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“No, I mean, I didn’t think about–.”
“That’s right. You didn’t think.” She shook her head, suddenly looking exhausted. “The council is working on a way to stop them, the most important thing is for you to stay here, and to stay safe.” Elizabeth sent them one long, hard look. “And above all, to keep Hazel safe from Eidolon.”
“You know about that?” Jayce asked, his eyes wide in surprise and she snorted again, softer this time.
“Of course I do. Hazel’s grandmother was a great woman and a dear friend. We often spoke of the things she was working on, helped her to think she always said. That dark spirit must not get his grubby hands anywhere near her, do you understand?”
They both nodded hastily under her dark scrutiny and as soon as they did she turned sharply toward the door. “Good, now that that’s settled, I need to get back. If you have any other information to offer us about Eidolon, or how to stop him, send us a message. Hazel knows how. Now, stay out of trouble.” She enunciated the warning with a sever glare before stalking out of the small house.
Hazel still stood with her mouth open, ready to speak but didn’t have the chance before she was gone. Finally, she forced the words out.
“But, we have to go after him. Soon, he’ll be too strong for anyone to defeat, and you have already fought and beat him once.”
“We didn’t beat him, Hazel. We all just lost together.” They were silent for a moment, absorbing the truth of Nika’s statement, but it didn’t deter her for long.
“I’ll keep searching my grandmother’s study, we will find a way, but we have to do something. We can’t just sit here like targets in the water waiting for him to gain strength and come after us, because he will.” She looked at them, her violet eyes wide with fear and trepidation, but also a steely resolve. “He doesn’t have a choice, and neither do we. Either we attack first, or we sit here and wait to die.”
Hazel’s words rang through the now silent house, and silently, finally, the other two men nodded their agreement. It stuck in Jayce’s throat, but the fact was that she was right. They didn’t have a choice.
“It will take a few days to get everything ready, in the meantime…” Jayce began to lay out what would need to be done, what preparations they would have to make to be ready. As if they could ever truly be ready for what was to come.
Chapter 14
“Hey, what are you still doing up?” Nika’s voice jolted her out of her half asleep stupor and Hazel rubbed her eyes, trying to focus on him in the dim light. After they had made a rough plan of action, she had spent the rest of the day going through every single book and paper in the study with a fine tooth comb, this time searching for a weapon, an enchantment, anything that would help them to defeat the dark spirit before he could destroy all of them.
She looked at the clock on the desk, her eyes widening in surprise. She hadn’t realized how late it had gotten.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” Jayce said from behind the other man, extending a hand to help her back to her feet. Her knees protested and she leaned into him for support, even though it was more than she strictly needed.
“I’m really not tired,” Hazel murmured incoherently behind a yawn. But they could see the truth in her mind. Every night the nightmares were getting worse and worse, and in some cases, even dangerous. She remembered the fire she had started, singeing her bedroom, and then the flood of icy water. The true was, Hazel was afraid to go to sleep.
“There is nothing to fear.” Nika said softly, reading her thoughts.
“Oh really?” Hazel asked, one dark brow arched delicately, “What if I accidentally burn the house down on top of us, or conjure up a tornado that blows it apart, or, or…anything else that might hurt you.” She finished softly and Jayce pulled her even tighter into his arms.
“It’s okay, Hazel, all of those times were okay.”
“No, they weren’t. I could have hurt you, I could have…”
“But you didn’t, and you won’t.” Nika said, grabbing one of her hands and guiding her towards her bedroom. “Come on, let us tuck you in.”
