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As we watched, people dressed in all black and armed with weapons exited the boat and began walking onto the island. They didn’t speak. They held their weapons close to their chest and watched their surroundings with the kind of careful awareness that only trained soldiers had.Not friendly.
“But the perfect distraction,”Kaatu whispered, excitement in his voice.
“Distraction from what?”I asked, but he ignored me again as he headed up the hill, through the trees, and toward the main house.
Charging into the house from the backdoor, we found people cowering in the dining room. I didn’t recognize any of them. Kaatu announced, “People with weapons are here. I think you should hide.”
They let out startled gasps and whimpers before scrambling to find somewhere to hide.
“That was kind of you, but you aren’t here for them.”
“No. I need Clawdia.”I didn’t need to question why. He was going to attempt his plan, but for once, I wouldn’t try to stop him. I’d rather her be with us away from the humans with weapons, even if Kaatu could hurt her in his attempt to revive his portal.
“She went to visit a witch friend,”I told him as he began throwing doors open in the house and calling, “Clawdia!”
“Which is why I came here.”
“It doesn’t look like she is here,”I murmured. He turned around in the last unaccounted-for room and huffed a frustrated breath when he saw she wasn’t in there.
“I’ll try the cabins.”Heading back down the hill through the trees, we seemed to blur with speed until we stood back where we started. Except now, the armed humans were nowhere in sight, which made me even more nervous.
What if they’ve already found Clawdia, Charlie, and Zaide? What if they’ve already been killed, and I didn’t know?
Just as panic started to set in, I saw a glint of gold and let out a mental sigh as Zaide dashed around the back of the cabin and crouched in the grass.
“Go to him. Help him,”I urged Kaatu, not sure why we weren’t already moving.
“He’s not the one we are looking for.”
I tried to stop the automatic surge of anger at his cruel words because I knew better than to argue right now.“He might know where Clawdia is. He’s probably guarding her.”
If he knew he was being manipulated, he didn’t show it, but before we had a chance to approach him, Zaide’s eyes met ours and then widened. But it wasn’t with shock. Fear.
Too distracted both, Kaatu and I had missed any indication that someone was approaching. Before either of us could react, Zaide had cleared the distance between us and spun me away, blocking the shot of something, which pushed him into our arms.
If I could have felt my heart, I’m sure it would have stuttered as he collapsed and Kaatu blurred us away from our attacker. Disorientated, we fell into the grass, and his stillness made me freeze.Darkness, I wished it was me holding him. If he’s been killed and this is goodbye, I want it to be me holding him.
“Titan?” Kaatu asked.
Zaide stirred, and I could have cried with relief. Whatever they shot him with hadn’t hurt him, but when he didn’t move, I suspected the weapon had a different purpose.
“I’m fine,” he replied. “But I don’t have much time. I am going to be taken. I need you to find Clawdia and Charlie and get them to safety. Portal them away somewhere.” Kaatu seemed thrilled to have permission after a little back and forth. Zaide finished by saying, “Shadow, and Baelen, if you can hear me, please look after them. I don’t know what your plan is, but please don’t hurt them. Keep them safe for me.”
Without complaint, Kaatu allowed me to take control, and I made the only promise I could. “I won’t harm them,” I said. Even if I meant so much more with those words.
I didn’t know why Zaide believed he was going to be taken, that it was his fate, but for his only thoughts and desires to be for Charlie and Clawdia’s safety made me fall a bit more in love with him. He was the kind of soul that would love fiercely. I’d never questioned my reasons for being alone before, but it was clear now that I was waiting for them. After having so little love, I would only accept something that couldn’t fail me.
I just needed to not fail them in return.
“I suppose that will have to be good enough.” Zaide lay his head back and whispered, “Go. Quickly.”
Kaatu stole control of my body back again and didn’t pause for me to say goodbye before taking off at a sprint toward a cabin, blurring us into the shadows so we remained unseen by the armed humans strolling up the main path and pushing into cabins.
Although Kaatu wasn’t focusing on it, I saw the bodies of fallen witches being pulled along the ground toward vans at the edge of the forest.Why are they kidnapping them? Who are these people? Is this what Zaide meant by saying they were going to take him?
But no matter the questions and the panic, I could do nothing but watch and pray that Kaatu rescued my soul mate and her witch from such a fate.
We threw open a few doors to different cabins and found nothing. But in the fifth house, our eyes zeroed in on a prone female lying passed out on the sofa. “Clawdia?” Kaatu shook her, but she remained unconscious. Her body was limp as we picked her up and settled her over our shoulder.
