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“They’re attracted to what you’ve been hiding,” Scarlett said.
I clenched my jaw. Our pack was sitting on some of the largest mineral deposits in the entire continent. But we didn’t go through all these precautions just to keep the gold and silver quiet. Sure, that was part of it and it was the major reason for keeping humans out. We had little need for such things, but knew it would devastate our land if humans found it. Even most of the supernatural creatures who coveted our land were after the minerals.
But there was something else we hid. Something far more rare and deadly.
“She knows what we have here,” Zoe said.
I looked at each of the witches. Without knowing exactly their history, I couldn’t be sure of what connected them, but I could guess. And if my theories were correct, they had once known all of the other’s secrets. “If they know what we’re hiding, why haven’t they come for it?”
“This isn’t a permanent portal,” Zoe explained. “It allowed one creature to pass through, but it was a one-way door.”
“So they came in here, then left?” I asked. “We’d have felt it go through our wards.”
“Maybe,” Zoe said. “The wards are stronger now, but they hadn’t been refreshed in decades. We got sloppy under your father’s rule. He was complacent.”
“Remember, you promised me that I get to deal the death blow,” Scarlett said.
“How?” Zoe asked. “How do we hunt, let alone kill, a creature like this?”
“I don’t know yet, but it’s going to take a lot of planning and we’ll need help,” she said.
“We need to find out if there’s any latent spells in Morgan’s head,” Scarlett said. “I don’t know what kind of magic this thing has, but it makes me and Zoe look like hedge witches.”
Zoe wrinkled her nose at the comparison, but didn’t contradict Scarlett. Hedge witches were nearly human. Women who could use herbs and charms to complete very simple spells or help direct energy toward their desires. It didn’t take any training or skill. Basically, they had a few drops of magical blood and learned how to will things to happen. It was usually written off as luck and those practicing rarely even knew they possessed some ounce of actual power.
“I know you don’t trust her, but we might be able to get Morgan to help,” Zoe said. “And her friend, too.”
“We don’t need any more outsiders here,” I said.
“Too late,” Zoe countered. “When it comes to magic, I outrank you.”
I grumbled. “What did you do?”
“I already told Morgan I’d invite her friend,” Zoe admitted.
“What did she say?” I asked.
“She’s happy. I think she’ll work with us on this,” Zoe said.
“Why do we need that?” I knew I was missing something. Zoe always had reasons for anything she did.
“You think the demon is inside her father,” Scarlett blurted.
Zoe shrugged.
“What?” I blinked in surprise. “No way. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have basically given up in that fight. He could have destroyed me.”
“The demon will be less powerful in another’s body, but we can’t know for sure without someone who shares the same blood as the host,” Zoe explained.
“You want to use her to find and trap the creature,” I said.
Zoe nodded.
“Oh, that’s rich,” Scarlett said. “Poor girl thinks she’s made a friend and you want to sacrifice her to a demon.”
“We have to know,” Zoe said. “And there’s a chance she’d survive.”
“A chance?” My stomach twisted at the thought of putting Morgan in danger. I shouldn’t care, I’d done worse to protect this pack, but it wasn’t sitting well with me.
