His finger moved to mark two convergence points. “Lilly will lead Jacque, Jen, Myanin, and Crina to secure the dormants while Thad takes out the lab.” He looked at the djinn. “Can you do that without causing a nuclear bomb?”
“My control is back. Even if my memories are still a little scrambled,” Thad assured the alpha.
Fane indicated the opposite side of the compound. “Lucian and I will take the djinn elders, Sorin, Costin, and Decebel, to confront Cain directly.” Fane’s jaw tightened. “We end this tonight.”
Maxim tuned out the rest as dread knotted his gut. Everything was being risked on speed and ferocity now. If Cain rallied quickly, the consequences would be bloody.
Decebel crossed his burly arms. “How do we protect the prisoners amidst all this chaos?”
“We trust in Peri to do what she does best,” Fane answered gravely, looking at the high fae in question. “Bind who needs binding and remove any who are beyond saving. “
“Let’s try not to go with the fun little fire works you used last time,” Jen raised her brow at Peri.
“I’m done with cold fire,” Peri said in a voice that brooked no argument. “But I have no problem being the arm of justice for individuals that are beyond saving.”
“How do we know which ones those are?” Jacque’s eyes implored her mate to give her a good enough reason.
“I will see their auras,” Andora spoke up. “I hadn’t planned on going, but for this reason, Fane, I think I need to. The aura of someone with no good in them has no light. In fact, it will absorb any light that gets near it.”
“We appreciate your willingness to assist in a dangerous situation. Nick and Drake will guard you while you monitor the auras.” The mood was grim as Fane concluded. “Make no mistake, we go to war this night. But it is one we cannot lose. Too much depends on it.” His searing gaze found each of them. “Steel yourselves. And may the Great Luna watch over us all.”
Maxim met Fane’s stare and saw his own bone-deep determination reflected back. They would triumph or die trying. With so many lives at stake, failure was not an option.
As the others dispersed to make ready, foreboding twisted Maxim’s gut. But he forced it down, burying all doubt and fear beneath the wolf’s hungry anticipation.
The time had come. Tonight, he would save his mate or tear Cain’s black heart out trying. Nothing else mattered.
Within the hour, Maxim found himself gathered with Fane’s strike team. Each person was touching a fae, ready to flash to the battle zone.
Weapons and armor checked, Maxim met Fane’s intense gaze. “You get to Alice, then to Finn and Lizzy.”
Suddenly Sally and Kara came running into the hall where the large group had gathered.
“Alice, Finn, and Lizzy are all together in the same room. Cain is allowing Lizzy to care for Alice,” Sally said, slightly out of breath.
Costin walked over and cupped her cheek. “You could have told me that”—he tapped his head—“instead of running all the way down here.” He glanced at his mate’s small stomach.
Sally sighed. “I’m pregnant, Costin. Not an invalid.”
Kara chimed in as Nick wrapped an arm around her, his hand splaying across her stomach. “The point is that once Maxim finds Alice, he finds them all. Put a fae with him so they can immediately flash out.”
“Peri—” Fane started, but the fae was already speaking.
“I’ll go with him. And then return once I’ve gotten them safely back here.”
At Maxim’s terse nod, Fane turned to look at the group. “Remember, don’t kill Cain. He still has a bond connecting him to Lizzy and Alice.” Fane rested his hand on the high fae Dain and met his eyes. “Get us as close to the compound as possible.”
* * *
Lizzy’s earsrang with the sound of sirens as she wiped Alice’s forehead. The unconscious scientist was sweating profusely, which meant her fever had broken. Lizzy wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Dammit.” Finn snarled as he pulled on the door handle again. Still, the stubborn barrier remained.
“What the hell is happening out there?”
Finn paused and tilted his head to the side, listening. “Wolves. Lots of them.”
Lizzy’s eyes widened. “He turned the dormants.” She breathed out. “Why do they sound like they’re killing each other?”
