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Remington grimaced at the other side of the table. “We haven’t been able to determine that. What you heard from the report is as much as we know.”
“Its course over the last ten minutes or so has been a direct line toward the Frankfords’ property,” Brimsey put in, his gaze on me evaluating. I wondered if he was aware that I’d already been trying to put the plan he’d pitched to Gabriel into motion. “We haven’t seen activity anywhere near that purposeful from it before.”
“We haven’t,” Lady Northcott agreed. “It does seem quite set on returning to that place as quickly as possible.”
I couldn’t for one second believe the demon had just wanted to take a little romp around our world and now it was going to head home quietly. “Has anything happened at the Cliff to bring it back?”
“Our people out there haven’t observed any changes.”
“Then—” My voice caught in my throat as an icy jolt of understanding hit me. It melted into a cold pool of horror in my stomach. “Oh, no.”
“You have a take on what’s happening?” Mr. Northcott asked. Everyone was studying me now. As if the demon taint to my spark gave me some kind of special understanding of what those monsters might want.
But I didn’t need any special connection to them to put the pieces I had together.
“We figured the reason that one was able to break through the portal at all was the woman who died by the Cliff, don’t we?” I said. “The blood spilled in violence—it helped the demon break through the barrier somehow. If it’s bringing more people out there, avoiding destroying their bodies… I have to think it’s planning on spilling all the blood it can so the rest of the fiends can come join it here.”
Not just one but a whole horde of demons, all of them eager to treat our world like a carnival of brutality.
The officials around the table were silent for a moment. “That is our main fear as well,” Lady Northcott said quietly. “To be honest, I was hoping you might have a different perspective that could also explain its actions.”
I shook my head, my heart starting to race. “No. That has to be it. That’s the only thing that makes sense. We have to get out to the Cliff first—stop it—wewantedit back near the portal. If we can prevent the blood-spilling and push the demon through, then we could seal the gateway up. All our problems solved.”
Unfortunately, those felt like some tremendous “if”s right now.
“We can call on every witch in this part of the country,” Remington said. “Bring all the power we possibly can to bear.”
Brimsey looked to me again. “Have you had a chance to see if there are others who might be able to support our attempt after all?”
The recovering witches. I didn’t know if we could still arrange any sort of a trap—we didn’tneeda trap if the thing was already out there by the portal—but their magic might still give us an advantage.
“I have,” I said. “I spoke with Lady Ainsworth and the other witches from the faction a few minutes ago. They’ll do whatever they can, including facing the demon, if it helps us push it out of this world.”
“And what about you, Lady Hallowell?” Mr. Northcott said. “Are you well enough to go out there?”
I hadn’t gotten to expend much magic against the demon this afternoon. I was tired just from the long day and the stresses that had come with it, but my spark flared when I focused on it. “I am, and of course I will.”
Lady Northcott’s mouth twisted. “From what we’ve seen, the way it responds to your magic compared to the rest of our people’s… We may be counting on you by far the most.” She turned to one of the lesser officials at the far end of the table. “See that a vehicle with plenty of space is arranged for Lady Hallowell and her consorts. We want her to rest and regain as much of her strength as possible on the journey to the coast.”
The other woman bobbed her head and ducked out of the room. My gaze followed her. I hadn’t expected special treatment. But then… maybe thiswouldall come down to me. To me and the power I had, the power that flowed between my consorts and me.
“This won’t be about sly plans or clever thinking,” Lady Northcott went on. “It’ll be brute force we need once we engage with the demon—to stop it long enough to free its captives, and then to force it back into its world. Can you coordinate that effort, Lady Hallowell? Can I instruct our enforcers and the other witches to act as your support?”
My jaw went slack. I just stared at her and her husband for a moment. “I don’t—I’ve got no combat training or anything like that. I think I know what to do, but—are you sure?”
The corner of her mouth twitched. “You’ve proven both resilient and resourceful more times than I can count in the last few months. If you’re going to bring all your power to bear, you’ll need as much support as you can get, I think.”
Slowly, the others around the table inclined their heads, even Brimsey. My hands clenched at my sides. It all came down to me. Oh, by all that was lit and warm, by the five soul-bonds I carried, let me not fail.
“Find your consorts,” Mr. Northcott said. “The car should be waiting for you in the garage by the time you get there. We’ll be right at your heels.”
Now I was staring at him. “You’re coming too?”
“We’re all coming,” Remington said. “We’re all that might stand between survival and the end of the world. I’m not sitting in my office when I could be bringing my magic to that fight.”
A handful more witches in the mix—it might not make much difference. But it was something. More than I’d expected of them.
“I’ll see you by the Cliff,” I said. “I’ve got my phone. If anything important changes…”
