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My eyes jerked to him.
One of our own.
The words seemed so unlike him, and yet, something bloomed in my chest, to know that Barrett considered me a part of their… family.
I opened my mouth but couldn’t bring myself to say anything. How could I respond to that? I didn’t get a chance to think of a response. Damien nodded to Zephyr, and he backed into the dark cover of the brush, vanishing from my view. We sat in silence, watching as one of the men disappeared back into the door, leaving the one in the chair alone again.
Damien took my hand, leading me along the fence line. Barrett, Vincent, and Thalia followed closely behind us as we snuck along the fence, hidden by the junk cars parked up front.
When we came to a stop near the open gates, I noticed movement from above the guard. Atop the metal awning that overhung the entrance, a large raven stood, peering over the edge at the man below. Faint black mist danced from its feathers, and I became entranced by the sight of it. The guy stood to stretch and paced away from the door a few feet.
The raven leapt down, body shifting as the black mist enveloped it. I gasped as Zephyr appeared, tackling the guy to the ground before he could react, knocking him out. He crouched as he looked around before throwing the guy over his shoulder and hurrying over to us.
“What the hell just happened?” I whispered to Damien, not taking my eyes off Zephyr as he ran.
“Another blood trait I was telling you about. Zephyr and Thalia come from the house of Thirion, a family of shifters. They can change, take on the form of different animals.” Damien pulled me to my feet as Zephyr reached us. He tossed the guy off his shoulder, his body hitting the ground with a low thud before us, unconscious.
My fingers quivered as I reached my hands out to touch his head. Damien grabbed my wrist before I reached him. “Be careful.”
I smiled in reassurance. “I will. I’m just gonna get an idea of what it looks like inside and how many people there are.”
He hesitated a moment, but released me, and I grabbed hold of the guy, diving into his mind. I could see Marcus, standing inside the shop. He only had a few guys with him, maybe three or four. The building was huge inside with three rooms—two large bays and one small room in the back. There was nothing about it that was complicated or intricate, nothing like the compound where he kept me confined. It would be easy and straightforward to navigate.
I released the man, opening my eyes to find myself back where I’d been, surrounded by the others. It was so strange, as if I’d physically hopped from place to place, though I’d never left the ground where I knelt.
“Did you get anything out of him?” Barrett asked.
I nodded, reaching my hand out to take Damien’s. “I want to try to show you what I saw.” He told me once before that I’d spoken through thought in the past. I wondered if I could do that now, share my thoughts with him.
Damien watched me for a moment before I closed my eyes. I reached out, willing my thoughts to him and I heard as he gasped. My hands recoiled, releasing his. “Did it work? Could you see?”
“Yes.Fuck.” He blinked, shaking his head as he let his breath out through his teeth. “Sorry, I didn’t think you would be able to do that so early.”
My heart sank. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t hurt you, did I? I should have given you a better warning.”
“No, mea luna. It’s more like a head rush. I’m okay, promise.” He smiled, and a light of confidence came to his eyes. “This actually works out better.”
“I don’t know how long ago this memory was. It may have been earlier. There’s still a chance more could have arrived since then, and I don’t know if there are other guards who might be elsewhere,” I warned. I still wasn’t quite skilled enough to precisely pinpoint the exact moment I wanted to see.
He grinned. “That still gives us an edge.”
“Nice job, Spitfire,” Barrett whispered, and my cheeks heated.
“Spitfire? Really?” Thalia said with a cocked brow.
“What?” Barrett said, feigning a look of innocence.
“Pay attention, Barrett,” Damien warned, and they all focused on him, humor and joking aside.
Damien wasted no time in explaining the layout of the shop to the others. I watched the front door as he spoke, an uneasiness building in my gut. Something didn’t feel right about all this, the timing of it. I didn’t know what it was, but something was off about this whole situation. It seemed too perfect, too easy.
Zephyr and Vincent split off to flank the perimeter before we entered the building. It was only Thalia, Barrett, Damien, and I who remained stationed near the gate. My eyes locked on the door, watching intently in case one of Marcus’ men came out again. I was growing impatient for Damien to decide our next course of action.
The weight of my dagger felt heavy against my thigh, and I gripped the handle, heart thrumming in my ears. I was eager to put an end to Marcus, but I feared what it might cost us.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” I whispered, unsure of myself suddenly as I watched the door.
“It’s going to be fine, Cas.”
