by Ally Shields
She turned and gave him a half smile. “You mean you’re uncomfortable with the idea of winging it?”
He lifted a brow. “At the very least I’d like to give the elders a well-orchestrated show.”
“Oh, I’m sure we can manage that. A little fire from me, a little lightning from you. Stir in a few barrier spells, maybe even a stink bomb or two for the fun of it. Yeah, I think we can make them sit up and take notice.”
* * *
Dawn in Germany was still a few hours away when Sophistrina met their rental van a mile from the witches’ base and accompanied them to the cabins. Ari probably could have found the camp on her own—they’d rebuilt the destroyed facilities where she had trained with them two years ago—but Sophie had met them because of Andreas and Gabriel. The vampires would have set off the witches’ defenses if she hadn’t guided them.
When they arrived at the encampment, a clearing surrounded by a headquarters building and several small cabins, the only lights shone from the main building. The other witches were asleep.
“I assigned you the one over there, and you can park in front.” Sophie pointed to the last cabin on the circle. “The one next to it is empty, which gives you more privacy and my sisters a little distance. It’s going to take them a while to be comfortable having vampires in camp.”
“Are they going to freak out when they see us?” Gabriel’s voice came from the van’s third row.
“They know you’re coming.” Sophie peered behind her. “I told them last night at supper, then locked down the camp—we don’t want someone letting it slip that you’re here. But knowing vampires will be staying with us and seeing them are two different things. Just give my coven some space.”
“They’ll forget the differences by tomorrow night,” Ari predicted. Andreas and Gabriel could turn on the charm without even exerting themselves.
Sophie’s gaze flickered over the vampires, Gabriel gave her his most boyish grin, and she shook her head with a faint smile. “I wouldn’t bet against you, but it might not be as easy as you think.”
As they piled out of the van, the door of the headquarters’ building opened and two women walked toward them. Ari recognized both immediately with mixed emotions. One a friend, the other—not.
“Greta!” Ari grinned at the athletic woman hurrying toward them with a smile softening her square face. Greta was a firearms expert and had given Ari her first Walther.
“So you’re finally here.” The German witch gave her a quick hug. “And Lilith. Andreas, hello.” She looked at Gabriel. “Who’s this handsome fellow?”
Ari introduced everyone before turning to the other newcomer standing hesitantly out of the way. “Rebekah, you’re looking well.” Sophie’s second in command had changed her hairstyle since Ari last saw her. Short curls feminized her face but not the wary look in her eyes. They hadn’t parted on good terms. Rebekah held Ari responsible for a vampire attack that had killed five coven members and sent Sophie to the hospital.
“You too.” Rebekah’s tone was curt. Her gaze skimmed over Ari’s companions. “Is this all the help you’ve brought?”
“For now. Others will arrive in a few days.” Ari glanced at Sophie. “I think we should get settled. We have a lot to do before dawn.”
Sophie nodded. “We boarded the back window last night. If you add the blackout fabric you said you were bringing, that should keep your vampires safe.”
They moved toward the cabin, but Rebekah didn’t go with them. Ari watched her walk back toward the headquarters.
“She worries me,” Sophie said from behind her.
“Why? She seemed less snarky than I remembered. Not a single crack about vampires.”
“That’s part of the problem. She’s changed. She’s been our best fighter, but it’s almost like she’s lost interest over the last few months. Stays away from camp, doesn’t mingle like before. I can’t figure her out.”
“I assume you’ve talked to her.”
“I’ve tried. She denied anything was wrong.”
Ari frowned. Sophie’s coven problems weren’t any of her business unless they interfered with their plans. “Are you saying you don’t trust her?”
“It isn’t that. I guess I’m just puzzled.”
“Hey, Ari, are you coming?” Lilith called. “The boys are fighting over bedrooms.”
Ari exchanged an amused look with Sophie, and they went inside.
It didn’t take long to divvy up the four bedrooms. Vampires in one, male shifters in another, all women in a third. That left an empty room for the wizards when they arrived that weekend.
Ari turned to Sophie. “We have large groups of vampires and shifters arriving over the next week. The shifters can camp in the woods, but since the vampires need protection from the sun, can they stay in the empty cabin next door?”
“Of course. Space isn’t really an issue,” Sophie said. “I’m still concerned how the witches will react to the people you’re bringing. The league hasn’t been cozy with the shifters either because they’ve refused to support our fight.”
“That’s why we’re here early, to let everyone get used to one another and to talk with your local communities. We want their help.”
“I know that, and I’ll do my part, but I’m just warning you they’ve never come through before.” Sophie shrugged. “So, what’s next? Would you like to rest after your long trip? Or are you ready to start planning?”
“I think we should get started.” Ari walked over to her luggage and dug through its contents. “I brought you something that will help.” She held up a bag of Club Dintero’s special blend of coffee. “You’re going to love this.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
When the coven woke to find Sophie and Ari drinking coffee with three shifters, they seemed to take it in stride. It helped that several witches remembered Lilith from two years ago during Andreas’s rescue from the O-Seven. Since Russell was her husband, he got a pass too, and Steffan’s red hair and engaging smile won them over.
After breakfast the shifters left camp on their errands to recruit locals. Steffan hoped to enlist the help of the German wolf leaders, and the lions were off to meet with Grogan, the giant troll.
The rest of the day Ari and Sophie talked so much about the vampires that when Andreas appeared around three o’clock and Gabriel at dusk, the awkwardness didn’t last long. Both vampires ignored the initial wary looks and went out of their way to be respectful and friendly, even charmingly gallant when the opportunity arose. Andreas cemented his own status when he showed the witches his warlock ring and wand, reminding them of their shared heritage. And who could resist Gabriel?
Lilith and Russell didn’t return to camp until 10:00 p.m., and their eyes were a little brighter than usual.
“We met with the whole village.” Lilith gestured with her hands as she talked. “It was like a big party with lots of food that appeared out of nowhere. Then the pipes came out. And of course the grog.” She gave a mischievous grin. “We couldn’t offend them by refusing to participate. Russell even smoked a pipe.”
“Yes, I can see you’ve had a good time.” Ari suppressed a laugh. “But what did they say?”
“Oh, no problem. Neutrality all the way. Nobody likes the elders. I think they welcomed an excuse to stay out of the woods that day, kind of like an extra holiday.” She appealed to her husband. “Don’t you agree?”
“They seemed pretty happy about it.”
As do you, Ari thought. No doubt the grog—or the pipe—had contributed to everyone’s good mood.
Steffan hadn’t returned by the time Ari went to bed, but she wasn’t worried yet. He’d warned her it might take a day or two. “Wolves argue a lot before making big decisions,” he’d said. Before turning out the light, she called home to assure herself that Rayne was eating and sleeping and being fussed over. Ari finally fell asleep satisfied with the current status of everything except her own role in the coming confrontation.
The follow
ing morning she was up early, eager to get started. There was no time left for indecision. By the end of the day, she had to have a precise plan, a magical solution for the defeat of the elders.
After breakfast with the coven, she spent two hours poring over the maps of Castle Verdammung. Then she grabbed her jacket and walked to the nearby stream to think. She spotted the charred rock in the middle and winced at the memory of the German warlock Gerhard Kirsch and how excited she’d been to meet another fire witch. This was where he’d shown her the different levels of witch fire. That was before they knew he’d betrayed the Witches’ League by joining the O-Seven.
She turned her head at the crunching sound of footsteps on fallen leaves. “Hey, Lilith, I thought you guys were sleeping late.”
“We did, but it’s getting close to noon. Russell’s been on the phone for ages, talking to Marcus and worrying about club security, so I thought I’d find you.” She studied Ari’s face. “Are you upset about something?”
“No, just taking a rather unpleasant walk down memory lane.”
“The warlock, huh? Yeah, I did some reminiscing with Grogan too. I’d almost forgotten what a narrow miss we had in the tunnels under Castle Doom.”
“It was a close thing, wasn’t it? My childhood claustrophobia had kicked in just being surrounded by all that dirt. Then the walls started to crack and crumble.” Ari shuddered. “But I wasn’t really scared until the mountain shook. I thought the castle would come crashing down and we’d be buried alive.”
“Yeah, I started running, but you…” Lilith continued to relive the story of their mad dash to outrun the cascading dirt and debris.
Ari quit listening. She was thinking. The mountain had moved…threatening to topple the elders’ stone fortress as the dirt below it had eroded. Somewhat like the cliff house in St. Louis, except she and Moriana had re-enforced the earth to prevent a collapse.
She straightened, her pulse racing at the possibilities.
What if they had taken the dirt away instead? Were these the things she needed to remember? It suddenly felt right. But could she do it?
“Why not?” Ari said aloud. She spun on her heels. “I finally have an idea, Lilith. I need to consult my family’s Book of Shadows, and maybe make a call or two, to see if it’s possible.”
With Lilith chasing behind her, Ari raced back to her cabin, dragged her family grimoire out of her bags, and sat on the common room floor, immediately immersed in its contents. She sent Lilith off with Russell and refused to answer their questions, afraid she’d jinx the plan or waste too much time defending against its potential risks. Of course, it was dangerous. Anything they did would be dangerous.
She skimmed four sections of the book, reread some parts more carefully, jotted notes, and sat back on her heels. She nodded to herself and checked the time on her phone. Almost three o’clock local time. Andreas would wake soon. She bit her lip, impatient to tell him what she’d found.
She felt him stir at 3:05. Ari tapped her fingers against the book in her lap and sighed, wishing he’d hurry. Finally, the bedroom door opened, and Andreas stepped out, as fresh and groomed as if he’d spent hours getting ready.
“You’ve found something. Even without our link, I would know,” he said, studying her face.
“Grab your drink and come look. I think I have the answer.”
He took a dark bottle from the cooler, popped it open, and downed half the contents in one swallow. He finished it off, followed by a full glass of water. Finally, he crouched beside Ari’s open book on the floor. “OK, let’s see what you found.”
“You know how Moriana’s always told me I rely too much on my fire magic? Maybe she sensed that someday I’d have to control the other magics too—wind, water, and earth.” Ari reminded him of the cave-in of the mountain troll tunnels last year, of her experience with earth magic at the cliff home in St. Louis, and how she’d seen Moriana summon a huge storm with wind and water magic when Ari was only a sixteen-year-old apprentice witch.
“I think it’s possible to use the four magics together to tear apart the mountain and destroy Castle Doom.” Her eagerness faded, and she looked at him with serious eyes. “If we time it just right, we can teleport to safety at the last second.”
“A big if.”
She nodded, conceding his point. “The risks to us are high, but the mountain would take the elders. Their threat would be over. Rayne and our friends would be safe.”
His eyes met hers, and he gave her that heart-shattering slow smile. “A worthy plan, madam witch. The elders will rue the day they crossed swords with you.”
“With us,” she said firmly. “You not only have to get us out, you’ll have to keep them from killing me before my spells are complete.”
“What? Such an easy role? For you, I can do anything.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Steffan returned early in the evening and brought welcome news: the German wolf packs were poised to support their cause.
“They’ve called a regional meeting that starts tomorrow night. It could go on for days, but in the end the leaders believe they’ll join us. Counting the packs they could recruit from surrounding countries, we’d have hundreds of wolves.”
Sophie brought out the wine and beer to celebrate, and during the laughter and back slapping, Ari revealed her plan to destroy the stronghold. While the assemblage was absorbing the magnitude of the scheme—and the slim chance of Ari and Andreas escaping—Andreas lifted his glass of wine.
“It will rid the world of the O-Seven. I think we can all drink to that.”
“But at what cost, my friend?” Steffan’s brows dipped into a scowl. “Is it worth your lives?”
“Rayne’s future is.”
The cabin door banged open, cutting off Steffan’s response, and an agitated witch sentry immediately went to Sophie.
“Rebekah’s gone. She left camp in spite of your orders. What do you want us to do?”
“Nothing. I’ll take care of it. Did anyone see which way she went?”
“East, along the path in the woods.”
“Go back to your post.” Sophie grabbed her coat and started toward the door. “Greta, you’re in charge here. Stay alert until we know what this is about.”
“I’m going with you.” Ari followed her out the door, Andreas and Gabriel by her side. When the shifters rose to follow, Ari motioned them back. “Protect the camp. This shouldn’t take long.”
Rebekah’s scent trail was easy to follow, but they hung back to avoid being spotted. It wasn’t just a matter of retrieving her, they wanted to know where she was going…and whom she was meeting.
After forty minutes, the trees began to thin and Ari saw the steep roofs of a small village. Rebekah was still in sight, quickly approaching a white cottage that had blue shutters at the edge of town. She knocked once; the door opened. A man stepped out to take her hand, then they disappeared inside.
“Wow.” Ari’s voice was incredulous.
“Vampire,” Andreas said softly.
Sophie crouched and whipped her head around. “Where?”
“In the cottage.”
“What?” Sophie straightened and started to step forward before Ari grabbed her arm. “Is she in danger?”
“She didn’t look like she was in danger,” Andreas said dryly.
Sophie’s eyes widened as the truth hit her. “You mean he… I don’t believe it. She would never…” She stared at the cottage openmouthed.
“Well, she is.” Ari looked at Andreas. “You think he knows we’re here?”
“Depends. He’s young. If he doesn’t expect us, he may not have sensed us yet.”
“Then let’s introduce ourselves.”
“I’ll take the back,” Gabriel offered. “Give me two seconds.”
He slipped off to the right. When he waved from the rear of the cottage, Ari, Andreas, and Sophie ran toward the front door. Andreas yanked it open, and they stepped inside.
“Going somewhere?�
� Gabriel stood in the back doorway barring the exit from the pair attempting to leave.
Rebekah and a vampire with dark, wavy hair backed away from Gabriel and spun to confront the new threat from the front door. The younger vampire shoved Rebekah behind him and squared his stance, ready to fight. “What do you want with us?” he demanded.
Rebekah stepped around him. “This is none of your business, Sophie.”
“No? You’re conspiring with the enemy, revealing our secrets, and I’m not supposed to care? You’ve betrayed us!”
“I haven’t. I wouldn’t. It isn’t like that.”
Ari kept her eyes on the vampire during this exchange. His gaze darted from the two master vampires to the three witches. She saw his flicker of recognition. It seemed to make him wary but not frightened. Curious reaction.
She stepped toward him. “Who are you?” she asked, interrupting Sophie and Rebekah. “Are you a spy for the elders’ court?”
“No, Miguel’s not like them!” Rebekah nearly shouted the denial before he had a chance to respond.
“Becca.” The vampire sighed. “I live at the castle, but I’m not a spy.”
“He’s no threat to you.” Rebekah lowered the volume but not the intensity. “Just let him go. I’ll tell you anything you want.”
So protective. “If you’re not conspirators, what are you doing here?”
The witch looked at the floor; her face flushed. Ari shifted her focus to the vampire. “You’re lovers?”
He let out a deep breath and compressed his lips.
“No.” Sophie gasped out the single denial. “How long has this been going on?”
Rebekah crossed her arms but took a step back from her coven leader. “We’ve done nothing wrong.”
Sophie followed her, coming up close. “Haven’t you? Sneaking around, hiding this affair—or whatever it is—from your sisters. From me. How long?”
“Six months.”
“Six—” Sophie made a guttural sound in her throat, clearly speechless.
