“I feel your guilt.” Echo brushed her arm against his. “What’s that about?”
“Just thinking about the band. I’ve ruined their lives.”
“No—”
“I know I’ve kept them safe.”
“Well, yeah, but I was about to say if you want to go back to being Elijah Webb, lead singer of the Strix, once this is all over … you can.”
He frowned. “I doubt very much the guys will forgive me if I just show up out of the blue.”
“You tell them you were struggling mentally. You went off to get help. You handled it badly. They’ll forgive you.”
“Would it be safe?”
“Once we deal with all these assholes … I hope so. And if it is, you should keep doing the thing you love.”
His chest warmed with a rush of tenderness toward her. “And would you support me? You’d be the mate of a rock star.”
“Girlfriend.” She cut him a weary but affectionate smirk. “You can’t go calling me your mate in front of the normies.”
He chuckled and for a second, he forgot they were talking about something that could be a pipe dream. If they didn’t defeat Astra and the Blackwood Coven. If The Garm didn’t regroup and come for revenge.
So many enemies.
So much on the line.
The thought of his parents, and how they were probably hiding their fear to protect Odette as Astra kept them locked up like animals, fueled Elijah’s determination.
34
As if by magic,two vehicles awaited them when they emerged from the woods and stepped onto the road that would lead them to Astra.
The plan was to only get so close with the SUVs before heading to Astra’s on foot. Echo could use her shadow gift, while Elijah, Fionn, Rose, and Niamh were using their magic to cloak everyone else on their approach.
According to Bran’s satellite images, the house was situated on the southern edge of a twelve-acre property that abutted Fionn’s. The compound she’d created from farm buildings was in the northwest near where Fionn’s magical boundary was in place.
It was no coincidence.
The fae female was practically shouting “Nah nah nah nah nah” at Fionn. She knew all about them. More than they’d ever known about her. She also thought she owned Niamh, Rose, Thea, and Elijah. Echo almost snarled at the thought. Elijah belonged to no one and if he did, he belonged to her and her alone.
Bran confirmed there were only three heat signatures at the house.
Astra and two wolves.
Each supernatural apparently emitted a different heat signature. Fae, witches, and warlocks were closer to humans, only a few degrees warmer. Wolves ran hotter. Much hotter. Vamps, unsurprisingly, ran a little cooler than the average human.
The plan was to surround the house.
Fionn and Rose at the back entrance.
Thea and Conall on the left.
Echo and Elijah on the right.
Niamh and Kiyo at the front.
There would be no escaping them.
