Which means we’re out of here,Roux said, nudging Bene.
Snow stuck to their fur and whiskers, and their breath, like mine, swirled in the cold air.
But we saw him leave,Bene insisted.
“We did, and I kept a strict watch on the road. He must have circled back some other way,” I said.
We have to pull back. Now,Roux ordered.Mina and Marius won’t be able to provide aerial support in this snow.
Henrik gestured angrily. “Pull back where? The coven is nearly upon us.”
Roux looked from the house to the road. I did too, weighing our chances against a powerful warlock versus our chances against a gang of bloodthirsty vampires, whom we were sure to encounter on the road.
“Or we retreat that way.” Henrik pointed up the mountain, away from the house and the road.
A low snarl built in Roux’s throat.You mean taking the coward’s way out?
Henrik cocked his head in my direction, hinting something like,We have no other option with her around.
A switch flipped inside me, unleashing a wave of fury.
Weak link? Coward? Cheap excuse to give up without a fight?
I shook my head furiously. Not me, dammit. Not me.
Exactly two seconds later, I started barking orders.
“Henrik, get Bene back to the car. Find Mina and Marius and stand by. If we’re not back when the vampires arrive, drive up the mountain. And you—” I turned to Roux. “Come with me.”
I set off without waiting for an answer.
“Geneviève, this is impossible,” Henrik hissed.
Roux bumped my hand, telling me the same thing.
“I specialize in the impossible,” I muttered stubbornly.
“You’ll get hit by the same spell that got Bene,” Henrik warned.
I shook my head. We wouldn’t, because I could sense the lines of magic that ringed the property, as well as unprotected areas, like the path to the front door.
Gen,Roux warned as we approached the house.We’re no match for him.
No, we weren’t. Not if we tried fighting magic with magic or brute force with force. We needed an entirely different approach. The direct one.
“I have an idea,” I assured him.
Better be a good one,he grunted.What are you planning?
“Sometimes, the best things in life are unplanned,” I tried.
Gen…
“What happened to ‘I believe in you’?” I demanded.
He halted in his tracks, then dipped his head.
Lead the way.
