Page 149 of Winterfall Destiny

Jamie huffs at him. “We’re no longer inconspicuous wherever we go in the building, but seriously?”

“Shouldn’t we search for Gabriella?” I whisper.

“We can’t waste magical or physical energy on driving our way through these vamps and alert her that we’re here. She’ll bring others to protect her,” says Tobias.

“We won’t waste energy on killing the recruits unless they interfere,” Andrei says. “Gabriella dies; her creations die. That’s what would’ve happened to me.”

“And if they know their possible fate, the kids will fight back harder,” says Ash.

Andrei sneers. “Either way, they’ll die.”

“This is the point we need to split up,” says Tobias cautiously. “I’ll take Ash to search for Gabriella and security. Stay here to watch for anybody coming through from the front of the building.” He points at the doorway behind. “I’ll sneak out that way with Ash and head to one of the rear entrances. Take out any guards.”

“Why Ash not me?” protests Andrei.

“Because Gabriella will know you’re only metres away. You could cloak your mind but not the blood. Besides, don’t you want to stay with Maeve?” Tobias arches a brow, silencing a pouting Andrei.

“I’m uneasy about this, Tobias,” I say and take his hand.

He holds my hand between both of his. “If there’re too many people for us to manage in that part of the theatre, we’ll move away. I promise not to put either of us in danger. Gabriella won’t notice us if I cloak Ash’s mind and close mine.”

“Do what?” asks Ash sharply.

“You never attended one of Professor Whitlock’s classes,” says Jamie. “It’s a spell but not mind control. Blocking your mind from others won’t affect you or last long.”

Ash scrunches his nose. “Right.”

“If Gabriella’s planning to walk onto that stage, someone needs to be close enough to intervene,” continues Tobias.

Perspiration breaks out across my back. “What if Gabriella still sees you? Be careful.”

“I won’t be a martyr, Maeve,” he says pointedly. “But I’ll do whatever I need to keep us safe.”

Tobias presses his lips to my forehead, and I hug him, then Ash, in two minds whether to let them go. But Tobias’s plan makes sense. Hiding some of us between the stage and door, while others deal with whoever Gabriella brought to protect her covers our bases. The recruits waiting in the stalls could attack, but they’d be weak against our combined power, especially Andrei.

And Gabriella? I glance between Tobias who’s edging through the door to the foyer, and then to Andrei. Gabriella’s fate might depend on who gets their hands on her first.

52

MAEVE

I sit beside Andrei on the back row, Jamie on my other side. Andrei leans forward with elbows on his knees as he waits, staring at the thick maroon curtain spanning the stage. Four male recruits sit on seats several rows in front, obscuring us, also watching for movement and chattering in excitement. Nausea rolls through me. I’m half-inclined to agree with Andrei that we should take Gabriella out before anything else happens, but the deaths… These people are no longer a faceless army or only fanatics willing to follow Gabriella’s word to the letter.

But they would happily kill any Dominion enemy, including us.

Sucking in a shaky breath, I turn my eyes upwards at the dimmed stage lights, stomach churning further.

“The three at the front, on the left.” Jamie points to a row of seats across the aisle. “They’re dressed in suits. Not everybody is.”

“Do you recognise any of them?” I ask both guys.

“No.”

Andrei doesn’t reply, worryingly lost in thoughts or plans.

Jamie’s phone screen lights up with a silent message and I lean across. “What are Tobias and Ash doing? Have they seen Gabriella?”

four vamps two taken care of but others close to G she’s preoccupied in a backstage room we’ll keep watching

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