"I know." I said it loud enough for everyone to hear. "But what choice do we have? She's going to keep coming for the babies. Tonight, tomorrow, next week—she won't stop until she has them or we stop her."
Aidon's hand found my hip. His grip was tight enough to hurt. Through our bond, I felt his exhaustion mirroring my own. "We can't leave the babies undefended. Not after what just happened."
"We won't." Stella closed her laptop with a decisive snap. "We split our forces. Some stay, some go."
Nana snorted. "And who decides who gets the suicide mission?"
"I’m going." The words came out before I could second-guess them. "She wants me. She'll expect me."
"Not without me." Aidon's grip tightened until it bordered on painful.
"The babies need you here. Your godly powers?—"
"Are useless right now." His eyes flashed black, and shadows flickered weakly around his hands. "I'm as depleted as you are. If we're walking into a trap, we do it together."
I pulled my hand free, rounding on him. "You are not risking yourself when?—"
"When what? When I could stay here safely while you get yourself killed?" His power pulsed, scraping along my spine. "After everything we've been through, you think I'm letting you face Taverner alone?"
"She's not going alone." Stella stood, her blonde hair catching the light. "I'm coming too."
"Are you sure?" I asked my best friend. She and I had been on every case together. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine not having her with me. More so than Aidon. She was my good luck charm and a badass. "You have your own?—"
"My own what? Family to protect?" Her laugh was sharp. "Those babies upstairs are my godchildren. You think I'm sitting this out? Not a chance."
"I'm going too," Nana announced, checking her ammunition. "I want to be there when she gets her ass kicked."
"The four of you should go." Mom pointed at me. "You got out of her first trap. You can get out of this one, too. The rest of us stay here with the babies."
"Mollie—" Aidon started.
"Don't." Mom held up her hand. "Jean-Marc can guide you through their security remotely. I'll have every witch in the coven here within the hour. Selene's already calling in favors. We'll have this house so warded a god couldn't break through."
As if summoned, Selene appeared behind Mom, phone pressed to her ear. "The rest of the coven is coming, and Tseki and Murtagh are coordinating the shifters. Murtagh's calling in his old pack. We'll have twenty wolves here by dawn. Layla is recovering."
Clio walked in the back door. "Layla will be fine in a few hours." Her eyes saw too much when they landed on me."You're not fine. Your magical core is close to burning out from destroying the Scythe. You need rest, not another battle."
I handed Thaniel to Aidon when he finished nursing and covered myself. "I'll rest when Taverner is dead."
Tarja's voice sliced through my mind. "If you push too hard, you'll burn yourself out completely. Permanently."
"I’ll get some rest while we travel," I insisted.
Through our bond, I felt her frustration sharpen into something else. Fear. But underneath it was acceptance. She knew I had to do this.
"You can do that while we go over possibilities so you’re ready to fight them," Mom said.
The kitchen exploded into motion. Clio pulled Aidon and me aside. "This isn't going to fix the drain on your cores. But I can stabilize you enough that you won't collapse mid-fight."
“Anything you can do for us is appreciated,” I assured her.
The warmth of her magic seeping into my chest made me gasp. It was kinda like a hot pad when you had bad menstrual cramps. Energy flowed into me, making me feel lighter somehow.
"You need to keep in mind that you will have thirty minutes of peak performance," Clio said quietly. "After that, you'll be running on willpower alone. Don't waste it. And do not push yourself."
“I never do,” Aidon told her. I didn’t bother because we all knew that was my standard setting.
The sharp scent of ozone and old magic hit me as Mom materialized in the doorway of our Sanctuary, her arms loaded down like she was prepping for the apocalypse. I hadn't even heard her slip away.
