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Hecate motioned toward her mists. “An eximo spell.”
“Yes, of course.” Eilea rubbed her chin while she thought about all the herbs they’d need to free the djinn. “How long will it take you to unbind her?”
Hecate wrung her hands together. “A day, possibly two.”
Eilea shook her head. “I don’t have that kind of time.”
“We’ve waited almost three thousand years.” Hecate snorted. “What’s another day?”
Eilea gritted her teeth, magic pooling in her fingers. How badly she wanted to strike her sister for such a callous comment.
Tor cleared his throat. “Jezebeth has powerful magic. You will need her. You’ll need me, too,” he added.
She shook her head. “I can’t involve you in this, Tor.”
“You forget, Phoenix is like a daughter to me.” He jutted a foot forward, determination in the hard set of his eyes. “I’m going.”
She looked him over as a tic worked in his jaw, and she read the unspoken words between them. After storming Eilea’s house and taking her from her mates, Tor would be banished by the Amaroki if he returned from hell without her. But did that mean she should let him risk his soul? Having a big protector on her side could be helpful if he could handle fighting demons.
“Very well.” She snarled at her sister. “I’ll give you a day to free Jezebeth.” She motioned to Tor. “And then we’re leaving.”
Horatiu shared a look with his brothers and mate before stepping forward. “You’ll need more than one protector. I’ll go with you.”
“And a good hunter.” His brother Lucian tapped his nose. “I’ll be able to find their scent and also attack them with my wind power.”
“No,” she spat, the word coming out even more forcefully than she intended as she glared at her nephews. “This mission is too dangerous. I don’t need you getting trapped down there, too.”
“Please, Aunt. It’s the least we can do.” Horatiu visibly swallowed. “After everything.”
“Everything?” She bridged the distance between them, snarling up at him. “You mean after my sister and nephews stabbed me through the back and left me vulnerable to our enemies?”
“Don’t blame my sons, sister,” Hecate rasped at her back. “They were following my orders.”
She spun around on her with a snarl. “Believe me, sister, I place most of the blame onyourshoulders.”
Hecate silently nodded. “I let my paranoia get the best of me. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“No.” Eilea seethed. “You won’t.”
Horatiu cleared his throat. “We want to help our cousins.”
“And what happens if Gorgo gets his claws on you?” She waved a fist in his face. “Then I’ll have more wolves to save.”
Horatiu’s silvery cheeks colored. “We can take care of ourselves, Aunt.”
“I’m sure that’s what your cousins thought.” She nodded toward Hecate. “When your mother and I formed you, we mirrored your powers, your minds. My sons were just as equipped as you are, and they succumbed to Gorgo.”
Horatiu shook his head. “He had the Vindictus helping him then.”
She advanced on him, enjoying watching him flinch when she jabbed his broad chest with the tip of her horn. “He can see your next move before you make it. Do you think my celaris magic will be able to shield all of us?” She threw back her head, releasing a groan of frustration. Truthfully, her magic was strong enough to shield them all, but that didn’t mean she wanted them to tag along. “I need to get out of here.”
Horatiu held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, looking ten shades of awkward as he shifted from foot to foot. “Would you like us to show you around the city, Aunt?”
His brothers mumbled their agreement.
“I can show myself around.” Turning her back on her nephews, she walked out of the room without another glance.
Did they think she would forget what they’d done to her? They might have betrayed her three millennia ago, but to her, it was just yesterday her paranoid sister had locked her away for no good reason, leaving her vulnerable to an evil coven of witches. Eilea would never forget. And as long as her sons still suffered a cruel and miserable fate, she’d never forgive, either.
