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More than anything, she needed to work on a spell that would allow her to take someone with her to the cell side of Veyda’s compound.
As she ate more of her meal, she reviewed all the different combinations of potions and spells she’d put together to improve her ability to disarm Veyda’s security spell. But each time, her internal witchness told her she’d failed to create the right formula.
She didn’t intend to stop trying. That wasn’t in her nature. At all.
If she could break through in a significant way, she’d ask Braden, or if not him then Greg, to lend a hand. Greg was the top wolf among the shifters who lived at the Landing. She had no doubt he and his pack would be game to accompany her, maybe blow up a wall if needed to save an abducted witch.
By the time she’d mulled over her mental to-do list and finished her steak and salad, Braden was snoring.
She chuckled as she pulled back the table and organized their shared tray.
As she was drawing the table back, however, Braden snorted suddenly and woke himself up. By a habit formed over four days, she quickly grabbed his hand in both of hers and held on. His panicky gaze met hers.
“I dreamed of her again.”
“Laura?”
He nodded. His eyes grew pinched. She wished he didn’t smell so good.
“Did she give you any wisdom?”
He chuckled quietly. “Just told me not to be stupid. She said that often when she was alive.”
“I take it you’re a slow-learner.”
His shoulders started to relax. “I like to think I’m tenacious.”
“Oh, stupid and stubborn. That’s a great combination.”
He glanced at her hands covering his. “You did that a lot, didn’t you, while I was unconscious?”
“It helped calm you down.” She’d hugged him a lot as well, especially during the day when she slept beside him. But she didn’t tell him that. “You okay now? You’d drifted off then woke yourself up.”
“I’m okay.”
She released his hand. “Good. I have a few errands I need to run but I will be back. In the meantime, Alfonso will look in on you. You can also just shout. All the shifters at the Landing will be able to hear you.”
“The Landing. Hard Landing. Right. Alfonso shared a few things with me. But Maeve, I had no idea you’d created a full-blown rescue mission.”
She’d never told Braden the extent of her operation. She figured the less anyone knew, including a Border Patrol, the safer her people would be. She said so.
He nodded, a deep frown between his brows. “Okay. I get it. I can understand your reasoning. But I still wish you’d told me. I know how to keep a secret.”
She tilted her head. “I don’t think I appreciated until now how much your friendship has meant to me. I see now I should have told you and I wish I’d invited you in a long time ago to see what we’ve got going on here.”
Braden huffed a sigh. “On the other hand, I understand your need for secrecy, especially in Elegance.”
He was right about that. Their witch and warlock territory was all about secrecy and keeping things hidden.
“So, how many shifters…forget that. How many people do you have living here?”
“Last count, a hundred-and-fifty-three.”
“All from the Graveyard?” His brows rose.
She nodded “It’s what I do.”
“Why do you go out there yourself when it sounds like a few wolves might be a better fit for the job?”
