Page 54 of Midnight Rules
“Papa is a boy. Boys don’t have babies.” Regan drew his eyebrows together. “Can you?”
Marric wished he could. He’d have Iven’s babies in a heartbeat. “You’re my son. So I guess I can.”
“But I’m not a baby.” Regan’s big, brown eyes were wide with exasperation. But then he leaned against Marric and took his hand. “Riley said he’d be my brother, and he said he’d make Griffin be my brother too.”
“Good. Then we don’t have to talk about adding more of you.” The conversation had distracted Emery and Regan long enough to take their mind off what was happening outside.
The shouting got louder and sounded closer.
Emery jumped up and went to the window, moving the curtain back just enough to peek outside. “They broke through the wards.”
He forgot his fear long enough for some relief, even if only for a few minutes, but her words brought it back tenfold.
Marric watched Zinnie stir the pot. “Get away from the window, Em.”
Emery didn’t move and Marric didn’t push it.
“What’s the plan with that stuff?”
She didn’t take her focus off the pot. “When we add magic to the pot, the contents inside will turn to gas. I need to figure out a way to trap the gas and then release it outside the dome.”
“Will it kill them?” As hurt as Marric was by his pack, he didn’t want them to die.
“No. But they’ll wish for death.”
“Maybe it’s not the gas we have to trap.” Iven had said once that Riley could make people sleep or freeze. They could use that but only if he could do it to enough people.
The enemy outnumbered and surrounded them. The only way to even things up was to get enough people to breathe in Zinnie’s potion.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When the witches finally took the dome down, Iven knew they would target him first. He was the one who could keep the three of them the safest with his magic. Iven did his best to come up with a plan beforehand, but as soon as the dome fell, so did his plan.
The three of them had their backs to each other, keeping eyes on the witches. Cass and Kinnison were in their third forms. They were so large they made him feel as though he were the size of a child. If he stepped back, he could disappear between them. As comforting of a thought as that was, he was the one who would get them out of this mess.
But Cass and Kinnison intimidated the witches. He could see it on some of their faces.
“What’s the plan here?” Cass’s voice was deeper, more menacing.
“We kill as many as we can and hope back up arrives before the witches kill us.” Iven let a flame spark on his finger. He pushed it to the center of his palm and then let it build big enough to form into a ball with his hands.
The further the witches backed away, the bigger the ball became.
“That’s your grand plan?” Cass growled.
“Do you have a better one?” Iven’s ball became bigger than he had intended and heavier.
“No, but you’re supposed to be my fearless leader.” Cass’s growl turned into a snarl.
“I’m your boss. Not your leader. Kinnison is your alpha.” Or he sort of was. He wasanalpha and the only one who claimed the title, so by default that was true. “And I’m not fearless.”
Iven hurled the ball of flame into the crowd of witches, giving it momentum with his magic. People screamed when the fire reached out and grabbed them as though it had grown arms. Iven kept the ball rolling until the witches smartened up and ran from the ball’s path.
“I think the plan is sound.” Kinnison turned toward the damage that had been done. His canine eyes were wide, which seemed odd in his wolfy face. He appeared as though he was some sort of cartoon brought to life.
Kinnison took his eyes off the witch in front of him for maybe half a second, but it was just enough time for the witch to gain the upper hand. The witch threw some sort of green powder at Kinnison.
Her hand moved in Iven’s peripheral vision. He reacted out of instinct when he made them freeze.
