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“All the tunnels we tracked were dead ends to the ocean. Except this one.” McKenzie pulled up a map of San Juan on her phone, zooming in to show our location and followed the north path upward to a landmark directly above—a section of the old fort that jutted out from a corner into the edge of the ocean.
“Garita del Diablo,” I uttered, focusing on the map. I recognized the little stone section that I’d heard legend of thanks to my dad and his Caribbean folklore that he’d randomly share with me as a kid. It was known for the mysterious disappearance of a guard posted there ages ago and other spooky occurrences. Noah and McKenzie watched me as if waiting for me to continue. “The Devil’s Watchtower,” I explained. “It’s closed off to the public.”
“Which would make it the perfect cover for another underground hideout,” Noah crossed his arms.
I nodded, the significance of how this could help us slowly settling in. With the other tunnels leading out to the ocean, they could’ve been just what we needed. Bellamy and Milo could enter through those while we used the main tunnel, still allowing us to keep Bastian blind to our moves. But how I would communicate that to the boys was another challenge of its own.
“I have to let Bellamy and Milo know.” I clenched a fist.
“You got Milo back?” Noah asked, the concern in his voice obvious despite his attempt to conceal it.
With a nod, I went on, careful to recount details as I remembered them. “He’s back. But Bastian knows where Bellamy is at all times. And Milo is with him. He’s tracking them to find S—,” I cut myself off, looking at Russell before I accidentally let Serena’s name slip from my lips. “He’s tracking them to find the goddess, which is why I had to come here on my own.”
Russell, McKenzie, and Noah all exchanged worried looks before Russell spoke. “Sounds like we’re going to need to come up with a plan.”
“Don’t worry about it, grandpa, we’ve got this figured out,” Noah held up a hand and shook his hand.
“Hey, you called me, remember?” Russell snapped. The tension between them was unbearable, and their backhanded bickering was the last thing I needed. “All I’m saying is, from what it sounds like, this guy is not one to be taking chances with, so you better make sure the one chance you got is as foolproof as possible.”
“He’s right,” I said, earning a sour stare from Noah. “Bastian more than likely knows Bellamy and Milo are on their way here. But he doesn’t know that I’m here with…” my words caught in my throat, and I looked away from Russell before finishing. “…with the goddess. Someone who needs to get the Crown back just as much as we do. If Bellamy and Milo serve as enough of a distraction, maybe it can buy us some time to figure out where he’s keeping the Crown.”
“And then what? Isn’t this guy like indestructible?” Noah slapped his arms by his sides.
“Not if we get that crown. And that’s what I’m thinking…We go in pretending to make the trade and get my mom, but we draw it out long enough to see if a few of us can find the Crown and get it to the goddess. Then hopefully Bellamy and Milo would arrive to stave off Bastian while we get the Crown and run.”
McKenzie nodded the entire time I spoke, her orange waves bouncing like silk around her shoulders. “That sounds way easier said than done. And if the goddess is the one we trade, how do we get the Crown to her?”
I looked at her closely, an idea forming in my head as all three of them hung on my every word. “What if we create a decoy? Let him think we’re agreeing to his deal…but really the goddess would be with us the whole time.”
“So like a stand-in for the goddess?” Noah leaned forward, his impatience obvious by the tight jaw he clenched. My eyes swept over him and McKenzie and then fell on Russell. I wanted to say it. I knew I’d have to sooner or later. But I couldn’t say her name just yet. All in good time. “Does Bastian know what she looks like?”
“I’m pretty sure he does.” I cringed, thinking of the clear physical differences between Serena and me. “But maybe we could use a veil or something. Just long enough to get him to let my mom go. What if I pretend to be her? We can make a disguise, and you all can escort me to Bastian’s lair to trade me for my mom and get the Crown.”
“He’ll find that too suspicious,” Noah chimed in. “If you’re the one he wants to make the deal with, he’s going to expect you to be the one to offer her.”
I nodded, biting my lower lip as my thoughts raced and rearranged. I began to worry about leaving Serena unprotected back on the coast and felt the growing need to get back to her rising in my chest. My nerves felt shaky, and my stomach turned at the thought of the plan failing. McKenzie’s voice ripped me out of my own head and away from my inner panic.
“I’ll do it,” she said firmly. “I’ll be the decoy.”
I blinked, as we all watched her with growing intensity. “No, McKenzie,” I voiced my protest with a jolt. “Absolutely not. I’m not putting you in that position.”
“I know you’re not.” Her back straightened and she made a point to address all three of us. “I’m putting myself there. We don’t stand a chance if we hand over the only one of us who has magical powers.”
The chamber filled with a silence greater than I could stand. Finally, Russell intervened. “How about we take this conversation elsewhere? Probably not the wisest to discuss our plans here.”
“You’re right. Good call,” I muttered, my eyes not leaving McKenzie.
Back outside, we huddled in the main town plaza in an open seating area, careful to keep our voices low.
“There’s no way I’m letting you walk in there and handing you over to that lunatic,” I placed my hand on the table firmly, feeling my frustration growing. “If something goes wrong…”
“Then why did I come all this way?” McKenzie shot up, her chair nearly toppling over backwards. “Why did I forfeit this semester at ISA? Just to do nothing? I came to help you, and dammit Katrina, for once just let me do more for once than lend you a dress!”
The table was silent. I’d never seen McKenzie so worked up or determined. But the thought of sending her into Bastian’s grasp was something I couldn’t come to terms with.
“She’s right,” crooned Russell. “It’ll seem suspicious if we go in there without you. He’ll want to see you bringing this person he’s bargaining for.”
I watched him, somewhat shocked that he would suggest it, but realizing either way, someone was going to be offered up to Bastian like a stock animal. I opened my mouth to argue against McKenzie being the bait, but McKenzie stopped me before I could get any words out.
