“It only needs to last long enough for Megan and Zotera to get Thanatos while Adira plays hide and seek with Eliana.”
Eliana’s eyes went wide. “That’s it. Megan, we need to go to my bedroom.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that next step in our relationship yet,” Megan said with a smirk.
“Cut it out, or I’m stealing all your emotions. We’ll be right back,” Eliana said, taking Megan’s hand. They disappeared in a flash.
My phone buzzed again.
Adira: Haven't enough lives been lost for you, Ashlyn?
“Her soul will find no rest if Father ever finds it,” Zotera said, reading over my shoulder.
Megan and Eliana reappeared.
“Here,” Eliana said, thrusting a necklace at me. “Put it on and think about how much you want to hide.”
I took the necklace and slipped it over my head.
Zotera blinked at me.
“Mother?”
“She’s still there,” Eliana said before I could say anything. I looked down at my hands, which were still very visible.
“You can’t see me?” I asked.
“When you’re ready to be seen again, just think about coming out of hiding,” Eliana said.
I did, and Zotera threw her arms around me. “I thought you left,” she said.
“I was sitting there, totally visible,” I said.
“Only to you,” Eliana said. “We can’t see you or hear you. Fenris had that made for himself. We can use that to hide you in plain sight.”
Megan grinned. “Time for a road trip. The four of us are going to leave in your car, like you said, and go to the lake. Likely, Adira and Thanatos are nearby, waiting for a report from the mermaids, who will only see three of us. Adira and Thanatos will attack the house, and we’ll go get the guys. Easy.”
“I hate when you say something will be easy,” Eliana said. “It never is.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Megan asked. “You’re driving, by the way. I’ll take shotgun. Zotera, I want you to sit in the middle in the back. Ashlyn, you sit behind Eliana.”
I agreed, relieved we were going to do more than just hope their mates would be fine, and hurried to put on my jacket and boots.
As soon as I was ready, I thought of hiding. Zotera’s eyes flared with rage when I disappeared. I touched her hand so she would know I was there, and she smiled.
“We should play hide and seek in Hell,” she said. “I bet Father would love it.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. Hades didn’t like being away from me for a second. Although, he might like the random ghostly touches. I grinned thinking of it and decided Zotera might be right.
She slid toward the middle of the car seat and waited for me to close the door.
“Don’t buckle,” Eliana said. “It’ll be a giveaway. Zotera, just be ready to protect her if anything happens while we’re in the car.”
My skin crawled as we passed through the ward, and I looked back at my house.
Adira stood on the roof and watched us leave without any expression. No one spoke in the car as Eliana navigated to the lake.
I really hoped that Megan was right. That this rescue would be easy.
