Dr. Fox removed the sensor from her temple and helped Donna sit up again. She weighed Reggie’s request. “Any fae that don’t surrender are fair game. In other words, if they’re trying to kill you, have at it.”
Donna tipped her head as she pondered her own response. “Huh. The poison’s definitely out of my system. A half hour ago, I would have told you to kill them all. But when Temo and I met with his fae contact, I got the impression there are some fae who would turn against Dredward if given the chance.”
Reggie frowned. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Me, too, but someone on the inside is still talking to him.”
Dr. Fox coiled up the wires from the monitor. “There you go. All free.”
“Thank you.” She got off the table but kept a hand on it until she was sure she wasn’t going to go wobbly again. “Jerabeth, where are you with the potion that will allow us to see the stronghold?”
“I need another hour. Maybe two.”
Donna glanced at the wall clock. “That’s about all you have. It’s almost time for us to leave.”
The witch nodded. “I’ll have it done.”
“Go, then.”
Jerabeth took off.
“Reggie, thank you again for the antidote. I owe you. Your family is in the living room. Charlie will get you anything you want to eat or drink while you wait.”
“You’re welcome. Some food sounds good. Spending magic always leaves me in need of fuel.”
“I’m sure.”
Reggie left too.
Donna turned to Dr. Fox. “Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome, Governor.” He pointed at the massage table. “I may take a nap while I wait for your safe return.”
“There are guest rooms. You’re welcome to use one of those.”
“The table is good enough for me. Now, go feed. Get yourself strong again.”
“I will. See you later.” She left in search of Pierce.
She found him in his room, typing away on his laptop. She knocked on the open door. “Sorry to interrupt.”
He smiled as he hit a few more keys, then looked up. “You’re never interrupting. Are you all fixed?”
“I am.”
His smile broadened. “And judging by the look in your eyes, you’re hungry.”
“That too.”
“Well, come on in. I have just what you need.”
Twenty minutes later, the mutual exchange was over, and she felt like a million bucks. Ready, as much as she could be, to face the fae and rescue Rico from their clutches. She dressed in a long-sleeve black tee, thick winter leggings, and black boots. Her leather coat, iron bracelets, and sword were the only additions she needed.
After dressing, she went straight to the conference room. Pierce walked with her from the kitchen.
Charlie and Rixaline were already there. So were the Ferrises, along with Temo, his cousin Penina, and Kace. Jerabeth, presumably still working on the magic necessary for them to see the stronghold, had yet to arrive.
There were a few other less familiar faces too. Men and women, all supernaturals, who’d helped with security before and had been completely vetted by Temo.
Neo was there too. A large black suitcase, with the word SKYNET stenciled on it, sat by the door. Her drone.
Donna took a look around the room and prayed that every single one of these people came back with her. Alive. “Thank you all for coming. And for willingly putting yourself on the line like this. Temo, how long before we leave?”
“Thirty minutes. I’ve texted Alpha Medina and Ishalan.”
“Thanks.” She surveyed the group. “You all need to know that a fae will be joining us. His name is Ishalan.”
A few surprised looks greeted those words. She held her hands up. “I know it goes against everything that seems safe and sane, but he’s made a substantial sacrifice to help us in this raid. It’s because of his contribution that we’ll be able to see the fae stronghold.”
She glanced at Charlie. “What’s Jerabeth’s status?”
“I’m here,” the witch answered as she hustled in.
Donna looked at her. “Done?”
She nodded. “Yes. Just.”
Relief swept through Donna. Being able to see the stronghold was pivotal. “Excellent.”
Jerabeth held her gaze for a moment longer. “I also have another potion for you. To protect you from the sun.”
“Also very important.”
Jerabeth handed Donna a little corked test tube of dark blue liquid. “Drink that down.”
Donna did, noting the potion tasted very much like a familiar sports drink she used to buy for Joe Jr. when he’d played soccer. That probably meant Jerabeth failed to come up with something workable, but then a potion that would actually sunproof Donna hadn’t been necessary. All that mattered was the appearance of being protected by magic. And in that, Jerabeth had done well.
Donna discarded the empty tube on the sideboard. “What about the vision potion? What do we need to do?”
Jerabeth put three small glass bottles on the table. Each rubber stopper had a pipette attached to it, barely visible in the murky reddish-brown liquid. “Two drops in each eye. It’s probably going to sting. You might even have a moment of temporary blindness, but that will pass.”
Reggie grabbed a bottle before Jerabeth had finished speaking.
Donna picked up another one. “You’re sure?”
Jerabeth nodded. “I’ve already tried it on myself with Rixaline as my subject. It works.”
“What do you mean with Rixaline as your subject?”
The witch smiled ever so slightly. “The fae don’t see each other the way we see them. Try it. You’ll see.”
“All right.” Donna opened the bottle and squeezed the rubber stopper to fill the pipette with the potion. She tipped her head back and put two drops in each eye. It stung a little, but it wasn’t bad. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, then opened them. She looked at Rixaline, smiling at the girl. “Nothing different yet—oh. Wait.”
Before Donna’s eyes, Rixaline’s sharp angles and dusky-colored complexion smoothed and softened, changing in such a subtle way that she was still clearly an otherworldly creature.
In fact, she was strikingly beautiful. More beautiful than she’d already been.
“It definitely works.” Donna faced the group. “Everyone, two drops in each eye. And then we’re ready to go.”
In a few minutes, they were done, and their eyes were adjusting. Donna watched as they all stared at Rixaline in amazement. “Jerabeth, how long will this last?”
“Four to five hours. If you think you’ll need more than that, take a bottle with you.”
Donna declined. “If we’re still there after that long, we’ll have bigger issues than being able to see the stronghold.” She looked at those gathered in the room. “This needs to be a decisive strike. The longer we’re there, the worse our odds become. We get Rico, we get out. Understood?”
They all nodded or answered affirmatively.
“I know some of us have deeper issues with the fae. I sympathize. But I don’t want to lose any of you in the name of revenge.”
More nodding. Except from Reggie. Donna understood. The woman’s need for vengeance wasn’t going to be turned off by a stern talking-to. But Donna wasn’t about to call her out either. Everyone in front of her was an adult, save Rixaline. And she’d be in the car with Pierce and Neo.
Donna took a deep breath. “Temo, you want to go over the game plan one more time?”
“Sure, boss.” He unfurled a large map of the wooded area in Central Park known as the Ramble. Rixaline had obviously helped him by adding the location of the fae stronghold. He tapped several spots around the park. “We’re going in four vehicles. The Ferrises in their own, then the boss with me, Penina, and Kace. Then…”
As he continued, a strange sense of foreboding came over Donna, similar to the nightmare she’d had about Rico being served up as t
he main entrée at a fae banquet. But deeper and darker and far more troubling.
It was the kind of feeling that opened up a pit inside of her. The kind of feeling that left her unsettled and restless.
The kind of feeling that made her think they weren’t all getting through this alive.
Chapter Seventeen
The drive to Central Park took an hour. It was somehow the longest and shortest sixty minutes Donna had ever experienced. Maybe for Temo and Charlie, too, because they’d both been silent during the ride.
Donna understood. There was a lot to think about. A thousand emotions, thankfully all manageable now, raged within her. Everything from the anticipated joy of freeing Rico, to the terrifying fear of losing a friend.
Temo found a spot alongside the park. A block behind them was Pierce, Rixaline, and Neo. On the other side of the park were the two remaining teams.
Elsewhere, the wolves were either arriving or moving into position. She guessed Ishalan was doing the same. He remained a wild card in Donna’s mind, no matter how much help he’d given her. If he turned against them, she wouldn’t hesitate to take him down.
Bringing Rixaline had been a coin toss. Donna had wanted to leave her at the penthouse, but the girl had begged to come. Donna appreciated wanting to feel useful when the burden of responsibility weighed on your shoulders. No matter how many times she’d told Rixaline this wasn’t her fault, she knew guilt clung to the girl like a black cloud.
Donna glanced out the window. The sky was still dark and would be for another half hour or so. The plan was to get into place and then, as daybreak came, launch their strike. The snow had stopped falling, but a coating of white blanketed everything.
There would be no hiding their tracks.
Temo turned the car off. He pulled something out of his pocket. “Here. Put this in your ear.”
“An earpiece?”
“Yep. You, me, and Charlie are the only ones that have these. If you need me, I want to know.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Temo.” She put it in her ear. It was so small she barely noticed it.
“You got it, boss. Time to go.”
They all got out, letting Donna lead by quite a bit. That was another part of the plan. She’d go first while the others stayed at a distance, in case the fae were watching. Hopefully, they’d think she’d come alone. She was not only all right with that, she’d suggested it.
This was her mission, so she ought to take the most dangerous spot. Even if the fae did kill her, so long as it wasn’t a fatal strike through the heart, she’d still technically be alive since she could afford to die once. Another vampire perk.
With her hand on her sword and Rixaline’s map in her head, she started through the winding paths of the Ramble. The snow soundproofed everything, making the woods eerily quiet and magnifying every sound. Every step left a print in the newly fallen snow.
The path was easy enough to make out, which was good because Donna’s attention was on the forest around her and the sky above. She hadn’t been in Central Park since Christina’s class had come on a field trip here seven or eight years ago. But she swore she would have remembered the trees looking like something out of a scary movie.
The bare branches were dark and reaching, the bark twisted into whorls and snarls that looked more like scowling expressions than simple tree trunks. Was that fae magic? Intended as a warning to any who might approach? Maybe she could only see it because of Jerabeth’s vision potion. The sound of flapping wings made her abandon that line of thought to take cover in a thicket of brush.
She glanced up to see three beautiful, graceful fae soaring overhead. Probably returning to the safety of the stronghold before sunrise and either unaware or uninterested in her and her entourage.
The sight sent a ripple of anticipation through her. Not only was Jerabeth’s vision potion working, but Donna was close to the fae’s headquarters. Which meant Rico wasn’t far away.
She pushed to her feet and kept going. The sky was no longer black, but a muted blue gray. Sunrise was still a few minutes away, but it wouldn’t be long. The gate had to be within a few yards. A little farther and she crested a hill.
The gate appeared out of the mist before her.
The thing was a crumbling, tumbledown arch of stone that vaguely resembled the larger, more refined marble version in Washington Square Park. Except that one didn’t have snarling, drooling hellhounds guarding either side of it. She wasn’t positive they were hellhounds, but it seemed plausible.
“Nice doggies,” she whispered.
Their eyes glowed red, and they were simultaneously muscular and skeletal. One of the Great Dane-sized beasts pawed the ground with a clawed foot that looked like exposed bone covered partly in fur.
A shocking thought came to her. Were these the zombie version of hellhounds? Because considering what had been happening lately, that seemed like the only thing left for life to throw at her.
Zombie. Hellhounds.
The sky grew lighter still. The time to breach the stronghold was fast approaching. “Sorry, pups, no brains for you today.”
She pulled her sword, holding it out before her, but indecision kept her in her spot. How should she handle it when the hellhounds tried to keep her from going through the gate? Take them on directly? Try to outrun them? And if they were indeed zombie hellhounds… Would her sword even be an effective weapon against them? Holy communion, she was still so out of her element.
It wasn’t a decision she had to make. The hellhounds’ heads came up, then they whimpered, cowering as they retreated a few steps.
Donna chanced a look over her shoulder. Every available space behind her was alight with pair after pair of gleaming blue werewolf eyes. Hundreds. Maybe thousands. As far back through the Ramble as she could see.
She faced the hellhounds again and saw that the eyes surrounded her and the gate. Wolves filled the woods on every side. LV and Toni had kept their word in the most stunning fashion possible. New courage filled Donna.
The hellhounds lay down, their heads between their bony paws, no longer a threat. Pale gray streaked the clouded sky. Dawn was imminent. Donna raised her sword over her head.
Behind her, a single howl broke the stillness and raised goose bumps on Donna’s arms. Rico would know they were here now.
And so would the fae.
A metallic hum on her left made her dodge away, sword up, but it was only Neo’s drone. Heart pounding ever so slightly, she gave a thumbs-up to the camera, and the drone took off again.
She raised her hand and gave the sign to go, a single finger pointed at the sky. Then Donna jogged toward the gate. No point in being quiet any longer. All around her, the woods came alive. Temo, Charlie, and the rest of her crew appeared a few seconds later, breaking out of the pack of wolves.
She went through the gate, and the surrounding world changed. Thick mist permeated the woods, which were now darker, almost like daylight was being magically tamped down. There was no snow, only bare earth and a slate path. Clusters of lacy white flowers bloomed in patches around the trees.
Ahead of her in the distance, the stronghold rose like a behemoth from the mist, a massive, craggy fortress of stone and bronze that seemed like the architectural embodiment of brute force.
Torches burned all along the parapets, but there were no guards on patrol. None in the sky either. In fact, the fortress seemed oddly quiet.
Intentionally quiet. She got the distinct impression a trap had been set.
Temo joined her. “They can’t all have gone to sleep. If they were vampires, I’d maybe buy it. But not the fae. I don’t like this.”
“Me either, but we have no choice. We have to go in.”
“Boss, you should stay out here with Charlie and the wolves.”
She slanted her eyes at him.
He shrugged. “Worth a try.”
Kace joined them, then Will Ferris. Two wolves darted forward to meet them as well.
“LV? Toni?”
Both wolves responded with soft woofs.
“Amazing support, ladies. Thank you.” She looked around. “Are we ready?”
Will nodded at Donna. “Jerabeth, Reggie, and Harper have just taken to the sky to patrol.”
Donna frowned. “What?”
He raised his gaze and pointed. “There they are.”
She followed his finger, and a woman on a broom went zipping past high above them. “Mary and Joseph. How about that. What about Daisy?”
“Daisy is coming in with another group,” he answered. “You may see Reggie on the ground soon too. If the fae don’t take to the sky, that is.”
She nodded in understanding. Reggie needed to feel like she’d had her revenge. “Between them and the drone, plus the wolves and the rest of our team in the woods, we should be covered. Let’s go.”
“Not without me.”
At the familiar voice, Donna turned to see a woman coming through the gate. Mist swirled past like a curtain billowing, but not enough to hide her chain mail shirt adorned with a bold crimson cross, leather pants, and long sword. For a moment, Donna imagined she might be Joan of Arc. But had Joan of Arc carried a crossbow on her back?
Donna’s jaw unhinged as the woman’s face came into clear view. Her dark hair was plaited back in a single braid. “Cammie?”
She nodded, stern and serious. “Here and ready to fight.”
“With me, right?”
A brilliant smile lit her beautiful face. “With you.” She reached out a hand. “Whatever the consequences.”
“Does that mean—”
“We’ll talk about it later. Doesn’t matter anyway. Family sticks together.”
If Donna’d still had the poison in her system, she would have broken down in tears. Instead, she grabbed Cammie’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sis,” Cammie said.
With a smile, Donna faced the stronghold again. As soon as they entered the stronghold, the wolves would pour through the gate and take up new, closer positions. “Okay, let’s—”
Ishalan stepped out of the mist. With her eyes bespelled, he was a stunningly gorgeous creature. He had no weapons, no armor. He was dressed in a simple tunic and pants, his wings at rest behind him but glittering like a dragonfly’s. He gave her an amused look. “Did you think I wasn’t coming?”
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