Michael was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking up at her. Emily went to sit in the armchair in the corner. From there, she could see Michael and still gobble down her food.
“Go on. How do you propose we save them?” she asked between mouthfuls.
“Stealth,” Michael said. “Obviously.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Right. Obviously.”
Michael must have missed the sarcasm in her voice because he continued without missing a beat.
“Remember that I got into the castle once before,” Michael went on. “Haven’t you ever wondered how it was that I got to the master bedroom without being caught?”
Emily suddenly realized that she’d missed that particular fact. “How did you manage that?”
Michael smiled. “Working for the vigilantes has its perks. So you know how every building must file plans with City Hall? Well, the vigilantes have access to the town’s archives. It turns out that the building’s files were filed in accordance to town laws at the time.”
“At the time?”
“Yep.” Michael grinned. “The building is over a hundred years old. It was built way before even my granddad was born. And it didn’t belong to the Alfreds. It belonged to a man.”
“A man?” Emily parroted, her interest piqued. “That’s pretty vague.”
Michael nodded. “It’s strange, though. The man’s name was never mentioned. No detail about him was even included in the town plans. Just a reference to a man who built the house and had its plans filed.”
“And you’re sure the plans are accurate?”
Michael nodded vigorously. “So accurate that I made it to the master bedroom in a house teaming with three murderous magicians and a lot of staff who might also be murderous magicians in their own respects—and I wasn’t caught.”
“But I thought you said you didn’t have a map of the house when you snuck in?” Emily scrunched her nose. “Because you wandered into the master bedroom accidently!”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I lied.”
“Wow. Just wow.”
Michael’s reasoning was compelling. And Emily wanted anything but to be compelled into a haphazard, half-hatched plan to go out there and save Rina and Joanna. She tried not to think about it, but she couldn’t help herself.
If Michael had a plan for the castle, they could sneak in and sneak out and no one would be the wiser. If there was a secret entrance into the castle and they could sneak into the dungeons and get their friends out, shouldn’t they try?
No! Selena exclaimed. You’ll be more successful in the morning—when your aunt, who is a powerful witch, and your dad, who is a skilled military operative, can help you succeed.
Emily saw Selena’s point. Dad was versed in the art of stealth. She bet he could whip up a solid plan to save the two girls, and the plan would go accordingly. More so, Aunt was a seasoned rove. They needed delusory magic, and though Michael was quite impressive with that kind of magic, Aunt Anastacia was the best they had.
With the combined force of Aunt and Dad—and, of course, with Michael’s floor plan to the castle—they were surely going to rescue the girls.
But how could she dissuade Michael from going out now?
“What happens if things go wrong?” asked Emily. “Who do we run to for backup?”
Michael looked annoyed. “We won’t need backup.”
“Yeah, but what if we do?” Emily pressed. “What if something unexpected happens? What if Alice decides she wants to torture the prisoners, or what if some maid spots us coming in, or what if we’re somehow exposed? Who do we run to for help?”
Michael had nothing to say. He remained silent, glaring at her and silently seething. Emily didn’t need to be told that Michael was now angry at her. He’d come to her hoping for her to run off with him into the night. But here she was being the voice of reason.
Michael looked away and grunted.
He must really hate me now, Emily thought to herself, feeling the snap of guilt. Maybe she should have agreed to his impulsive plan. Anything to get in his good graces. If she forced her way into his good graces, then maybe there was a chance they could be brother and sister—not just by blood but also by relationship.
Nevertheless, could she sit there and agree to a plan that was likely to come unhinged the moment they stepped into the castle? Yeah, sure, Michael had made it to the master bedroom because he knew the floor plan. But that particular mission hadn’t been successful. He’d still gotten in trouble, and because he had no backup, he ended up in the dungeon.
Things were so fragile now. Emily couldn’t risk it all just because she wanted her brother to love and cherish her.
“I don’t even know why I came here.” Michael jumped to his feet. He refused to look at her and marched straight for the door.
Emily stood up, too, and called after him just as he opened the door. “Don’t do anything stupid, Michael. You’ll be putting their lives in danger if you do.” Her voice carried a veiled tone of threat in it, which was not a mistake, but by design.
Michael only hissed and left her room, shutting the door behind him.
30
Emily slept in the next day. She supposed everyone else did as well, because when she finally woke up, no one had come to her room to wake her. After she went about her usual morning routine, she opened her closet to choose her outfit and jumped at the sound of a knock on her door.
“Who is it?”
“Breakfast is served,” Dad’s voice came back to her. “Come join us in the anteroom.”
“Okay, Dad.” It could only mean they were going to have breakfast as well as plan out their next order of business all at once.
Emily changed into black leather pants and a tight sweatshirt. She added her usual black leather jacket to her outfit to give her a serious look and wore boots that stretched past her shins. She took a good look at herself in the mirror. She looked stunning as always, but most importantly, she looked like a badass—which was what she was going for. She pulled her hair back in a loose braid, where it wouldn’t get in the way.
The clothes were tight yet stretchy enough she wouldn’t have any trouble when the time came for her to fight. Not that she had even the slightest fighting skills in her human form, but still.
Yeah, today was the day they finally went on the offensive. Emily didn’t bother with much makeup. Aside from a little powder and a lip gloss, she didn’t do anything to her face.
One last check, Emily thought. Selena?
Here, Boss, Selena replied. Her voice was chirpier than usual. Today’s the big day, isn’t it?
I suppose it is. It was indeed the big day. Emily had promised her aunt that as soon as they saved Rina and Joanna, Emily would go through with the Adoption. So two big events were likely to happen in quick succession.
Emily was ambivalent about the Adoption ritual, simply because she felt like they were giving the evil rove exactly what he wanted.
If the vision showed her in her Adopted state, then why were they hell-bent on bringing the vision to pass by setting the stage for just that? Shouldn’t their plan be to keep her as far away from the Adoption as possible?
Aunt Anastacia was so sure they couldn’t win without the Adoption. Emily wasn’t strong enough. She couldn’t go up against the ancient and powerful rove—not as a normal Owl shifter. It was one of those cases where the route to victory was the same as the route to defeat. And she couldn’t opt out. She had to make a decision or the decision could be made for her.
Emily suddenly realized that if she decided she didn’t want to make a decision, and she ran, Gregory Alfred could come for her. And, being a rove, he surely could perform the Adoption ritual himself. He’d perform the ritual without her consent and still gut her like a pig so he could release the apocalypse.
The Adoption was the only way. Emily settled it in her heart. She was going through with it. She’d first make sure her friends were safe. Then she would give herself to the Adoption. If
she survived, she would rain hell on the Alfreds and their little band of evil-doers. If she didn’t, then at least the world would be safe for her generation.
That’s a sick way of seeing things, Selena commented.
Whatever. It’s the best way of seeing things, nonetheless. Emily slipped out of her room and made straight for the anteroom. By the time she got there, the others were already there. They were seated at separate parts of the conference table, silent and waiting.
The moment she slipped into the anteroom, they all looked up at her.
Emily blushed. “Sorry for coming late.”
Aunt Anastacia grinned at her. She was sitting at the head of the table close to the large TV screen on the wall. Dad sat very close to the tunnel exit. Michael was slouched close to the door. Plates of breakfast food sat in front of all of them.
Emily found her plate at the other head of the table. Without question, she slid into the chair.
“Nice of you to join us, Emily,” Michael spouted. His voice contained so much venom that it drew annoyed glares from both Aunt and Dad. Emily could only sigh. She refused to respond.
Icy silence followed.
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” asked Dad, breaking the ice.
“First, we eat,” Aunt Anastacia started. “And no talking shop at the dining table.”
“Technically, this isn’t the dining table,” Michael slipped in.
Aunt Anastacia glared at him again. “It is what I say it is, and right now I say it’s the dining table.”
“And what about what we say?” Michael shot back, refusing to back down. It was obvious to Emily that Michael was irritated by everyone and not just Emily. She didn’t know why she felt relieved by the fact. Maybe it had something to do with her feeling that Michael hated her and her alone.
“As long as you’re under my roof, you will do as I say,” Aunt Anastacia said, her fists tightening on the table. She was barely keeping herself calm.
Michael turned away. “Maybe if we all left—”
“That’s enough!” Dad boomed. “Michael, you will obey your aunt.”
“You’re not my dad!” Michael screeched. “You’re just the husband of the woman he fucked when he was younger.”
Emily felt that remark slice deep into her. Dad’s eyes filled with anger. So much so that he slowly got to his feet.
“Dad . . . ,” Emily cautioned.
Michael cowered.
“What did you say, Boy?” Dad breathed.
Michael kept mute. Wise.
Dad looked at the boy for a long time. “Watch your words, Boy. You’re not indispensable.”
“Okay,” Aunt Anastacia said, bringing the discussion back to her. “No need for animosity. We have a job to do, and we’re going to do it as a team.”
“I hope it’s rescuing my friends,” Emily chipped in. “Because we had a deal.”
“Emily, be silent,” Aunt Anastacia shut her down.
Emily was astounded by the woman’s brashness. This was the woman who once begged Emily to come stay with her in her cottage. Now she was acting all bossy and militant. Geez.
As the tension built up, Emily could feel the fire demon’s presence. It was subdued and muted. It was like a reminder that he was there in case she needed help. Emily tried not to think too much about it. She only needed Aunt Anastacia for a few more hours or days. Once they were done with this threat, she wouldn’t have to deal with the woman anymore.
Emily decided to let her aunt enjoy her few days of importance.
“Now can we all eat?” sighed Aunt Anastacia.
There was silence as they dug into their food. Emily didn’t realize how hungry she was until she started eating. The meal consisted of omelettes and potatoes. It must have been enchanted because the more Emily ate, the hungrier she became, and the more she wanted to eat. Surprisingly, when the food was all gone, she was satisfied.
This time, the drink they’d given her was water. It was fresh and oddly sweet water that calmed her nerves and flooded her system with happiness and joy. Apparently, not just her because Dad, Michael, and Aunt Anastacia were smiling. There had to be something magical about the water, too.
Aunt Anastacia snapped her fingers, and the plates vanished from the tables. “Now, to business,” she announced, the smile dissolving off her face.
The rove woman pushed her chair away from the line of sight to the TV until she was on Dad’s side of the table. She pushed a button on the table, bringing the TV to life.
On it was a building’s floor plan. Every section was duly annotated. At the bottom of the screen was a series of numbers starting from -2 and reaching up to 5, showing the building had eight layers: two under ground and six above. They were currently looking at the ground floor.
While the series of numbers took up a large portion of the lower right corner of the screen, on the lower left portion was text. It said, “The Man’s Castle.” This must have been the floorplan Michael was talking about the night before. Emily didn’t need to put two and two together to know that Michael had supplied the plan to Aunt Anastacia. He might have downloaded it from the vigilantes’ systems to his phone or something. Gotta love iPhones and their cloud technology. All he had to do was log in to his cloud and download the floor plans into Aunt Anastacia’s computer system.
It was weird, anyway, that a witch relied on computers. This brought a slight smile to Emily’s face as she observed the different doors and rooms and entrances into The Man’s Castle.
She began to wonder about this Man. It was so curious that what they had been calling the Alfreds’ mansion never really belonged to the Alfreds. Did it mean the Alfreds were imposters? Or were the Alfreds working for this Man? Emily could feel a dark shadow pass over her mind as she contemplated more and more about The Man.
“So the legends were true?” Dad broke the silence. “The Legend of The Man?” Dad glanced at Michael and then at Aunt Anastacia.
Anastacia’s eyes were hooked to the screen. She conveniently ignored Dad’s questions, although she muttered something to herself.
Dad remained silent, allowing Aunt Anastacia to work through her thoughts herself. Michael, on the other hand, didn’t have that sort of patience.
“Look, we need to get in there and save Rina and Joanna,” he blabbed, his voice a cross between an angry yelp and a desperate cry. “I don’t know why we’re still sitting on our asses gazing at this floor plan.”
No one replied. Aunt Anastacia didn’t move a muscle, nor did she turn to even grace Michael’s utterances with a glance.
Naturally, Michael was angered by the lack of attention. “We have the floor plan,” he whined. “We know the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses. We know where the enemy is. We know just about everything about the enemy. Plus, we’ll have the element of surprise. We have all we need to execute a perfect plan and get the girls out of there!”
“Without fatalities?” Dad chipped in.
“Yes, Sir!” Michael replied. “Without fatalities on our side. Just theirs.”
Emily was surprised when she felt her heart jump in her chest. It was fear. She knew this because she subsequently felt a cold tingle sliding down her abdomen. She was afraid, and she knew why.
Marion.
Emily tried to breathe, but she felt a weight on her chest. The thought of Marion was choking her. What. The. Hell. The thought of Marion was setting her innards in a confused tumble, turning her brain inside out.
Emily frowned.
Oh. My. God. Selena’s voice erupted in her mind. You’re totally hot for him!
Since when did Selena sound like a valley girl!? The statement was so absurd to Emily’s logical mind that she erupted almost immediately. “No, I’m not!” she boomed.
Everyone turned to look at her, including Aunt Anastacia. Emily swallowed hard, trying not to blush.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “Just The Owl being silly . . .”
Aunt Anastacia looked away. Followed by Dad. But Michael
didn’t. His eyes were so deep and intense they might have been boring through her skin into her mind. Emily looked away, hoping that Michael would do the same. He didn’t, until almost a full minute later, when he slowly turned to look at Aunt Anastacia.
You’re totally hot for him, Selena repeated.
No, I’m not! Emily’s resistance was futile. She knew it to be true. Still, she fought it. It was something that couldn’t happen. Never. He was the freaking enemy. He had kept Michael in captivity. He had done so many horrible things. Besides, she didn’t even know him.
Sure, he was smart and well dressed and so hot—but he was an evil rove. No, it couldn’t happen!
Yeah, except for the fact that he’s in love with you! Selena said. And he has protected you once already.
He’s not in love with me. He can’t be because we have barely exchanged two words, Emily argued, but recalled that moment when Alice almost caught her with a lightning blast. If not for Marion’s early warning, Emily might have been fried. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now that Selena was putting that action side by side with Alice’s angry confession of Marion’s affection, it did line up.
Hey, we could use this to our advantage, Selena said. He loves you. He doesn’t want to hurt you.
Oh yeah? Then why’s he helping his psycho vampire sister get to me? Emily asked. As if he’s not aware the Na-Ma ritual will kill me.
Selena had no answer for that question.
Emily’s lips twitched in anger. That’s what I thought.
Aunt Anastacia sucked in a deep breath and said, “The legend must be true. The legend about The Man.”
“Really?” Michael blurted. “I thought that must have been a myth.” Michael chanced a glance at Emily, who was a bit surprised since Michael had come to her the previous night and told her about The Man without mentioning it was a myth.
“The legend is true in the sense it is a legend,” continued Anastacia. Her voice had a philosophical undertone. “It’s a belief held by the ancestors of this region. They believed it. It is true they believed it. It is true that it wasn’t made up last week.”
Controlled by a Fire Demon: The Owl Shifter Chronicles Book Two Page 15
