Katie vs. The World
Thelobbyfeelsmorelike a war room than the magical haven I once thought it was. As black-cloaked figures gather beneath the wrought-iron lanterns—ten Shadows that Sky assembled for the mission—fear grips my throat. I’m positive tonight will end in a bloodbath.
The enchanted net drags behind me—one of two pieces of magic I’ve been granted. The other, the gauntlet, sits cold and hard on my hand. The thought of using either tonight makes me nauseous.
I follow Natalie across the lobby, my heart beating fast. “I need to talk to you about all this.”
“We’ll be okay,” she says, misreading my panic. “The Shadows have a plan. This is exactly what we needed to secure your freedom.”
She’s way more excited than I am—and I get it. Before I knew the truth, I would have been excited too about trapping all these chimeras at once.
But Lucy’s voice resonates in my memory:If your witches attack us again, we will not show mercy.
“We’re putting everyone in danger for something that’s my responsibility,” I say. “Andthe chimeras…”
We are spirits of the wild, keepers of ancient magic.
I grip the net tighter, torn. Everything would be simpler if I could just believe trapping them is the answer. But I’ve heard Lucy’s voice and felt their fear, and I’ve come to recognize something within myself that’s been here since the moment I first sensed magic. During my time in the coven, I’ve seen the difference between trying to control magic and trying to protect it. And I feel in my soul that whatever is happening here isn’t right.
Natalie puts both hands on my shoulders and holds my gaze. “I know you’re scared, but we’ve got this. You’re not going to prison on my watch, and that’s a promise.”
Her stubborn loyalty makes my eyes sting. She doesn’t get it.
And the worst part is that I don’t know how to explain. If I tell her I think I’m descended from ancient Guardians, she’ll think I’m being naive and grasping at nothing.
A scoff behind us makes us turn.
“That net isvaluable C.S.A.M.M. property,” Agnes says, her fawn pigtails swinging as she shakes her head. She’s holding a clipboard and pen, though what she could possibly be taking notes on, I have no idea. “It’s not sometrinketfor you to mishandle. Stop dragging it on the ground.”
Natalie sighs. “Don’t you have some…checklist to check?”
“And—” Agnes ignores her, her wide-set eyes scanning me up and down. “You should be wearing a proper cloak. Why don’t you have one?”
“Ask Fiona,” I mutter.
She scoffs again and turns up her nose before walking away. “I will. No sense of tradition around here… Things are changing for the worse… Greg, get out!”
She chases the French bulldog from the lounge, waving the clipboard, leaving me to let out a breath and try to refocus.
The volume of conversation rises, the team of Shadows putting on their cloaks and backpacks as they prepare to go. My own backpack is slumped in a booth, practically empty except for the hiking essentials from last time.
I hold up the enchanted net. “Sohoware we supposed to catch that many chimeras with just one of these?”
Natalie looks past me. “Time to go, Sky?”
“All set,” Sky says. She’s favoring the leg that got bit, but she looks as ready for action as ever.
Sweat prickles on the back of my neck as the ambush ticks closer. “Natalie, did you know there used to be witches who protected the chimeras? Guardians, before Guardians became dedicated to neutralizing curses?”
Natalie’s brow furrows. She looks at me properly, her excitement morphing into confusion.
Heels click, and Fiona marches over wearing her red traveling cloak and a satisfied smile. My stomach clenches, and I avoid meeting her eye like a solar eclipse.
“This is your chance, Miss Alexander. If we trap all the bio magic tonight, you’ll earn your freedom—and maybe more. I hear your ability proved useful in catching the last one.”
I don’t know what to say, so I just nod. Big change of heart from when she wanted me to catch chimeras alone.
“It’s hard to find good Trackers these days,” she continues. “There may be a place for you in that guild if your talents align.”
