Page 69 of Witch Queen

“She is not.” Jared frowned at the mayor. “I’m making the same request. I’m still waiting to hear back from the Special Affairs Bureau, but I’m pretty sure they’ll agree with our suggestion.”

McKinney leaned his elbows on his desk, his expression hard. “I’m afraid I’m going to need more than that before I okay such an asinine plan.” He pursed his lips. “Even if I did consent to it, we’d need the National Guard for such a large-scale evacuation. It would take,” one of his counselors leaned down and whispered in his ear, “—a couple of days at least before they had boots on the ground.”

Bryony clenched her jaw. It had taken her and Abraham twelve hours to secure an appointment with the mayor, to the point even Barbara had threatened to storm City Hall to speak to the “Goddamn fool in charge of this place!”

We’re running out of time.Still, we need his cooperation if we want to save as many human lives as possible.

“We may have had our differences in the past, Edwin,” she said in a level voice, “but Jared and I are being deadly serious. New York is facing an imminent attack.”

McKinney raised a mocking eyebrow. “From this so-called Sorcerer King you mentioned before? The one responsible for the incident at that hotel?”

Bryony swallowed a sharp retort. “Yes.”

“He’s also the one behind all those dead bodies showing up,” Abraham ground out, the “asshole” unspoken.

McKinney waved a dismissive hand, his expression undeterred. “My advisors believe that was the work of some kind of cult and it’s the last we’ve seen of them.”

Abraham drew a sharp breath. Jared stared at McKinney’s advisors like they were the dumbest things on two legs he’d ever seen.

“Maybe we should bring Rambrog here,” the Immortal suggested flatly to Bryony.

“Don’t tempt me,” she muttered.

McKinney sneered. “Who the hell is Rambrog?”

Something behind the mayor caught Bryony’s gaze before she could utter a reply. She blinked, not quite understanding what she was seeing for a moment. Her eyes widened.

The air trembled on a ripple of sinister magic, making the hairs on the back of her neck rise to attention. Penley’s pupils blazed a bright green as he hissed at her feet.

Blood drained from Abraham’s face. The aide clenched the armrests of his chair, his gaze riveted to the window. “What is that?!”

Jared cursed when he registered the phenomenon that had captured their attention.

McKinney frowned. He twisted around, his advisors following suit.

“What are you talk—?” The mayor’s words ended on a gargled cry.

He swiveled his chair and climbed clumsily to his feet, his thighs hitting the desk and knocking over an ink pot.

“What the devil is that thing?!” McKinney croaked, indicating the sky with a trembling finger.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

They hada direct line of sight to Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge from McKinney’s office in City Hall. What was rolling across the sky from the east was not so much a storm as it was a dark pall that would soon engulf the city. Racing ahead of it, an ominous portent that seemed to herald the End of Days, were thousands of birds.

Blood pounded in Bryony’s veins as she rose from her chair, Abraham and Jared at her side.It’s the first part of the prophecy!

“We’re too late,” she mumbled, half to herself.

Jared’s cell buzzed. His shoulders knotted when he saw the number on the screen. He took the call and listened wordlessly, a muscle jumping in his jawline.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said curtly. “Will do.”

The Immortal disconnected and eyed a shaken McKinney coldly. “That was the Special Affairs Bureau. They want everyone out of New York ASAP. General Cooke and his men at the army facility on Staten Island will assist you. Wait for their instructions.”

They left the mayor and his two counselors staring fearfully out the window as they exited the office.

“Isn’t this too early?” Abraham said tensely when they emerged from the building. He glanced at the sky as they headed to where Jared had parked his sedan. “I thought we had at least another ten hours.”

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