The pilot grinned. “Mr. Moretti only hires the best.” He turned back to Abi. “Are we ready, my lady?”
Maddy and Abi shared a quick but strong hug.
“I love you, Abi. I’ll see you soon,” Maddy said.
“Maddy, I love you so much. I’ll send you a picture of me sunbathing on the beach tomorrow.”
“You’d better.”
Maddy and I went back inside and watched as the small plane taxied out to the runway, and then, ten minutes later, it vanished into the clear blue sky. I sensed Maddy’s sadness and worry and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close.
“It’s all going to be okay,” I said.
“I hope so. I really want her to be okay again. Maybe some time alone will do that.”
We found a spot out in one of the parking lots behind a palm tree that mostly hid us from prying eyes before I texted Sinthy that we were ready to go home. Within seconds, we were back in my living room. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to that.
I glared at Sinthy. “The ladies' room? Really?”
She chuckled. “It’s the small things in life.” She yawned and stretched. “It’s been a day. I’m going to have a little power nap.”
That meant we wouldn’t see her until the next morning. She wasn’t lying when she said her body needed to recuperate after exerting herself with such powerful spells. Maddy and I were both mentally and physically exhausted and decided to turn in early as well, a couple of hours later.
We lay curled up with each other as the sun set. Maddy’s head rested on my shoulder, and I could tell she wanted to say something. It was in the tension of her shoulders and in the scent coming off her.
“Go ahead and say whatever’s on your mind,” I said.
Maddy huffed a little laugh. “That’s creepy.”
“Maybe, but go ahead and give it to me.”
She pushed herself up so she could look at my face. “I still feel kind of useless.”
My face crumpled into a deep frown. “Useless? How?”
“I want to help more, do more. I get that when things get bad, I should stay as safe as possible, but it’s frustrating. How would you react if everyone you cared about was out fighting while you were shoved away somewhere safe and sound?”
“I’d be pretty mad,” I admitted. “But Viola isn’t after me.”
“Does that make it any better? I don’t think it does for me.”
She had a point. I couldn’t imagine how bad I would feel in that situation.
“Then there’s the vial,” Maddy added.
I stiffened, and she must have noticed it because she quickly said, “I’m not drinking it. I only wanted us to think about what could happen. We can’t dismiss it completely. Not if push comes to shove. If my becoming a full werewolf could save us, then it has to be on the table.”
“But what about what you said to me the other day? What if it turns you into something terrible? Some creature you’d have no hope of controlling?”
“We’ve been wrong about a lot of things. We thought I’d shift into a werewolf when I first shifted. Instead, I’m just a regular shifter. We could be wrong about the vial. What if it really is a weapon we can use against the royals? I think we’re being a little short-sighted if we think all Edemas did was create something that would turn his descendant into a monster. Right?”
I had no argument for that. We couldn’t know what would happen to Maddy if she ingested it. I remembered Isme’s story about the past. All the lies that had been passed down as history. Speaking of the ancient witch reminded me of something.
“I get that,” I said. “We also need to think about what Isme said about using it. She said it wasn’t meant to be used in malice. Only for protection.”
Maddy nodded. “I remember. That’s why I think we should plan on me only taking it if there is no other way to win. If ourbacks are against the wall, and we’re all gonna die anyway”—she shrugged—“what’s the harm?”
That was a good enough plan for me. She was right. Who really cared what happened if the alternative was death? I lifted my hand, sticking my little finger out.
