. “This is your room, Tyler. There are clothes for each of you, shoes, whatever you need.” Alena opened the door.
Tyler stepped into the room. “How would you know our sizes?”
“You didn’t get that they had an X-ray machine in that small room we were locked in for three hours,” I asked.
Tyler cleared his throat. “Right, the whole knife in your sock thing.”
“Your electronics are in your rooms.” Alena led us down the hall, opening doors to our respective rooms. “This is you, Jude.”
I walked into the room as they continued down the hall. Finding my phone on the dresser, I scrolled through the pictures. Soon we could be in Italy with a solid plan to rescue Camille.
“Dinner is in an hour. You can clean up and make your way to the dining hall,” I heard Alena say.
At least we weren’t locked up and escorted around like in Michael’s coven’s castle. They must have decided to trust us, as we were given full use of the facility. Showering, I pulled on a pair of pants and slid on a button-up shirt.
In the dining room, I took a seat beside Janine, whose thin-lipped smile told me how weary she’d grown. Tyler chose the place beside Alena, and I fought an eye roll. As soon as the dishes were passed, I inquired about plans for rescuing Camille.
“Well, we now know where she is, or was a week ago, right?” Hunter started.
I leaned forward. “Who is our rescue team?”
“We can’t charge the compound with an army,” Orm said.
“Agreed.” I took a slice of meat from the platter and handed it to Janine. “I think a small team can go by boat and slip in and slip out with Camille.”
“Don’t forget the sword,” Alena added.
Hunter wrapped his hand around hers. “We need to focus on one thing at a time.”
I swallowed my bite. “I copy that. I’m not sure rescuing Camille can be achieved without inside help. I know where they’re most likely holding her and the layout. Getting in and out through all the right doors may be near impossible.”
“We’ll have to brainstorm after dinner.” Orm picked up his wine glass.
My leg bounced through the meal. I’d rather have been eating in a conference room where we could get some work done. “How many bodies do we have?”
“We don’t usually have strategic conversations at dinner,” Alena noted.
“Oh, got it, sorry.”
After the meal, we retired to a conference room. I reviewed how I’d freed Camille before and escaped, and we talked about the castle’s security. They wanted to know everything about Camille, including my time with her in Iceland and Italy, and we talked until after midnight.
“Shouldn’t we be in Italy so we can be close if there is a window of opportunity?” I asked as we made our way to the sleeping quarters.
Hunter turned to me. “Anne started preparing the safe house as soon as we confirmed who you were. It will be ready in a few days. The next major holiday isn’t until February 2.”
Wondering if every American holiday arose as a remnant of pagan culture, I shook my head. “We aren’t leaving Camille there till February!”
Hunter turned to face me. “You said yourself the place is nearly impenetrable. They will be distracted on the holiday.”
Alena squeezed my arm. “The safe house will be ready in a few days. After Anne meets with the council members, we’ll know better where we stand.”
“What do you mean? So, we do nothing till then?” I looked between Alena and Hunter.
“Mother is meeting with the vampire and then the witch council. Since the incident on Mabon, rumors have spread that the witches are making a grab for more power.”
Chalondra opened the door beside us. “We planted the story all around the world.”
I rolled my eyes. “To cover the incident on Mabon and cause them to be suspicious of Michael’s coven. Good thinking.”
Chalondra nodded. “We’ll see if it makes a difference.”
Sleep didn’t come easily, and when it did, images of Camille, Miguel, Mom, Dad, and the sword danced in my head. They must have had automatic lighting because the space outside my fake window brightened and I looked to my clock. Seeing it to be just before six, I threw my covers off. In the kitchen, I found a weary-eyed Tyler, nonetheless trying to make inroads with Alena.
I pointed at him as he joked about the weather in Iceland. “You need to focus on coven training. You’ll be far more useful as a full witch.”
“There’s no way I can get him ready in a month, much less a week,” Grady noted, entering the room.
“Fine.” I downed a glass of orange juice. “We need to be training together anyway. We’ve got to work as a team if we want to succeed at any plan.” An idea started to form in my brain, but I wasn’t ready to share it. We needed someone inside, and I figured Tyler and his dad were the most expendable. Perhaps if they acted as if they were giving themselves up for Camille’s freedom, we could get an inroad into the compound. I knew they would never set Camille free, but if timed right, Grady and Tyler could cause a distraction long enough for us to sneak in. Of course, if the plan failed, then we’d be down two or more men. But if we were inside, even as captives, I’d be closer to Camille.
After our workout, I felt justified in thinking Tyler would make good bait. He was so distracted by Alena he couldn’t get a simple levitation spell to hold for more than a minute. I wondered if there were any girls in Iceland. The way he pranced around Alena, trying to prove how strong he was, drove me nuts. Hunter seemed not to notice Tyler’s flirting, and I wondered if Hunter felt secure enough in his relationship with Alena to be unaffected. I appreciated that he focused and stayed on task.
“So, the team?” I asked at lunch. “Who can we use?”
Orm cleared his throat. “Both Alena and Hunter can’t go into the compound.”
“What?” I set my piece of sushi down. “We need the strongest witches on this.”
Orm’s mouth formed a smile. “How do you know I’m not stronger than Hunter?”
“Are you?”
“No.” Orm’s eyes didn’t leave mine. “But we can’t take the chance of all three children of light being captured.”
Hunter abandoned his bite. “Jude, Tyler, and I should go.”
“Am I chopped liver?” Grady asked.
“We need someone to man the boat. Maybe two people for backup,” I pointed out.
“I should go in,” Alena said.
“No.” Hunter shook his head.
“I’m a vampire and a witch. It gives me an advantage. Plus”—her eyes cut to the table—“he’s killed you once. They want me alive.”
“There’s that.” Hunter balled his fists and let them rest on the tabletop. I figured he wasn’t happy being sidelined, that his girlfriend might be stronger than him, or he didn’t want any chance of her being captured. I couldn’t blame him for thinking any of those. Ever since they’d mentioned February, I couldn’t stop picturing Camille, hair matted and pale, looking almost lifeless in the cell I’d rescued her from.
By the end of our afternoon session, I felt more confident about our chances of rescuing Camille. Fast and strong, Alena was a natural at most everything. Hunter and I were well matched in strength and ability. Being of Michael’s line, it didn’t surprise me that he took the lead in our scenarios and seemed comfortable making decisions. My strength lay in reading people and communicating, and Alena’s in her vast knowledge and speed. With our differing abilities, we formed a solid team. We just needed to get into the castle.
I didn’t do well with waiting, but they weren’t moving until the council meetings. It was two days till the witch’s gathering, so we trained and strategized. I liked the idea of using Tyler as bait but realized Camille wouldn’t. It wasn’t her call though. I’d have to beg forgiveness after the fact. The final plan would be a group decision anyway. Wondering if my dad could be of some use kept me up at night. I doubted Michael’s coven fully trusted my father. But Pop said Dad was still at the compound in Sardinia, so there was no way to contact him on a secure line.
We filed into the security control room and sat in front of a wall of video screens to monitor the witch’s meeting. Each of us was assigned one of the council members and had headphones specific to the video feed for that person. I marveled at the intricate systems they had in place as a camera was mounted above each chair and a microphone in each seat. We were instructed to text Anne if anything seemed off. I requested to be assigned to Marcus, and fixed my eyes on his image as the meeting started.
Anne asked for introductions and expressed regret that the High Priest, Thanatos, couldn’t be in attendance. “Thanatos assures me that Marcus has been briefed on his coven’s opinions and can speak for Michael’s line.” She folded her hands on the table, meeting each set of eyes. “The vampire council members have brought it to my attention that vampires fear retaliation for the events on Mabon. I want to reassure you that the vampires involved in the hideous crimes against the witches have been dealt with.”
Marcus folded his hands on the table. “So how exactly were they dealt with? Twelve of Michael’s coven members were murdered.”
Chin high, Anne addressed Marcus. “Our laws are much like human law, only swifter. Murder is a capital crime. The vampires were disposed of.”
One of the council members raised a hand. “The rumors are that Michael’s coven has the sword, was using it for some ritual and escaped with it. We don’t know what to believe. Michael’s coven says the vampires have the sword.”
“There are many rumors.” Anne laid her palms flat on the table. She lifted her shoulders as if she might be nervous. After watching her the past three days, I knew better. “It took a while to find the guilty creatures, and I assume they were the source of the rumors. The criminals reported that Thanatos possessed the lance of Longinus. They were very adamant. Although as you know, vampires can deceive seers, so there is no way to prove or disprove their allegations. My investigations revealed the attackers were bloodthirsty vigilantes, a small sect where hatred of your kind ran deep. I have no evidence the sword has been found, and my council members report the same.”
Whispers filled the room. Marcus cleared his throat. “Michael’s coven strongly denies insinuations that it possesses the sword. As you know, the lance disappeared from General Patten’s possession. It hasn’t been seen since.”
A male witch stood. “So, we know nothing? Your vampires could have the sword. What assurances can you give that they won’t use it?”
“Do any of the other coven’s have information about the sword?” Anne scanned the faces seated around the table. Each denied any knowledge of the lance.
“If what the criminals reported is true, this is the first we’ve heard of the sword since General Patten possessed it,” Anne confirmed.
The house of Uriel’s representative raised his hand. “We need to intensify our efforts, put more investigators out. We have reports of missing witches. Could this vigilante vampire sect be the cause? You need to answer for that.”
Hands still flat on the table, Anne scanned the other faces. “This is the first I’ve heard of this, how many?”
“Two.” The representative reported.
Grady spun in his chair to face me. “That would be me and your father.”
“You were searching for the sword?” Tyler asked.
“And obviously not doing a very good job of it.” Grady refocused on the screen.
Anne folded her hands in front of her. “We are watching family, friends, and accomplices of those charged with the murders. We will consider the matter.”
“Have we found any children of light? It would be their eighteenth year,” one of the house of Gabriel commented.
Anne let each in attendance report that there were no candidates from their lines. Doodling on the page in front of him, Marcus cut his eyes to each speaker and back to the paper. When he finished his drawing, I realized he’d included a string of dots and dashes. “Morse code.” I enlarged the drawing and displayed it on the front screen.
Grady approached the image. “I need to meet with you.”
I messaged Anne. MARCUS SCRIBBLED THAT HE NEEDS TO MEET WITH YOU. She looked to her device, deleted the message, and looked back to the group.
There were a few more minutes of back-and-forth discussion, and then Anne summarized the concerns. “It seems that the rumor of the resurfacing of the sword is just that. Our leaders will communicate this with their patrons to prevent any problems. These are heavy topics. I invite you to join me in my home for some drinks and lighter conversation.”
The tech guy pecked on his keyboard, rerouting our feed to the surveillance cameras in Anne’s condo. We watched the group ride the elevators up a floor to Anne’s living quarters. Her staff brought glasses and poured drinks for the guests. Anne made her rounds, speaking with each of the council members. Her demeanor with Marcus matched how she greeted the others, and I wondered how the meeting would be accomplished.
Alena turned to Orm. “Marcus has been to our home before. It was in early September. He came in Thanatos’s stead. Were you with them the entire time? Did they speak privately that night?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“Funny how the one event that was supposed to bring people closer to God fractured relations between all the other species,” Chalondra noted.
“What event?” I asked.
Grady shook his head. “God orchestrated the flood to rid the world of witches and vampires.” He looked to Chalondra. “He doesn’t care that there are wars between our groups.”
“Wait, I’m confused.” Tyler spun his chair to face Grady. “You’re talking about the great flood and Noah’s Arc?”
Alena spun her seat to face the group. “The witches convinced Noah to include a pair from each line on the boat. Since the vampire families were pagan, heathens in Noah’s eyes, none of our kind were included. Vampires went to the witches and begged for help, asking for a cloaking spell so they may slip onto the boat undetected.”
“But the witches refused?” I asked.
“Yes, creating a rift between the species that has never healed. Before that, our peoples helped each other, protected their secrets.”
Tyler shook his head. “The vampires would have endangered all the lives on the ship, right?”
I stared at Tyler in disbelief, wondering how he could be stupid enough to make such a comment in Alena’s presence. But, he was half human.
Alena pounced onto the table top in front of him. “Have you seen me eat a human or a live animal in the three days you’ve been here?” She leaned into him as he backed away, his face stripped of color. “Well?” she insisted.
He shook his head, and his eyes cut to the floor. “No.”
“Alena.” Hunter rubbed his hand down her back.
“Freaking humans think all vampires want to drink your blood,” Alena muttered under her breath as she jumped to the floor.
“How am I supposed to know things?” Tyler knocked his chair over in his retreat from the room.
Grady and Janine followed Tyler out.
“Maybe that was a little harsh?” Orm produced a vial of liquid and handed it to Alena. She opened the top, held it to her nose, and took several deep breaths.
“We need to focus on the party.” I pointed to the wall of video screens. “What could Marcus want? They may be the only two in the room that know the truth about Michael’s coven possessing the sword and the existence of the children of light. How are they going to manage to get a meeting alone?”
“Mother will manage.” Alena took her seat again.
I listened and watched, but the conversations grew boring, and my mind wandered. Alena was a loose cannon. Could she be trusted to stay focused? Maybe I’d request Hunter to be included in the rescue party rather than her. Of course, if our magic got disabled, she’d still have her vampire strength.
Tyler re-entered the room and crossed to Alena. “I’m sorry, my mouth got ahead of my brain.”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“Actually”—I tapped my pen to the pad in front of me—“they didn’t teach me anything about vampires in my coven training. I could use a crash course so we know what skill sets we’re working with.”
“We can plan a session after the party.” Orm pointed to the video screens.
The rest of the event comprised a huge snooze fest with the old cronies talking culture, history, music, and the state of the millennial younglings. I should have felt a little more respect. The most powerful beings in the world—save Sonia and Thanatos—were gathered in that room. I shivered. If the humans only knew.
“Like all of us are unmotivated losers?” Alena huffed after the fifteenth comment on the topic of the newest generation.
An hour into the gathering, the patrons started to say their goodbyes. Anne spoke with the council members, planting kisses on each of their cheeks before they left. My eyes found it hard to divert from her form. She seemed to float, each movement flowing into the next. Pondering whether her full vampire nature or her age caused the effect, laughter broke my trance.
Hunter poked a finger into Alena’s rib, and she jumped around the room, trying to escape him. Her jerky movements irritated me, but it was their bond, how their banter brought them joy, that angered me. I should be with Camille, I thought. I’d pushed the emotion away again and again as I’d watch them train, seemingly a perfect yin and yang. How Tyler even entertained the idea he had a chance with Alena was beyond me.
Glancing at the screen, I noticed Marcus to be the last council member in line to say goodbye to Anne. As they spoke, the elevator doors began to close with the rest of the group inside. One of them stopped the door’s progress.
“Sorry, got caught up talking. That’s all right, I’ll get the next carriage.” Marcus waved for them to leave without him.
The gentleman continued to hold the door. “We have much to discuss. You should join us now. Avery’s flight is tonight.”
“Oh, right.” Marcus waved his finger in the air as if he’d forgotten. After bidding Anne goodbye, he joined the other council members in the elevator.
“Well, that was a bust.” Alena jumped from her seat.
Hunter stood, leaning on the table beside her. “At least we know Marcus wants to talk to Anne.”
“Well, let’s put our waiting time to good use.” Orm moved to the front of the room. “Vampires 101.”
I refocused, knowing the scant knowledge I’d acquired needed to be fortified. He talked of their lifespan, strength, sensory abilities, speed.
“Their venom is a neurotoxin, and large amounts can stop a heart. Blood from a vampire can heal almost any wound but not bring someone back to life. Once you have a vampire’s blood in your system, that vampire can always find you.” Except beyond magic-impenetrable walls, I thought. “I expect that we’ll be fortifying your diets with some blood to make you the strongest possible for Camille’s extraction.”
“I may skip that part.” Tyler’s face contorted, and his shoulders shook.
There was a knock on the door, and a staff member announced dinner. We made our way to the dining room. Once we finished the meal, we changed into our workout clothes to get in a training session while we waited for word of Marcus from Anne’s aides.
We were sparring when an announcement came over the intercom that we were needed in the conference room. Jogging down the hall, we took our seats in front of the large screen. It showed feed from the multiple cameras in Anne’s building. Lines moved across the screen.
“We’re having trouble with audio,” the tech person indicated.
“Well, hurry.” Alena insisted. “There!” She pointed to a view of the front sidewalk. “Who’s that? Is it Marcus?” The high cheekbones resembled Marcus’s, but a ball cap shielded his eyes from view.
He strode into the lobby and spoke to the attendant. Lifting the phone from its cradle, the employee dialed a number and spoke into the receiver.
The hat-wearing gentleman kept his head low and jacket collar pulled high up over his cheeks. In a few minutes, two of Anne’s guards exited the elevator and escorted the man back in.
“That’s definitely Marcus. He must’ve come back. She expected him, or he wouldn’t have been allowed up. We need audio,” Alena insisted.
We took our seats as a bodyguard opened the door and Marcus entered the foyer. Anne had changed to a pair of jeans and a sweater and padded to the front room in bare feet.
A high-pitched signal emitted from the speakers. Anne’s mouth moved, but we didn’t catch the first words. “…a surprise. Ben will take your things.”
The man slipped his hat and jacket off. When he turned to follow Anne, we could see him to be Marcus.
“Let’s talk in my study.” She spun, and he followed her into the next room. “Would you like a drink, a glass of wine, brandy, water?”
“Water would be nice.”
Anne motioned to the remaining guard, and he nodded and walked away.
“Sit.” She tucked one leg under the other as she took a seat on the sofa.
“Anne knows Marcus well?” I asked.
“I said he visited in September,” Alena snapped.
“Sorry, she just looks very comfortable with him.”
Marcus sat beside her and raised a finger towards the fireplace. The logs glowed until flames erupted from the wood.
“Thank you.” Anne turned her attention back to Marcus. “So, what can I do for you?”
“I want to help you get Camille.”
“Camille?” Anne’s eyes narrowed, and her tone stayed light. If she was surprised to hear the name, you would never know it.
His eyes bore into Anne’s. “We both know who and what I am talking about.”
“And what would that be?”
“I will give you an in if you help me kidnap my granddaughter.”
“He’s gone mad,” Orm whispered.
“Who is your granddaughter? Where is she and why would you want her kidnapped?” Anne inquired.
Marcus gazed into the flames. “My granddaughter Gabrielle was chosen to be the goddess. She is to be wed to Theron. I want you to take Gabrielle from the compound when you rescue Camille. I will get Gabrielle to you, and your team will be the getaway.”
I let out my breath, grateful they weren’t planning on making Camille marry Theron. I knew Theron wanted to wed Alena, and I’d feared they would match Camille with him.
Anne cocked her head as a staff member entered with a tray of glasses. Taking one, she handed the other to Marcus. She stared at the flames until the attendant left. “Who says we know who this Camille is?”
“I know Alena, Hunter, and Camille are the trinity. I know Thanatos has the sword.”
Anne turned to face Marcus. “What is your timeline?”
“Before Imbolc.”