Page 55 of Premonition of Peace

“I don't understand how you could even consider this a good plan,” I began, taking a seat at the table.

“You know damn well why,” Bad Nat said, crossing her legs and not propping them on the table for once.

“While I don't share her exact sentiments, she's not wrong,” The Warden said, side-eying her bad counterpart.

Ann pushed her glasses up her nose. “This could be the contingency plan. Ronan’s could be the last resort.”

“But we would be letting Sasha and Kat die,” Peace said softly.

“No,” Caretaker said. “We're not letting them die. This is just a worst-case scenario.”

Bad Nat scoffed. “Is it? Sugarcoat it all you want. She knows what it means.”

“That's not how Lucifer presented it,” Peace countered.

“But that's how we can consider it,” Ann added. “While we don't have to take his suggestion exactly as it is, we have to consider the possibility. If we are unable to take Morgan La Fay out of Sasha, she will Kat. We know her next moves in that sense. Surely there has to be a way to protect ourselves here in the loci.”

“Well, if there's a soul tie between you and Morgan La Fay, then she would be able to access the loci once the bitch bodysnatches us,” Bad Nat said. “She may not even need to take you over to get in here.”

Peace whimpered and Caretaker rubbed circles on her back to soothe her.

“Shit,” I whispered, thinking through the scenarios. “Is that even possible?”

Ann shrugged. “I don't know, but Lucifer is your familiar and there's a bond allowing him to come into the Loki. Logically, there’s a possibility she could, right? Have you taken a look at that particular thread?”

I shook my head. “No, not close up. I just know that there's a bond between us.” One more thing on the never-ending to-do list. I looked at the two calmer versions of myself. “I expected The Warden and Ann to be on the same page here. Tell me what your thoughts are.”

“I think it's the middle ground,” Caretaker said after a moment. “Obviously the goal here is to save everyone, but you have to admit it. We may not be able to. And the only contingency you do have is sacrificing yourself. This is the in-between. It's a way to save the ones you love, and also a way for you to survive. If it doesn’t work, we still have our final backup plan. We know Ronan will end us. There is no question.”

“Peace?”

She sniffled. “I don't like any of this. I just want everyone to be okay.”

Bad Nat huffed loudly and rolled her eyes while The Warden shot her a dirty look.

I chewed on my lip, rolling the idea around. “Let’s say Bad Nat is right and she ends up here in the loci. What would we even do in here? Am I supposed to hit her with a library book? This is a part of my subconscious mind. It's not like Bad Nat can stab her.” I could feel myself getting more frustrated. It felt like eachstep I took toward a solution, a new problem would take us five steps back.

The door in the attic rattled harder than it had before. Papers on the table vibrated.

Bad Nat grinned, looking at the ceiling above us. “Let her take a swing.”

“Be useful for once,” Ann snapped.

I exhaled, taking the time to process what I wanted to say. “Look, I understand that Lucifer has a point, as much as I hate it. But this can't be the contingency. If she gets here, we can't risk her accessing my magic. Ronan has to do what he has to do. There won't be any time.”

The Nats looked displeased with my decision. Ann pursed her lips, the corners of her mouth crinkling. “And what do you want us to do in the meantime?”

“We have to make this plan work first so I don’t end up dead.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Ann, search the library for every memory we have on looms, spindles, and shears. Even if they aren’t the objects of fate. Maybe something will spark an idea, or maybe something was said in code. Warden, Caretaker, everything on transfiguration. Every detail. Peace?—”

“Nathalie?” A voice caught me off guard, pulling me from the loci and into the real world where I sat on the concrete stairs.

Not-Sasha stood at the door to the stairwell, her head cocked to the side.

“Hey, Sasha,” I said, trying to disguise the suspicion in my voice. “What are you doing here?” She was supposed to be with Sienna, but her twin was nowhere in sight.

“I was actually just looking for you,” she responded with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Can we grab coffee together? I feel like we haven’t had a chance to really talk since I came back.”

“Oh, right now?” I asked, standing up and smoothing my palms over my skirt. “I was just getting ready to head out. A lot on the agenda. You know how it goes. The city can’t run itself.”

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