Page 14
“The voice?”
“The one we heard. The one who told us something was coming, the one who told us to find Sam. Find the werewolf.”
“You guys aren’t supposed to do that,” I tell him. “Right?”
Kole shakes his head. “No, we’re not.”
“So, what does this mean?”
“It means she broke ancient laws to help us.” Kole meets my eyes. “It means there will be consequences.”
“What kind of consequences?”
Kole lowers his face into his palms, but he doesn’t answer me.
* * *
It’s late when the others return. Kole is still shaken. I have no idea what consequences he’s talking about, and it feels a little insensitive—even for me—to ask whether he means consequences for us or for his mom. It also seems insensitive to point out that if she broke the rules anyway, she might as well have gone the whole nine yards and told us what was going on rather than sending creepy voice notes on the spiritual airwaves. But I’m sure, if I did, Kole would remind me it’s ‘complicated’ and that I don’t understand the first thing about his people.
Maybe Mack will have some answers.
As he and Sam enter the caves, bringing with them a whisper of cold air from outside, they exchange a look I can’t interpret.
“Find anything?” I ask.
“Kayla.” Sam’s reply is terse and laced with emotion. He sits down and takes the cup of coffee Tanner offers him.
Exhausted from his three-hour swimming marathon, Tanner looks pale and has already poured himself a second cup. He takes a long sip, offering Sam a sympathetic glance over the rim of his coffee mug.
“What is she doing here?” Kole growls, offering Mack a coffee too.
Mack takes one and sits down, wrapping his large hands around it. Sam doesn’t seem in the mood to answer, so Mack does it for him. “Scavenging for food. She told us Hellhounds have been hunting in the woods at night. Just beyond the barrier.”
“Hellhounds?” I look at Sam and he nods. “Shit.”
“You let her go?” Tanner lowers his mug and tilts his head, examining Sam’s expression.
Sam nods curtly, not offering an explanation. “I let her go.”
“Okay, listen…” I tap my coffee cup like it’s a mic on a lectern. “We need a plan. We can’t just sit here waiting, being angry, and sad, and fucked up.”
“I thought that was what we were supposed to do… wait.” Sam looks at Kole. Everyone is looking at Kole.
He breathes a deep, pained breath, then says, “Honestly? I don’t know what we’re supposed to do. I haven’t had any more visions. I contacted my mother but…” He trails off, his jaw twitching. “She can’t help either.”
Listening to him admit he doesn’t have a clue what we’re supposed to do next causes anger to swirl in my belly. The coffee in my cup bubbles with heat, so I set it down on the floor and say, “If we don’t know, then we’re going to have to trust our own instincts. Are we the kind of mages who just sit around waiting?” As the others look at me, I clarify, “I don’t mean that we shouldn’t wait for Nova.” My voice tightens. “I will never stop waiting for her, and I know the four of you won’t either. But Eve has Nova’s blood. In two days’ time, she and Ragnor will use it to bring back The King and hell will literally be unleashed.
“So, we need to put our own fucked up feelings to one side, and we need a plan.” I lace my fingers together in my lap. “That’s all I’m saying… we need a plan.”
“Luther’s right.” Kole pulls his hair back and ties it loosely at the nape of his neck. “We don’t know when Nova is coming back. But we know that if Ragnor’s ritual succeeds, it’s going to be harder for her to win when she does return.”
“I thought The Phoenix was supposed to stop The King?” Sam interrupts. For the first time since she left us, uncertainty is in his voice. “If Nova’s coming back, why do we need a plan?”
Silence descends, thickening in the gaps between us. We are all thinking the same thing, even though we’re praying it doesn’t come to it, we’re thinking we need a plan in case Kole was wrong. In case we have to fight this battle on our own.
10
TANNER
