Page 132 of A Witch-ish Guide to Protectors and Pendulums

“We need Luc’s number to call him in.”

“I have it,” Shafira said, and when we all turned slowly to stare at her she finished, “he gave it to me because of our agreement. I can use Karro’s phone.”

“That’ll work. Connor and I will help the witches, unless I can get him to stay at the camp and help protect everyone with Madigan.”

Connor shot me a ‘woman done lost her mind’ look. I knew he wouldn’t leave me again, but it was worth a try.

“What about joining the hilt and amulet?” Simeon asked.

“I’m formulating a plan for that.”

I had to wait for Connor and Madigan to break off into their own little group—I heard something about battle strategies—and I pulled my brother aside. “I have an idea, but my big lug of a mate would throw the hissy fit to rival all hissy fits and I don’t think your mate would be too comfortable with it, either.”

“Lay it on me,” he replied and I did.

He started to fidget, as if uncomfortable.

I told him, “If you can think of anything else, I’m open. But I’m trying to end this with as little loss of life as possible.”

“I know. But I just got you in my life. I’m not ready to lose you. And Connor?—”

“Would eventually understand. But let’s not dwell on that part right now because we only have to consider it if the rest doesn’t work.”

“Jesus,” he whispered.

“I know.”

Sim pulled me into a tight hug. I sighed one of those heavy, ‘I hate this’ sighs that said so much of what I was feeling without having to say the words. Yeah, we’d officially reachedthatpointin our quest. The point where Frodo had to come to terms with the prospect ofnotcoming down from Mount Doom in Mordor. Note: The part of Frodo Baggins to be played by Simone Lamia.

It took a while, but Lily Joy came to me when the wards were finished. “Grandma Lilith knew her stuff,” she said and yeah. They didn’t call her ‘the mother of all witches’ for nothing.

“We ready?” I asked, and when she nodded, I called to the room, “First group of witches and Lilium. It’s time.”

My cousin and I were joined by Shafira, Agatha, Karro, Sim, and Madigan, along with several witches and Lilium, including Alexis Smith. She might’ve grown up without family like the rest of us, but she’d embraced her power and I was glad to have her on the team.

“It’ll work best if everyone hangs on to each other in some way,” I said. “I’m going to manifest us downwind as close to the demon camp as possible without being detected.”

Everyone started grabbing hands, arms, shirts—whatever they felt comfortable with—and I closed my eyes. Right as I thoughtdownwind from the demon camp at Göbekli Tepe, I felt Connor pressing himself to my back, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“I’ve got your back,” he whispered. Always. He always had my back.

Downwind from the demon camp at Göbekli Tepe.

Downwind from the demon camp at Göbekli Tepe.

Downwind from the demon camp at Göbekli Tepe.

I repeated it over and over, feeling Connor and me disappear from the archives. The weight of the others pulled down on me as if I were transporting a bin of large stones, but it made me glad for the feeling, knowing that I’d successfully brought them with us.

Moments later, we set down behind a rocky outcropping of hills. I cloaked Lily Joy, Shafira, and Karro as they went up thehills to place the wards. The others placed the wards on flatter ground where we’d directed them to. Sim went to work springing poisonous plants to life out of literal dirt. Connor and Madigan remained on guard during the whole process. The wards they cooked up kept the camp undetectable from the demons and humans alike—well, once Luc gave them an angel powerup. We couldn’t take any chances.

“Okay,” I said to the crowd. “Shafira, call Luc. The rest of you, take this time to focus and get your spells in order. I’ll be back with the next group as soon as I can get them together. Be careful. Keep vigilant.” With that done, I reached for Connor and manifested us back to the archives. They still wouldn’t let me manifest directly inside. We had to use the door like everyone else.

Inside, I gathered up the next group, this one larger than the first. This group was mostly made up of our healers and they carried salves, elixirs, bandages, you name it—something I’d neglected to account for when determining the weight of transporting them.

Still, pulling up my big-girl panties once again, I gave myself a small pep talk and then started manifesting.Our camp downwind from Göbekli Tepe.

Our camp downwind from Göbekli Tepe.

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