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I scribbled down the address and a note on a clipboard, then pulled up to the back gate, shielding my face with one hand when I passed the spot where Desiree’s hidden camera must be. They were probably all watching this right now, and I hoped they didn’t recognize me and decide to come and help.
When a mountain of a guard approached me, I said, “Delivery.”
“You’re not on my list.”
I picked up the clipboard and pointed at the stuff I’d just written. “Well, you’re on mine. It’s right here, four centerpieces.” He scowled at me, and a long moment ticked by. I didn’t expect my mind trick to work on someone whose job it was to guard a demonic compound, but I tried it anyway, concentrating as I said, “Look again, I’m on your list.”
Surprisingly, he did as I asked, then stepped back and pushed a button to open the iron gate. The brothers must not be particularly concerned about security, not if it was that easy to compel their guards. Then again, who would be dumb enough to break in here?
“Park by the kitchen, second building on the right,” the guard told me. “Then use the service entrance.”
I exhaled slowly as I rolled through the gate. Ahead of me were several attractive, Spanish-style buildings with white stucco walls and terra cotta tile roofs, surrounded by perfectly maintained landscaping. I didn’t know what I’d been expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this. It was hard to tell what it had been before the brothers took over, but if I had to guess I’d say it was a private school of some sort.
I parked by the kitchen and opened the back of the van, then selected the largest floral arrangement and carried it into the building. There were several red aprons hanging on hooks by the back door, so I put one on, pushed my sleeves back, and picked up the flowers again.
Eight humans were in the kitchen, and none of them so much as glanced at me. Most were cooking. One was putting away a mop and bucket. It was eerily silent, and everyone was just zoned out. That was the only way to describe it. There was no expression on their faces, and their motions were slow and deliberate, almost mechanical. When I realized they were all bespelled, a sick feeling joined the knot of worry in my stomach.
I tried to pull up a blank expression as I walked through the kitchen and out the door at the other end, following Elias’s pull. He’d sensed my presence, and he was terrified, angry, and overwhelmed with pain. My god, what had they done to him?
One thought rang out clearly above the chaos of his emotions. In fact, he was screaming it at me—no, Mateo, get out of here! I wasn’t going to argue with him, but I obviously wasn’t going to obey him, ether. This was too important.
When I came to a laundry room, I exchanged the flowers for a large canvas hamper on wheels and tossed in a few bedsheets. I kept up my poker face and tried to remain calm as I cut through the rest of that building, then another. Along the way, I passed two more bespelled humans who were cleaning. They didn’t react to me at all.
The brothers were probably somewhere in the compound, but I was afraid to reach out and try to locate them. If I did that, they might sense it, so I just had to hope I didn’t accidentally run into them.
Elias was in the third building I came to, near the center of the compound. The outer door was locked, but not warded. The brothers were obviously confident no one would be poking around, so maybe I was right about being able to fly under the radar.
I took care of the lock with a flick of my fingers, then pushed the hamper into a long hallway and closed the door behind me. All along the left side of the hallway were a series of closed doors, spaced about ten feet apart. Classrooms, or a dormitory, maybe? It was hard to tell.
My senses told me there was only one person in this building—Elias. I left the hamper and sprinted down the hall.
When I unlocked the unfurnished, windowless room where they were keeping him and stepped inside, my heart leapt into my throat. He was sprawled on the floor in an awkward position, his limbs twisted and broken. I whispered, “Oh god, Elias,” as I ran to his side and fell to my knees.
I brushed my hand over his forehead, and a tear tumbled down my cheek as I whispered a spell to ease his pain. People with magical ability could usually sense magic when it was being used, but hopefully it was small enough that the brothers wouldn’t notice. “You have to get out of here,” he whispered. “Please. Don’t let them catch you.”
