“Your coven’s expertise in illusions could be invaluable,” Seraphina says. “We’ll need to mask our approach.”
“The Oasis stands ready,” Astra replies, her violet eyes scanning the blueprints. “We can create a veil of shadows to conceal the strike team.”
“That won’t be enough,” Kara cuts in, stepping forward. “We need to do more than just sneak in. I say we hit them hard and fast – overwhelm their defenses before they can react.”
Oh, for God’s sake. The woman has a death wish.
If she can hear me, she ignores me completely.
“If we combine offensive spells with the illusions,” she continues, “we could create mayhem. Make them think they’re under attack from all sides.”
“Too risky,” Lake says, but Mia’s already nodding.
“She’s right. And I could—”
“No,” Soren growls.
“Just hear me out,” Mia insists. “My power could amplify the illusions, make them solid enough to actually fight.”
“Or solid enough to kill us all,” Rowan points out. “But what if we did something similar with traditional magic? Multiple covens working together?”
“That’s still incredibly dangerous,” Marina says. “The magical feedback alone could—”
“Everything about this is dangerous,” Kara snaps. “But Gran’s in there. We can’t just tiptoe around, hoping not to make too much noise.”
I feel her frustration building, bleeding into anger. The crystal glasses on the nearby table start to vibrate.
“What about using the building’s own security against them?” she demands. “If Isabella can get us access to their systems, we could trigger all the alarms at once. Total insanity.”
I watch the sisters arguing, their voices rising. Mia’s fingers spark with dark energy while Kara gestures emphatically at the blueprints.
The tension in the room climbs up another notch as the sisters bicker. I can feel Kara’s magic building, her emotions spilling into mine.
“Enough.” Thaddeus’s voice cuts through the argument. He steps forward, his dark eyes grave. “An outright assault would put Evelyn at direct risk. Lucien would not hesitate to use her as a shield – or worse.”
The words hit home. I feel Kara’s surge of fear, quickly masked by determination. But her shoulders drop slightly, some of that reckless energy dissipating.
Mia’s fingers stop sparking, though darkness still swirls in her eyes. “Then what do you suggest? We can’t just—”
“I’m not saying we do nothing,” Thaddeus interrupts. “But we need precision, not disorder. We have to think about this.”
“Fine.” Kara’s jaw clenches. I can hear her thoughts racing, already formulating new plans. None of them particularly safe. “What if we use targeted strikes instead? Hit their weak points with focused power?”
Rowan nods enthusiastically. “We could disable their systems in sequence rather than all at once. Give them multiple small problems to deal with instead of one big explosion.”
“Better,” Morgan joins in. “But you’re going to need more control. More finesse.”
I watch as the sisters exchange looks, their shared concern for their grandmother warring with the logic of his words. They’re still planning something dangerous – I can feel it humming through my connection with Kara – but at least they’re thinking it through now.
“This is going to be a bloodbath,” Soren mutters, appearing at my side. His shoulders are tense as he watches Mia. “She’s not stable enough for this kind of operation.”
“None of them are thinking clearly,” Darick adds, joining us. “They’re too emotionally invested. Look at them – they’re ready to storm the building without a real plan.”
I nod, tracking Kara’s movements as she paces near the map display. Her thoughts are a mad stream of determination and fear that keeps filtering into my mind.
“They don’t understand what they’re up against. Lucien’s had centuries to perfect his defenses,” I murmur, my eyes latching onto the way the light catches her hair.
“And his cruelty,” Soren says darkly. “After what I saw during my time in his blood facility…” He shakes his head. “The sisters don’t realize what kind of monster they’re dealing with.”
