Page 41 of Ascension of the Pack

‘That's not how it works,’ he pointed out drily.

I shrugged. ‘I'm the Queen, I decide how it works. I only want one pack – mine. I'll travel to the others and appointa new alpha or alpha team. I think Thea and Archie would do a wonderful job together.’

Ben’s eyes shone for a moment with an alien light. ‘I think you’re right,’ he paused. ‘But there will be objections. There can only be one alpha.’

‘That's where you're wrong. We're always stronger together.’ I looked at him. ‘You’re a lawyer, find me a precedent.’

He laughed. ‘You got it.’

‘Thanks – but first we have more business to attend to.’

‘What business?’

‘Geneve.’ I said grimly. ‘She let slip that Dad didn’t get himself cleared willingly. Someone did it to him and we’re going to find out who.’

‘How?’

‘We’re going to break the clearing,’ I said grimly.

Chapter 26

Unusually Amber didn’t answer her phone when I rang, so I rang another local witch, Leyla Keyman. She was a quiet woman with none of Amber’s gravitas, but she’d always given me an impression of being competent and that was all I needed – though a friend would have been very welcome right now.

‘Queen Lucy,’ Leyla answered briskly. ‘How can I help?’

‘I need you to break a clearing.’

‘That’s expensive,’ she warned.

‘I’m good for it.’

‘When do you need it?’

‘Now,’ I said firmly and rattled off my parents’ address.

‘“Now” comes with a premium.’

‘Naturally,’ I huffed. ‘I’ll pay it.’

‘Excellent. See you shortly,’ she promised.

I discreetly collared Greg and left the impromptu wake. It was less grief-stricken than the vigil had been; smiles werebreaking out as people exchanged stories about Xander. He would never have believed how well thought of he was.

‘We need to see my parents.’ I explained briefly about Geneve’s comments.

Greg’s jaw worked. ‘She was such a piece of work. Clearing someone of their knowledge of magic is nearly as bad as extinguishing them.’ He winced when he realised what he’d said. ‘Sorry, that was insensitive. You know I didn’t mean…’

‘It’s okay,’ I interrupted. ‘And actually, Terrance said something weird the other day. He said I still have a teeny ember inside me. What if I wasn’t extinguished properly but kind of … banked?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘If I have a spark within me, maybe it can be fanned into life.’

‘Maybe,’ he conceded. ‘But Lucy – don’t raise your hopes.’

I smiled. ‘I won’t.’ I didn’t need to raise them because they were already sky high. Maybe I could become a fire elemental as I’d been born to be. The Alessandros had never treated me any differently because I didn’t have fire, but it would be something else to truly be a part of their fiery dynasty.

Take some winged ones with us,Esme suggested.They need purpose – and we could do with protection from above.

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