Page 11 of Gift from the Source
Focus, Willow.
“How many people are inside?”
“Twenty-three. They’re spread across all the floors. There’s heat covering the entire flooring of the house, so I can’t get a body count, but whatever’s down there gives off a signature,” Ry answers.
“Both heat and magical. I can sense it as well. Just judging with a glance, all individuals inside are magical beings as well,” Gaster tacks on.
“Okay. Going in through those French doors, we’ll enter Donald’s study. From there, if we follow the first floor past the kitchen and dining room, there’s a hallway that leads to a single door. It’s always been locked, and I’ve never entered it. That’s the only place in the house I’ve never ventured to. Not for lack of trying, but I couldn’t ever pick the lock or get it opened, so we can assume that’s where we need to go,” I say, my words firm and sure.
“You got exact body counts on the floors?” Tillman asks Ry.
“Four on the third, eight on the second, and the remaining eleven on the first.”
“That makes sense. Third is bedrooms, that I assume are now empty. Second is guest and staffing rooms, storage, an office space, art rooms. Showy spaces. Bottom floor is the main rooms. Kitchen, living room, sun room, dining room, Donald’s office, a foyer, and laundry room,” I inform them.
“Cas, you, Draken, and Keeper shadow up to the third, handle that, then join us back on the bottom floor. Lyker, take your Nexus, Codi, and Trex to the second. The rest of my Nexus, Ry’s, and Gaster will clear the bottom. Meet back in the kitchen,” Tillman orders and everyone nods.
“Third floor is a little of an overkill, don’t you think?”I ask slyly.
“Oh, absolutely. I’m just trying to get Caspian in trouble.”
“You lot are a four for one deal. If he’s in trouble, so are all of you.”
Tillman whips his head toward me, the unfairness he feels about my statement screaming through his eyes, but before he can call Cas off, shadows swarm the three of them.
Draken blows me a kiss, Caspian himself shoots me a wink, Keeper just smiles, and right before our eyes, they disappear into the darkness.
“Better get a move on.”I snicker.
“Move out,” Tillman orders and like a well-oiled machine, my family moves as one, crossing the green grass in a matter of seconds.
The French doors stand no chance as Lyker, with a swift kick, has the wooden frame shattering to bits. The rest of us pile in behind him as he casts out his earth element, tying up the single staff member who was in Donald’s study. I don’t recognize him nor do I care to stick around long enough to find out who he is.
“Take a right outside the door. It’ll lead you up the stairs,” I murmur to Lyker quickly as we begin crossing the room.
“Be careful, fortune teller,” he barks as he leads his Nexus, Codi, and Trex out the door.
The rest of us don’t linger, and I don’t let my gaze venture around the study. I ignore the nauseating smell of stale cigars and liquor and the rug beneath my feet that I’m sure still holds particles of my blood in its fabric. I focus on getting across the room as fast as we can and on the pounding of love in my chest from Gaster.
His eyes burn a hole in the side of my cheek, and I reach out to him mentally because I know what’s on his mind.“I’m so thankful for you, and I love you so much.”
“And I you, child. The thought of what you went through that dreadful night will always haunt me, as I know it will you, but I’m so, so selfishlygrateful to have found you. Just like that night, I’m making a mockery with my words, but I hope you know what I mean and how much I love you and am so thankful for you.”
A lump forms in my throat as we exit the threshold through the study, and my hand reaches out, lacing my fingers with his quickly.
“Not a mockery, Gaster. As hard as it is to admit most of the time, I may hate everything that has happened to me, but it all led me to where I am. By your side, by theirs. My new family. I’ve found my home, and I’ll never regret that, no matter how hard it was to get to.”
His bright aura warms my heart and my skin, but the sentimental moment is shattered when Tillman’s element coats me, leaving a thin layer of stone around me as the floor beneath my feet trembles.
As we burst through the end of the hall and enter the large foyer, seven of the eleven individuals are gathered, elements at the ready, waiting for us to enter.
A whip of fire cracks through the air, and my heart thunders in my chest as I watch it come directly toward us. Protectiveness like no other surges through me, mingling with the pulses being passed to me from Corentin and Tillman. My reaction is quicker than my thought process as I shove Gaster behind me on a current of air.
My hands land on my men in front of me as soon as I spin back around, and the second their bodies open up to mine, I push my elements, both air and earth, through to them. The wisp of flames stands no chance against them even without my added power, but with the kick I’m giving them, they unleash hell.
Oakly stands strong at my side, mimicking me and pushing her water as fiercely as she can through to Nikoli. Her other men join him, shoving everything they have at the enemies across from us as though this is nothing more than practice.
This small altercation is over in a blink of an eye. Honestly, it’s an overkill, but my anxiety is skyrocketing. I whirl around to face the person who I’m blaming for that.
