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Kallan met Holly’s eyes across the room as if looking to her for confirmation, and Holly nodded. He was the leader—it wasn’t her role to make the decisions—but it was a sound plan. Finding that inside person was going to be critical.
“Opening the Academy will have to be put on hold for now,” Kallan said. He looked at Claire and her Triad. “I think the four of you should stay here.”
“You think they’ll try to free Roland and Vanya?” Desmond guessed.
Kallan was blunt. “I wouldn’t put it past them.”
“I can try to put a barrier up,” Claire offered, biting her lip, but Desmond was quick to shoot that idea down.
“Not till your magic is fully healed.”
“The Fae lands have a lockdown protocol,” Kallan assured her. “I’ll activate that before we leave.”
Claire nodded but bit her lip, and Holly knew she was blaming herself for not being able to use magic. Before she could reassure her, Kallan clapped his hands. “Let’s move. We’ll head back to the Academy and make a plan before heading out.”
“We can head out immediately,” Bethany said. “Zack always travels with all his notes.”
While Bethany kept a straight face, Holly raised her eyebrows at that intimate fact. Sounds like Holly needed a conversation with her other best friend here soon too.
“Go get them, then.”
CHAPTER3
“Hey.”
Holly turned to see her cousin jogging toward her. The group had moved out of the cavern and were at the large meeting hall where they had discussed battle strategy only a week ago. Now they were discussing a different strategy—how to lock the Fae lands back down.
Kallan and Kieran were in the thick of the planning, but Synora floated between Holly and the twins.
“What do you need?” Holly asked Desmond.
“I can come with you,” Desmond said. “Back to the Academy, I mean.”
“Why would you do that?” Holly was confused. Why did he want to leave Claire?
“To be with you. If you need me.” It wasn’t till Desmond looked at the twins that Holly realized what he meant.
“You don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.” Holly squeezed his arm, her heart warming at his overprotectiveness.
Desmond studied her a bit longer, and Holly felt like she was twelve years old again, begging him to let her hang out with him and Malcolm and Everett to escape her strict house for a little while.
“I’m a big girl. I can handle myself,” she said. “We’ve all got roles to play here. You need to stay and protect Claire and her father.” While having Desmond there as a buffer would be great, Claire needed him more.
Desmond still looked torn, and Holly shoved him gently in Claire’s direction. “Go. You’re needed here.”
Everett called him over just then, and Desmond turned back to Holly to squeeze her in one more hug. “Be careful.”
“I will,” Holly promised.
“Give them hell. Just a little bit though. You deserve to be happy.” With those parting words, Desmond left her and scooped Claire up in his arms.
Holly smiled at the pair of them. Her heart ached to have that, and she could, but another part of her was terrified to give anyone that much of herself. She also didn’t know if she had anything left to give. She was already trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and now a good Ambassador. So many pieces of herself scattered around the Realm, but now she had three of the most important pieces in front of her.
“Are you ready to go?” Kallan’s words had her jumping a bit.
“You all have to stop doing that,” Holly grumbled under her breath, but the quirk in Kallan’s lips told her he heard.
“I’m ready.” She put a smile on her face. They hadn’t brought anything over in their rush. Well, the others hadn’t. Holly always traveled with the small satchel at her side that was magically adjusted to hold more than it looks. She always had a notebook, pen, change of clothes, and some herbs to settle her stomach.
