Page 47 of Dark Witch: Twin Destinies

Aru shook his head. "This is not the time to discuss global cabals. We have a mission to complete."

Margo arched a brow. "So, you agree with me that there is a global cabal bent on manipulating humans to self-destruct?"

Dagor snorted. "Yeah, and it's called the Brotherhood of the Devout Order of Mortdh."

"They are not the only ones." Margo crossed her arms over her chest. "And I don't think that they are even the worst."

Aru lifted his hand again. "Please. You can keep talking about this later." He turned to the pilot. "Edgar, how soon can you have the chopper prepped and ready to go?"

"Fifteen minutes." Edgar pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against. "I'll get it warmed up and ready to fly."

Aru nodded and turned to the rest of the group. "Okay, everyone, it's time to gear up. Double-check your equipment, and don't forget that we are camping out tonight, so make sure you pack extra warm clothing." He looked at Jasmine. "Don't forget gloves."

"I won't." She reached for the crutches and heaved herself up. "I also packed no-rinse bathing wipes." She turned to Ella. "Thank you for recommending them. They will be lifesavers out there."

"You're welcome." Ella threaded her arm through Julian's. "Good luck out there. I hope you find the pod soon."

"So do I." Jasmine frowned. "I feel it's not going to take long now."

36

JASMINE

Aflutter of nerves took flight in Jasmine's stomach as Edgar brought the helicopter in for landing, the whirring blades kicking up a cloud of dust. That he could even land on that tiny patch of flat terrain was a miracle and a testament to his skill.

As Dagor slid the back door open, Jasmine leaned over and kissed Edgar's cheek. "Be safe," she murmured next to his ear. She couldn't hear herself over the engine noise, but she knew that he'd heard her.

Turning toward her, Edgar wrapped his leather-gloved hand over the back of her neck and kissed her hard. Passion mingled with desperation as he held on to her, and he didn't let go until Dagor cleared his throat loudly enough to be heard over the engine noise. "Sorry, lovebirds, but we need to move."

"Be safe," Edgar said as he pulled back.

When Dagor lifted her from the craft, Edgar yelled, "Keep her safe."

"I will." Dagor ducked under the rotating blades.

While she and Edgar had been busy kissing, Aru and Negal had taken the equipment out, and as soon as she and Dagor reached them, Aru signaled to Edgar that he was good to go.

Edgar returned two thumbs up, and the helicopter lifted off a moment later.

They watched it climb for a long moment, and then Negal turned his back to them. "I'm ready." He crouched low to the ground.

"What's that?" She pointed at the contraption on his back.

"A harness," Aru said. "That way, both your arms can be free. You don't need to hold on to whoever is carrying you, and he doesn't need to hold on to you, either. It is also less likely that any of us will drop you."

They had fashioned the harness from thick nylon straps that Jasmine couldn't imagine where they could have gotten them from. The main part wrapped around Negal's shoulders and chest, probably to distribute her weight more evenly and allow his arms to move freely.

They had added padded supports at the shoulders and waist, using foam to cushion against the pressure points. The design even included adjustable buckles, allowing the carrier to tighten or loosen the harness as needed.

"I can't believe you made this," she said. "When and how?"

"We worked on it yesterday while you were resting," Dagor said as he lifted her into a sling-like seat made from the same material which dangled from the main frame of the harness.

When she was seated, Negal checked each buckle and strap to ensure everything was secure. Once satisfied that she was safely ensconced and comfortable, he stood up slowly, adjusting to the weight distribution before starting to walk.

"Thank you for making this ingenious thing for me." Jasmine patted the pocket with the scrying stick. "Now, I don't need to cling to you like a monkey and can keep scrying on the way."

"You're welcome," Aru said.

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