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I asked, “How do you propose we do that?”
“Divide and conquer,” he told me. “We can’t take both of them down at once, since you said they multiply each other’s powers. So, we lure one away, then hit the other with everything we’ve got. That should work, right? All of us plus Carter should add up to more power than either brother has on his own.”
“Theoretically,” Carter muttered, as he absently adjusted his tie. He was in another black-on-black mafioso-inspired suit, shirt, and tie combo, which meant he and August were dressed identically. I probably would have found that funny if worry wasn’t eating away at my gut.
I ran both hands over my hair and asked, “When are Griffin and Ari arriving?”
“Around eight this evening,” Tinder said.
“Shit,” I muttered. “I don’t know if Elias has that much time.”
“You know, we’re not the only people on earth who can work magic,” August chimed in. “If the stories we’ve been hearing are true, the brothers pose a huge threat across the board, so it’s in everyone’s interest to take them down. What if we put out a call and try to assemble everyone with magical ability in Southern California? The more people we gather, the more powerful we become.”
“Two problems with that,” Desiree said. “First of all, it takes time to build an army, and for Elias’s sake we need to act fast. Also, as soon as you start putting out the call for help, you run the risk of word getting back to the brothers. If they find out we’re plotting against them and trying to pull off a rescue mission, the first thing they’ll do is kill Elias. Then they’ll probably come after us with guns blazing.”
“She’s right,” I muttered, rubbing my temples as a headache brewed. “I need a few minutes to myself, but please keep talking strategy. I’ll be back soon.”
I went down the hall to my room and shut the door behind me, and then I exhaled slowly. I didn’t want to stop moving, because I knew as soon as I did, fear, exhaustion, and worry would overwhelm me. So, just because it was something to keep me occupied, I stripped and stood under a hot shower for a few minutes.
After I toweled off, I got dressed in jeans, a black, long-sleeved T-shirt, and sneakers. At the same time, I listened to the conversation down the hall. My breath caught when Desiree said, “Heads up, boys. A black SUV just pulled up to the gate at the compound. I think I see—yeah, the driver just rolled down a window, and Abel’s in the passenger seat. I can’t see Elias with that tinted glass, but I’m willing to bet he’s in back.”
“We need to finalize a plan, and fast,” Carter said. “How can we do this while making sure we all survive?”
In that moment, I made a decision—I was going to rescue Elias myself. I couldn’t wait for them to reach a consensus, and I didn’t want them to risk their lives when I might be able to do this on my own. The last thing the brothers would expect was one little idiot sneaking onto their property. Maybe I could slip in, get my mate, and slip out again. It didn’t have to turn into a huge showdown, which our side would definitely lose.
I cast the strongest concealment spell on myself that I could muster, which should keep the brothers from sensing me if I made it inside the compound. Then I slipped out the window and ran down the hill. Once I reached the street, I looked around frantically. After a minute, I spotted a vintage, white van which read “Filly’s Flowers” and stepped in front of it, waving my arms.
The young, redhaired woman behind the wheel slammed on the brakes. Then she rolled down her window and exclaimed, “You need to be more careful! I almost hit you.”
I made myself calm down enough to use my Jedi mind trick and said, “I need to borrow your van.”
She blinked at me, then murmured, “Okay,” and climbed out of the driver’s seat.
“Go treat yourself to a nice afternoon off,” I said. “Maybe buy a cookie.”
“I like cookies,” she mumbled, as she wandered away.
I got behind the wheel and took a deep breath. Then I threw the van into gear and slammed on the gas. Not much happened since the thing was about fifty years old, so I uttered a spell that sent it shooting forward like a rocket.
“I’m coming, Elias,” I whispered, though he obviously couldn’t hear me. “You’re going to be so mad when you find out I put myself in harm’s way, but you’re everything to me, and I can’t let them hurt you.”
Chapter 9
It was easy enough to find the compound once I reached Skyview Road. I sensed Elias’s presence when I was within half a mile of him, and my heart began to race. Soon after, I spotted that huge wall.
