She held up her hand, interrupting his response. “I understand your concerns, but I’m relying on you to tell notonly Vlad but the Talons, the Grey Council and the magical community of my good-faith consideration. My hope is that Vlad, feeling the pressure from those I’ve mentioned, will at least wait for my decision before he prepares to invade the Trolls’ compound. The Trolls are innocents in this battle among the Wizards. My hope is to allow them time to evacuate their children. I give you my word that the female Wizards and Wizardlings will remain here.”
Connor stood and gave a bow. “You are a great lady, thinking of others rather than yourself. I promise to relay your message. I hope you well.”
She straightened and offered a thin smile as she watched him leave, waiting until the double doors closed behind him.
Cassandra joined Morgan, following Morgan’s gaze. “We must continue to cloak our words. Connor is a werewolf, possessing extraordinary hearing. I thank you for your concern for our children, but I sense you have an additional plan in mind.”
“You know me well.” Morgan glanced out a window. Rowan was dividing the men and women into training groups, some to fight in hand-to-hand combat, others with the sword, while Air Wizards trained those interested on how to use a bow and arrow. She turned back toward Cassandra. “We will not wait for Vlad to attack. We will go to him.”
Chapter Forty-One
The grounds of the Trolls’ compound were a stark contrast to yesterday’s celebrations. The booths had either been taken down or were boarded up tight. Cassandra might talk about how safe the Trolls’ compound was, but no one was taking any chances. Rowan started to punch in the number to Detective Lyons’ precinct, but paused. The cell phone wasn’t his.
He felt like he’d been dropped out of an airplane without a parachute. Why hadn’t he noticed before? The phone was his brother’s. The one Renegade had given him the night he’d found Stryker unconscious. Rowan had forgotten he still had it.
Rowan shoved his brother’s cell into his jacket and reached for his own to dial Lyons’ office. After the third ring, the answering machine picked up. Lyons’ greeting was short and clipped. After the beep, Rowan started to leave a voicemail, but the phone was picked up.
A woman’s voice came through the line. “Detective Lyons is not available. Is there a message?”
Rowan didn’t like the sound of the woman’s voice. It sounded like it was soaked in thick maple syrup with a generous scoop of sugar-laced whipped cream, as though being nice was an effort. Something was wrong.
Lyons never let anyone answer his phone. He had real control issues when it came to stuff like that. It was probably one of the reasons Rowan and he got along so well. Rowan firmly believed control freaks were misunderstood. They should start a club.
Rowan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to shake his unease. He wasn’t going to leave his message—that it was time to evacuate Seattle before all hell broke loose—to anyone but Lyons. “No message. I’ll call back later.”
There was a long pause and whispered conversation. When the woman got back on the line, her voice had lost its sugar coating. “You don’t know?”
His suspicions grew warts. “Know what?”
“Detective Lyons had a heart attack. His daughter was able to get to him in time. They’re keeping him at Mountain Hospital for observation. Do you want the number?’
“Thanks. I’ll get it myself.” Rowan dialed information, then changed his mind. The best place for Lyons and his daughter was right where they were. If he contacted AJ, she’d want to help, when she should stay with her father. And if Lyons awoke, he’d want to join Rowan on the front line. No, Lyons and his daughter were exactly where they needed to be.
He put his cell phone away. “Heart attack, my ass.” Lyons didn’t have any family history of heart disease, was a vegan before that was a thing, worked out like a man half his age, and didn’t smoke or drink. Lyons joked the only thing that would kill him was boredom if he ever retired.
Sure, random heart attacks happened all the time, but Rowan wasn’t buying it. He and Lyons were working on a real freak show of a case. If Rowan was a betting man, he’d wager Lyons had gotten too close. This had Vlad’s fingerprints all over it. The good news was that the Earth Wizard hadn’t been able to give Lyons a full-on killer heart attack like the ones he’d given the female Wizards. If he lived through the nightmare to come, he’d try to learn how Lyons had survived.
“Rowan,” Renegade said jogging over to him, “milady is gone, and so is Hunter.”
Rowan’s core heated. “What do you mean, she’s gone? The plan was to wait until tomorrow night.”
Renegade shrugged. “Hey, don’t set me on fire over it. She changed her mind. Hunter took her to the island. According to Cassandra, they discovered through one of the Air Wizardswatching Vlad’s island that they weren’t going to wait for Morgan to give her decision. They were gearing up to attack the Trolls’ compound tonight at midnight.”
“I’m surrounded by idiots.” Stryker’s cell phone rang. Rowan pulled it out.
“Isn’t that your brother’s phone?”
Rowan nodded as he answered. “Stryker? What the hell? Are you all right? Where have you been? You’re not an easy man to find. Are you still a…”
“Dragon,” Stryker finished. “You and I will have time to chat when this mess is over. You haven’t done such a good job of taking care of your friends, big brother. They almost got Lyons. Would have, if I hadn’t intervened. Morgan will be next if you don’t make the deal.”
“I’m listening.”
“Unless the apprentice Wizards and females return at the closing ceremonies of Bealtaine tonight, Morgan will die.”
“Vlad will kill her regardless. But how do you know all this?”
“Turns out people are afraid of a dragon threatening to drop them from the air, and you’re right. Morgan’s dead either way. I’ll meet you on the island.”
