Page 81 of Redeemed
This apparently causes Kowalski so much outrage he’s speechless. Small favors.
“Once we have reunited Tatiana’s spirit with her body, she can choose whether to return to her family or stay with me,” Ananda Pendragon continues, digging my grave deeper with the elves.
Even from the side, my great-whatever grandmother’s smile is pure malice. I shrug her off, trying to get back to the reason we’re all here. “We have a replica of the Princess. Now all we need is a plan.”
She points at Marcus. “Get up and let an old woman sit.”
He does, and I refrain from rolling my eyes.
“I’ll carry the Princess’s body,” Trajan says, “and come back with David.”
“You’ll need these.” Sheena produces a bundle of stakes from under the table.
“I can’t walk up to him with a stake in my hand.”
“This’ll help.” Albion Bird sketches a sigil on the tabletop and the stakes fade from sight. “The shade won’t last for long, but I’ll set it again when we arrive.”
Trajan’s still red hot, and while I don’t blame him, it’s not a side of him I’ve seen before. “I’ll carry the Princess, you take the stakes, and we’ll do whatever is necessary. Together.”
“Together.” Trajan meets my gaze and for a few heartbeats, no one else matters. There’s trust in his gaze, and a deep connection.
He’s it for me. He and David.
We spend a few minutes figuring out who has weapons and who needs them. Brodie says he’ll borrow some from Headquarters. He promises Sheena and Stone he’ll bring them toys, but he doesn’t make the same offer to Kowalski. Elves don’t need much more than their nasty attitudes. Albion Bird and the other witches have their own toys. The wolves are most powerful on four legs, I won’t need anything more than my pistol, and all Trajan wants is a stake.
“We might be outnumbered,” Trajan says, “but we won’t be outgunned.”
I can’t argue with him. “From what we saw, Betancourt has around forty allies, although it’s likely he’ll be calling in more.”
“Why would anyone respond to his call?”
“Power,” a new voice says. A vampire stands next to Stone in the doorway. He looks young, although it’s impossible to guess his actual age. “He’s made some very generous promises to those who will help him.”
“Who are you?” I don’t mean to sound testy, but it sure comes out that way.
He directs his response to Trajan. “Madame Packard sent me, along with three others. Jacques Betancourt must not be allowed to survive this night.”
Trajan retreats into anger, and the four vampires file in.
“Happy to have you along,” I say. “Tonight will be a test. We must destroy Betancourt and we must retrieve David and the others. Anyone who doesn’t want to face this, say so now.”
No one says a word.
“Okay. We’ll see you at the beach at ten p.m.”
That’s about ninety minutes longer than I want to wait, but we need the time to bring in more people and more weapons. And what we lack in numbers, we make up for in commitment.
I hope.
Chapter Thirty-One
Trajan
THE PARKING LOT is full, and for some reason that makes me laugh. “I mean, is it really a diabolical plot if you don’t have a cast of thousands to witness it?”
Connor shakes his head at my sarcasm. He double parks behind a janky-looking SUV and Sheena’s headlights flash through our rear window. She’s got Marcus, Stone, and Brodie and she’s ready to fight.
The witches—there are four of them—are already on the path leading down to the beach. They must have grabbed the last parking spot. Lydia and her girls roar in. Madame Packard’s four vampires follow. I don’t see the elves—yet—but that might not be a bad thing.
