Brooks places a hand on my thigh, prompting me to turn to him.
“I know you have something to say,” he whispers. “Why don’t you go ahead and say it?”
I feel a frown threading my brows, but he stares at me expectantly, and I know it’s because of our mate bond that Ican’t keep any secrets from him, especially when it’s knocking in my head, pounding to be let out. A shiver runs down my spine, full of inhibitions because I’m accustomed to keeping quiet and remaining in the shadows.
But Brooks turns to the room and clears his throat.
“Rissa has an idea,” he says, patting my thigh. “I think it’s a good one.”
Catching me off guard, I’m surprised that he has blind faith in me, but I’m put on the spot with everyone watching me keenly, and I compose myself with a deep breath.
“If Aurora’s binding spells aren’t keeping the demon out of Girdwood anymore, perhaps we need to trap them,” I say, glancing at Brooks, who nods at me in encouragement. It urges me to continue, “Like we tried with the gadget to lure them into the village to attack. But this time, it needs to be a trap that renders them immobile long enough to kill them.”
Alpha Thane nods thoughtfully, turning to Alpha Dawson. “I think we can put something together that can be used as a trap. We’ll need something that holds the witches’ powers in it, but also unleashes them to trap the spirit long enough to bring it to its physical form.”
Alpha Dawson exchanges a glance with his mate, Yvonne, and nods. “We can enhance the gadgets we've used already, figure out a way to make them more durable. But it can be done. Good idea, Rissa,” Dawson nods at me, and I feel a sense of pride unlike anything I’ve felt before wash over me.
I glance at Brooks, who’s wearing a chuffed smile as the discussion continues, and realize that for the first time in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere, as I can actually make a difference—something I’ve always aimed to do.
It’s all because of him.
Chapter 20 - Brooks
I watch as Rissa stares thoughtfully at the gadget in front of her, her hand curled into a loose fist under her chin, and her eyes narrowed at the small device.
It’s small, shaped like a landmine, but it’s meant to be powerful once charged with a witch’s powers. Thane and Dawson worked hard over the past two weeks to perfect the gadget so that it could not only lure a demon dog to Girdwood but also trap it in the magic. Back when we used it just to lure a demon here, all it did was send a signal out that a witch’s magic was being used to draw the spirit in, since they seem to be drawn to a witch’s power.
Now the gadget has been upgraded to trap the demon in an illusion similar to the one it creates to distract us. Both Aurora and Yvonne were tricked by an illusion created by a demon, but this time, we’ll be doing the trickery. Once its vision is blurred by whatever it's meant to see, we can successfully decapitate the demon and send its spirit back to the underworld.
Aurora and Yvonne have already charged the traps using their magic, and now it’s Rissa’s turn.
But she seems hesitant.
“What’s wrong, Riss?” I ask gently as I step behind her and place my hands on her shoulders.
She shrugs diffidently, then turns to me. “I might have another idea, but I’m not sure if it’s gonna work.”
I purse my lips in contemplation. “We don’t have much time,” I say, reminding her that we’re supposed to test the gadget in an hour. “But what is your idea?”
Rissa gnaws on her bottom lip with hesitation, then turns fully to me. “I know we’ve been using our magic to charge the device, but what if we used our magic in wolf form?”
“In wolf form?” I frown. “That hasn’t been done before. Is it even possible?”
“It’s something I’ve been considering. I know the three of us are omegas, but having a wolf might count for something. If we combined it with our magic powers, won’t it intensify the effects?”
“You might be onto something,” I consider with a thoughtful nod. “I’ve just never seen it in action before. Each time Aurora or Yvonne fought a demon, they were in human form.”
Rissa sighs despondently and turns back to the trap. “It’s a silly idea. It probably won’t work.”
Seeing the way her shoulders slump when she says this, I shake my head and quickly step in front of her. “No. I think it’s a brilliant idea. Do you think you could try it out? Right now?”
Rissa stares at me with narrowed eyes as if she’s searching for a reason not to give it a try. I stare back with sincere faith in her idea, and it seems to give her the courage to nod.
“I mean, it’s worth a try. When I was practicing with the lunas, I couldn’t help but wonder why they hadn’t used their powers in wolf form. It’s either gonna work or it won’t.”
“I believe in you, Riss,” I encourage with a smile as I step forward and press a kiss on her forehead. She smiles sheepishly in return, nodding slowly before she takes on her wolf form.
The golden-brown wolf glances at me, her eyes a radiant shade of green as she brings her powers forward. She cautiouslysteps forward toward the trap, placing her furry paws on the device and lifting her head to let out a gentle howl at the skies as if calling in her innate strength as a wolf shifter to enhance her mystical witch powers.
