AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not to interrupt,” Zoe said, “but going back to that wholeBloodstone is even more dangerousthing… should we worry that some of the things on the island might get off at some point? I mean, I don’t think it will be good for anyone if harpies and revenants are running up and down the streets of Fangmore City, right? If the wards fell from the mansion, does that mean they fell everywhere?”
“It’s not the wards keeping the creatures here—keeping us here,” Eli said, cutting into the conversation. “We’ve had scouts checking the area around the mansion. The wards there are faint. They may as well not exist. The stronger wards that surrounded the island stretched out almost a mile offshore, but those have faded as well.”
Zoe’s eyes lit up. “Well, that seals it. Let’s get the hell off this rock.”
Eli shook her head slowly and glanced around at all of us. “We had the same concern about monsters escaping. A couple of our most powerful magic wielders scried the area beyond the fallen wards. There’s some kind of dark force still in place. It’s something none of them have ever seen before, and whateverit is, isn’t allowing anything to leave the island. While it’s still there, we’re stuck here like every feral, vampire, and all those other creatures in this place.”
Something dark and powerful? It made no sense. What could be strange and potent enough that wiccans and fae couldn’t even figure out what it was? As awful as it was to be stuck here, it only pushed me to fight back harder.
“Crew,” I said, rounding on the leader, “we can’t keep hiding. There are enough dangers on this fucking island that we can’talsobe looking over our shoulder for this mad scientist boogeyman. I didn’t spend that much time with him, but what time I did spend with him told me that he’s crazy, vindictive, and quick to anger. He may very well be hunting even harder for Haven, to destroy it as payback.”
“Hold on,” Mika said, holding a hand up. “I thought this place was fully hidden, right? How could he find it?”
“It’s hidden, yes,” Crew said, “But we don’t have nearly as many spell casters asThe Reject Projectemployed. We can’t create an impenetrable barrier like they did. The best we can do is a really good glamor spell to hide the entrance, and alotof magic and practical booby traps. We’ve also installed deterrent spells that keep non-sentient creatures away. But Simon? Or one of his assistants? If they find us, they could breach the entrance. It’s part of why I always keep someone near the entry tunnel as a lookout. Day and night, twenty-four seven.” He grimaced in irritation and looked at me again. “You may be right. Simonmaybe looking for us even harder now.”
It was time to tell them everything I’d learned. They wouldn’t like it, but it might get them on my side. We couldn’t let Simon keep working. Not even for a day more.
“Simon is far worse than you realize,” I began. “He’s a mad scientist, yes, but he’s more than that. He’s an arms dealer. All this shit he’s creating? He told me he’s selling it to peopleon the mainland. Some of it is already there. The fucking heat serum that got me fired and rejected is his creation. He’s going to be arming the packs, the fae, the humans—anyone—with these monsters and weapons. It’s not about us anymore. Not the show, or Haven, or any of it. This is about the whole world. We can’t allow him to do this. Hehasto be stopped. If not, those monstrosities will be stalking up and down the streets of every city and neighborhood on the planet soon. That can’t happen.”
Crew, Eli, and all the others gaped at me. The information was heavy, but they needed to know. Even Chelsey, who’d spent the whole meeting staring daggers at Crew, looked distraught and shaken.
“He’s making these things to sell?” Crew asked.
“Like I said, he’s already sold some of it,” I said. “A lion shifter slipped me some of the heat serum. If that shit starts to get used on a bigger population, it’ll be fucking chaos. Like, orgies-in-the-street chaos. And that’s the least dangerous thing he’s created.”
“Hang on,” Eli said, looking up with a smile spreading across her lips. She shared a look with Wyatt, who was grinning back at her. They’d both come to some conclusion.
“If he’s sending this stuff to the mainland,” Eli went on, “then these shipments are getting out somehow.”
I could almost hear the lightbulb clicking on in my head. “We use those shipments to get ourselves off the island?”
“Exactly,” Eli said, and looked to Crew for confirmation.
“It could work,” Crew admitted warily.
Jumping in to keep the momentum going, I said, “Look, I have no clue what finally started the war, but if we have a chance to keep it from being even worse, we need to take it.”
“Kira’s right,” Wyatt added. “I’m the last person who wants to see her in danger, but this is too big to ignore. She and I both swore an oath to protect people from dangers like this. We haveto move against Simon. Stop him from causing any more harm than he already has.”
“I don’t know.” Crew looked pained. “It’s awful what he’s done, but the people here in Haven have been through a lot. I can’t put them in any more danger.”
Crew was a good leader. Someone who didn’t want to hurt his people or see them hurt. He probably harbored a massive amount of guilt from the people he’d already lost. I couldn’t fault him for not wanting to jump back into battle right after the last one.
Thankfully, I didn’t need to convince him. Chelsey spoke up for me. “We have to do what Kira is saying,” she said.
Crew’s gaze shot across the room to look at her, his look of consternation fading a bit.
“My family is on the mainland like everyone else,” she continued. “My little brother and parents? Everyone I know and love? These things Simon is creating will tear them apart.” She looked directly at Crew. “We can’t hide here while the rest of the world burns. Not when we know we can stop it. If we do, then we’re nothing but cowards.”
Her words hung heavy in the air, none of us able to say anything that would push the argument any further. Crew chewed at his lower lip, knocking his knuckles absently on the table as he thought. When he finally looked up, I was sure we had him on our side, and I did my best not to smile in victory.
“Here’s the deal,” he said. “You’re right. I can’t, in good conscience, let Simon continue. We’ve got to stop him from sending more of that shit back home.”
I let out an audible breath, but Crew held a finger up before I could speak.
“When I say plan, I mean a real plan,” he continued. “We’ve got to come at him with everything we’ve got. We went in too fastfor the rescue mission and took some hits. Two really good men died during that mission.”
I winced as though physically slapped, remembering the men who’d died to save me. I kept my mouth shut, remembering that this was Crew’s place. He was in charge and deserved the floor.
