Page 32 of Ignited Spirits
“I vote for the killing them option. Murder makes everything more fun,” Archer chimes in with a smile.
Cain nods. “I second it.”
His soft-spoken words are at odds with his vote for violence. I know Archer said Cain is bloodthirsty and unhinged, but I’ve never seen that side of him. I wonder if a full-on battle with the council will finally bring it out.
Rhys and Bishop both sigh at Archer and Cain at the same time.
I can’t help the slightly hysterical giggle that slips out at the two of them. Everyone looks at me in surprise and concern, and I wave them off. I’m not the one they need to worry about. Dad is.
Since Bishop is behind me, I look at Rhys. “Since you aren’t a fan of killing them all, what’s your plan once we break in?”
“Stealth. Get as far as we can without anyone realizing it. We can subdue any guards that notice us, but there’s no reason for this to turn into a bloodbath.” Rhys, much less enthused about the possibility of a conflict than Archer and Cain, flattens his mouth into a grim line.
“We might not have a choice,” I admit quietly.
Rhys closes his eyes in resignation before opening them and letting me see the fear swirling in them. “I know.”
Stepping out of Bishop’s arms, I walk over to Rhys. I brace my hands on the counter in front of him, mirroring his posture. “You don’t have to be part of this, Rhys. It’s my fault that Dad’s locked up. It’s up to me to get him out. This doesn’t have to be your fight.”
He scoffs. “Of course I’m coming with you, Iz. And I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about something happening to you, Aiden, Dad, Bishop, or even the rest of your mates. I don’tlike the odds, and I’m not confident we’re all going to make it out. I want to minimize the opportunity for a conflict and increase our odds of survival.”
“We faced worse odds when my magic accidentally on purpose took out Doyle, and we all made it through that alive. Have some faith, Rhys. Besides, we’re Gallaghers. Overpowering other mages is what we do best.”
Huffing a laugh, Rhys gives me a half smile. “That’s true. Our family members are assholes, but I guess it works in our favor this time. Is everyone ready to go? I’d love to pull resources from Elemental for this, but I think that’s too risky.”
I look around at my mates.
Everyone nods, and Luca says, “I think we’re all ready. Might as well go now while we have some element of surprise. I agree that pulling in outsiders is risky. I’d use some of the pack, but I don’t know how much help they’ll be if we’re trying to get in and out.”
I guess we’re doing this, then.
“Do you want me to open a rift, or do you want to?” I ask Levi.
Levi pushes the long sleeves of the shirt he changed into before heading back to this realm up to his elbows, like he’s preparing to get his hands dirty. “Save your magic. I’ll open it.”
“I have a lot of magic, for your information. Way more than the average mage.” I’m mildly offended at him acting like I have such limited magic reserves. I know I’m not a fullcura, but I still have a ton of power.
He smiles at me indulgently. “I know, little raven. You have more magic than I do, but your magic is also more useful than mine. It makes more sense to save yours for when we need it.”
“Oh.” I blush and duck my head, unsure what to say to the compliment. Luckily, I don’t have time to dwell on it as Levi opens a rift.
I start toward the interdimensional portal when I’m snagged around the waist and yanked to a stop. Turning in Luca’s arms, I glare up at him. He just gives me an infuriating smirk. “You’re not going through first.”
“Like hell I’m not,” I grit out. “I’m the most powerful out of everyone here, other than Levi and maybe Cain, once he gets the whole hellhound thing figured out. It absolutely makes sense for me to go through first.”
“I don’t care if it makes sense,” Luca rasps as he lowers his forehead to rest against mine. “I care that you’re my world, and I’m not letting you walk into a trap alone. Just let Levi go through first, then you can go, okay?”
I soften against him, unable to be mad when I know how much he cares. “Fine,” I grumble. I may not like it, but I do know how to compromise.
Luca grins at me before leaning down to give me a hard and fast kiss that leaves me a little dazed.
I shake it off and start toward the rift again. Once Levi walks through, I follow closely behind.
I don’t know what I expect to encounter when I walk out, but it isn’t silence. Alarms blaring, guards shouting, and people running around frantically would be more like it. But the dead quiet makes me even more certain we’re walking into a trap.
Looking around at the gold-veined marble, drab gray walls, and lack of any framed portraits or gold chandeliers, I assume we’re in the right place. The council doesn’t decorate the prison wing as ostentatiously as they do the rest of the place, not caring what inmates think of them.
Glancing to the right, I see the main council HQ entrance where the building splits off into three wings. We’re not that far away from the people milling about, so we need to keep it quiet if we’re going to be as stealthy as Rhys wants.
