AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Star poses next to him, like they’re a pair of superheroes, their previous argument forgotten. “These loins are girded!”
Marceau slinks over to join us, hovering at the kitchen bar. “Well, that went about as well as could be expected.”
Merri glares at him. “No more teaching the kids new words.”
“Mouth filter activated.” He mimes zipping his lips.
I shake my head. “I give it an hour.”
“Where’s the faith?” he demands.
“I lived in your head,” I remind him. “I know how often swear words roll through your mind.”
“But I don’t say all of them out loud,” he drawls, “and that’s what counts.”
Flint finally leaves the group in the living room to join us, and his happy mask slips away to reveal his worry. “I just don’t get it. We had the safe house locked down tighter than Fort Knox.”
“I think the kid has a tracking spell on her,” Marceau says quietly. “One that Lia’s been blocking until recently.”
“As part of the sacrifice mark.” Flint curses under his breath. “That makes sense.”
“We just need Lia to keep masking it for now,” Merri rushes to reassure him. “So long as she’s blocking the kids from using their powers, they should be safe.”
“She’s not, though,” I say as realization strikes, and my gaze jumps to Alaska, who’s melting the ice from his skin at the fireplace. “At least, not all of them.”
“Not any of them.” The blood drains from Flint’s face. “Aediva’s been practicing her control, and Lia let her off the leash.”
“Lia,” Merri starts toward them just as all of our phones go off.
I pull mine from my pocket to find a security alert from the front gate. “It’s too late. They’ve already found us.”
Merri spins back around, her gaze landing on me, then shifting to Flint. “Get them down to the garage and into the Library. It’s the safest place. Marc and I will deal with this.”
I shake my head. “I’m not abandoning you.”
“Neither am I.” Flint’s jaw sets stubbornly. “We fight together.”
Merri grips my arm. “I need you to keep him safe.” Then she turns to Flint. “And the kids need you.”
“Then we all go together,” Flint insists.
Merri shakes her head. “We need to take these guys down and find out for sure how they found Aediva. But we can’t do that if we’re worried about the kids.”
Lia joins us, her eyes wide with fear. “What’s going on?”
“Gather the kids,” Merri directs her. “You’re all going for another trip through the portals.”
Lia’s bottom lip trembles before she presses them together and nods in understanding.
Outside the front window, the floodlights come on, alerting us that we’re out of time.
Merri shoves me out of the kitchen. “Go. And close the portal behind you.”
“Then how will we know when it’s safe to come back?” I demand.
“The Librarian will figure it out.” Marceau hustles a protesting Flint into motion.
Once I’m on the other side of the counter, I take over, grabbing Flint by the arm and forcibly directing him toward the hall. Marceau and Merri need to prepare for battle, and we have our orders.
