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13
MONDAY MORNING
“I heard that!” Angela yelled from behind the kitchen counter. She’d progressed from dishes to scrubbing baseboards on her hands and knees. “Don’t even think about it!”
“I don’t mean right this second,” I called back. “Just his ability in general.”
Ivan leaned forward and grinned, setting the empty pretzel bowl on the coffee table. “The better option would be Thane. He’s been there a few times.”
Realm walkers usually needed to visit or see a place before they jumped. Ivan was a unique case, able to realm walk without having to do either first, but crossing dimensions was a whole other risk.
Thane had risked his life with a super dangerous blind jump to Mirognya to find me, a memory that brought a grimace to my face. I wouldn’t put him or Ivan at risk again. Not if I could help it, anyway.
“Can we sneak in another way?” Lena asked, undeniable hunger for adventure lighting up her face. That must have been what everyone saw in my eyes all the time. No wonder it terrified them.
“I could open a portal with a few supplies from my locker,” Kit said, swiveling her office chair to face us again. “A quick opening to get us through.”
“Us?” Angela’s voice squeaked. Her head popped up over the counter, sending her ringlets bouncing. “You’re thinking about going?”
“Meeting the Keeper of the Forest would be…” Kit’s eyes took on a distant, dreamy look. “Unbelievable.”
“You thought he was a legend until a few minutes ago.” Angela stood and planted her yellow gloved hands on her hips. A deep crease formed between her eyebrows. “And there’s no guarantee he’ll show himself to you. To any of you.”
She had a point there, but I had a gut feeling he would reveal himself to me again. Of course, maybe that was wishful (or egotistical) thinking.
“But now I know he’s real.” Kit’s chair creaked as she rose and headed toward her fiancée. “I believe the dagger’s with him. What if Colin finds him first?”
“What’s that fae going to do with one dagger?” Angela demanded. “The DEA has the other two.”
Another well-thought-out point for Team Angela. She and Thane must get along perfectly.
“One is still enough to kill reapers and angels,” Kit said calmly, taking Angela’s gloved hands in hers without a hint of disgust. Those gloves weren’t totally yellow anymore. “The stag’s rumored to grant blessings on certain people, especially those with hearts as pure as yours. Maybe he could extend your life, give us more time together.”
As a human witch, Angela wouldn’t enjoy the longer than average years that a Community witch did. Not even human mages had figured out how to extend their lives yet, and their ability to harness magic through sorcery far surpassed normal humans tinkering with witchcraft.
With Kit as her tutor, however, Angela might surprise us all.
Her already flushed cheeks deepened to red. “You want me to come with you?”
My best friend smiled. “Of course. There’s no way I’m leaving this realm without you by my side.”
Indecision was evident in every inch of Angela’s expression. After a moment’s hesitation, she glanced at me. “You need to tell Thane first, or I’m pulling the plug.”
Once again, she was absolutely right, but he would try to talk me out of it. He might even ask Adam to chain me up or something ridiculous like that, even if I had earned that kind of treatment with my impulsive actions.
Decisions, decisions.
“I will,” I said. “If he agrees, we can use his realm walking ability. Save us some time.”
“What if he says no?” Lena raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
“Then…” I trailed off as I considered her question.
In the past, I would have wasted no time diving headfirst into danger, regardless of who I hurt. After losing Mad, I had little to live for except the adrenaline rush during a heist.
But now?
Now, I had Thane and Kit, Lena and Ivan, and all the others who had become friends and family over the last few months. The only logical option was one I really hated suggesting, but we needed to get that dagger before Colin did, no matter what.
