Page 57 of Prey

“I don’t actually know. They have talked about people from the government and the Convocation being in the Society though so it could be anyone really. They kept me in the same cell all this time. I think the reason they never moved me was because the bond would come back and you all would know something wasn’t right. So I never got to see anyone, just heard snippets of conversations sometimes. They talked about all kinds of thingsin front of me. They were never worried I would escape and no one would come looking for someone they thought was dead.”

Hmmm. Well, I don’t think anything he heard would have anything to do with what’s happening tonight. Logan’s parents weren’t high enough on the food chain for that. Besides, he looks tired and I don’t want to press him further after everything he’s been through.

“One more thing. You are going to go see Brigid right? You weren’t just saying that?” I ask him.

He sighs. “I’ll go. It will be a while before I talk about things though, Shasta. I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about some of it and other parts I’ll probably never even say out loud.” He looks at me pointedly. He’s not stupid. He will have known that Jessa told us about the rapes.

I can only nod. It’s up to him. It’s his journey of healing and the only thing we can do is be there for him. I wish I could do the work and make him all better but it doesn’t work that way.

I kiss his cheek and stand.

“Be careful, daughter. Please come back to us in one piece. Don’t worry your mother.”

It's weird hearing those words come from my dad’s lips after all this time. I smile at him and turn to leave the room. He clears his throat and I turn once more.

“I love you, Shasta.”

“I love you too, Dad.” I whisper, and then close the door behind me.

Once I’m in the hallway, I stop, one hand on the wall to keep my balance. The pain I feel for him is splitting me in two right now. I’m trying to be strong for him when I’m in there with him, but, Goddess, when I think about what they did to him, it just brings me to my knees. I don’t know how he can put on a brave face like he does when I know he’s dying inside.

I pull myself together and then head downstairs to gather Grams and make our way to the hotel.

We take the SUV’s. No way we can go on the bikes. For one thing, there isn’t enough room. Also the thought of Grams on a bike is enough to make me die laughing. Her mumu flapping in the breeze would take me out.

They are also too loud. The Society would hear us coming for sure. Four SUV’s get everyone there and in relative quietness. We park in a parking garage just down the street from the hotel. Everyone gathers around and Ethan fills us all in on the intel that Jessa was able to gather.

Since it’s on the second floor, we have no choice but to go into the building. None of us can fly. Though that may be a spell I can work on in the future. I’m going to use a smaller version of my knockout spell on anyone we come across. This has two benefits. It will get the security for the event out of the way and the employees won’t be running around in a panic. It will also keep them off our backs. It’s not exactly legal what we are doing, even if it is necessary.

I hear everyone asking questions and Ethan giving everyone their jobs and positions. Alaric is going to be stationed on the building next door with the best view of both exits. Fortunately, there isn’t a back door. Only the front and an entry door on the side of the building. I’m sure there’s probably a roof exit too, but where are they going to go? He can see the roof anyway.

The rest of us are dressed up a little. We didn’t want to be too conspicuous. This gives me enough time to get people knocked out if they aren’t immediately alerted to the fact that we look suspicious. Ethan, Kadi, Jessa, Joaquin, Laken, and I are going in first. We will be acting like couples just coming in to get rooms. Once I get everyone in that area knocked out, the others will come in behind us. We will clear each area up to the second floor the same way.

Once we reach the second floor, Ethan and I are going out of the elevator alone. Acting drunk will give us breathing room and I’ll get the security there knocked out. Hopefully before anyone realizes what's happening. The flaw in the plan is that we don’t know how often security will be checking in on us. The elevator is the fastest way to the second floor, but there will still be a time lag between floors. If they call anyone for a status check, there won’t be anyone to answer, and us emerging from the elevator will spark a battle in the hallway.

That will definitely alert the Society inside the meeting room and then all hell is going to break loose. Ethan and I will have to hold everyone off until the rest of the group gets there. It’s risky, but it’s all we have.

My palms are sweaty. I’m not used to these new powers yet, which means I’m going to have to be careful to put just the right amount of magic in my knockout spell so I don’t accidentally kill the hotel staff. I’m not worried about the security for the Society but since I’ll be knocking everyone out at once, I can’t use two spells.

Kadi comes over and takes my hand, raising it to his lips and pressing a kiss on it. “You holding up okay? I know this isn’t what you’re used to. I’d like to tell you it gets less nerve wracking with time, but it doesn’t.”

I laugh. “Yeah, I kinda figured. But I’ll be fine. Are we ready to go?”

“As ready as we will be,” Ethan says, walking up to us.

Here we go. We all walk down the street towards the hotel. Some of the guys move to the other side of the street so that we can stagger our entry a bit. Jessa, Laken, and Joaquin are behind us.

Emmett and Josiah are ahead of us holding hands and looking cute. I’d like to say they’re great actors, but they’re just that in love with each other. I look at my guys out of the corner of myeye and I feel a warmth in my chest.I get it now Em,I say to myself.

We walk through the automatic door into the hotel lobby and the person at the desk greets us as we head her direction. I swivel my head and do a quick count. Maybe ten people? As we step up to the desk, I wave my hand and everyone around us falls. We change directions and I look around to make sure I got everyone. Kadi squeezes my other hand and nods. Good. Now we just need to get on the elevator. When we step into the hallway, I see two men standing on either side of the elevator. One of them is speaking into his sleeve. Fuck. He’s either doing his normal call in or we are screwed.

The other one is watching us pretty closely. He looks like he may be suspicious, but they let us enter the elevator and just before the door closes, I wave my hand and see them both hit the floor.

Goddess. I stoop and take a few deep breaths. Ethan rubs my back. “It’s going to be okay, Little Witch. You’re doing great. One more checkpoint and then we’re in.”

“I don’t feel like our luck is going to hold though. Be ready when those doors open.”

He nods and takes a stance. The elevator stops and the doors woosh open, revealing two armed men with guns pointed at our faces.

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