Chapter 22
Kat took her time making a turkey and cheese sandwich before turning to the fridge to pour herself a glass of milk. She considered adding some chips but decided against it as she gently set the plate and glass on the table and took a seat. Truthfully, she knew she had to eat something, but that didn’t mean she was excited about it. Eating alone sucked.
As she nibbled on her sandwich, she found herself thinking about what it meant to have someone who loved her now, especially since she’d given up on finding love a long time ago.
When she was younger, she had all the usual dreams of romance and happily ever afters. But then she started studying magic with her grandma and devoted nearly every waking hour to becoming the best witch she possibly could. There’d been no time for boys, dates, or anything silly like that. Even when she’d gotten older and hung out with guys now and then, there’d never been any time or desire for a relationship. She’d slept with guys, of course, but nothing real.
Then Marko had shown up, and she’d been too busy trying to survive as a cat to worry about guys, even during those short periods of time when she’d been human. She’d given up on the entire idea of ever finding another person to spend her life with. She hadn’t realized it until recently that in those few blessed days she’d been granted to be human, she’d avoided contact with other people, afraid to get close to anyone. She’d stayed focused on finding a place to sleep, getting something to eat, thinking about where she should run to next when she went back to being a cat and, of course, finding a way to break the spell. She’d told herself it was safer that way, that she could worry about love in the future when she could be human full-time again. It seemed smart, protecting herself like that.
But now everything had changed. Now she had someone she was in love with and who loved her back. While she was thrilled, she was also terrified. She’d never had anyone to love before, which meant she’d also never had anyone to lose, especially since she’d made sure her family was safe with that spell.
She couldn’t do that with Connor. Because he was a werewolf, he was a threat to Marko and his plans. But because he was her soul mate and the man that she was in love with, he was so much more than a mere threat. He was leverage that Marko wouldn’t hesitate to use. If he had Connor, there was nothing he couldn’t make her do.
She sat there stuck in a loop, wondering again if it really would be better if she left Dallas. At least then, there’d be no way Marko could use her against Connor and the other members of the Pack that had become her family. With her out of town, Marko’s plans for the ley lines would be useless. He’d almost assuredly leave without bothering Connor and the Pack at all. But could she honestly leave Connor?
The sound of a ringing phone echoed in the apartment, making Kat jump. It took a good five seconds of ear-splitting noise to realize it was coming from the landline mounted on the wall over by the takeout menus. She hesitated, not sure if she should answer Connor’s phone, but then she realized it might be him calling.
That thought had her up and out of her seat, snatching the receiver off its cradle so fast, she almost dropped it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Kat. It’s Davina. I didn’t wake you up, did I? Connor mentioned that you might already be in bed sleeping.”
Kat leaned back against the counter. “No. Not at all. I was just having something to eat. What’s up?”
“Well, this might be out of left field, but after getting off the phone with Gage earlier, I spent a few hours brainstorming the rituals I think Marko might be planning to use. It’s a long shot, but I think I might have come up with something that could help you.”
Kat pushed away from the counter, her pulse quickening, but before she could say anything, Davina continued.
“Have you thought any more on what I said about leaving Dallas?”
Her mouth curved into a wry smile. “Actually, that’s exactly what I was thinking about not ten seconds ago. I don’t want to be the reason Marko becomes even stronger than he already is, and I don’t want to be the reason Connor or anyone else in the Pack is hurt. But at the same time, leaving makes me feel like I’m deserting Connor when he needs me the most. Even if it’s for his own good, I can’t do that to him.”
“Good,” Davina said. In the background, Kat heard what sounded like heavy books being shoved around on the woman’s desk. “I was hoping you’d say that. Because I may have come up with a way you can beat Marko. Unfortunately, the only way my plan will work is if he captures you first.”
“Wait. What?” Kat froze. They must have a bad connection because she’d obviously misunderstood that last part. “You’re joking, right? I thought the idea was to keep me out of Marko’s hands so he can’t gain control of the ley lines?”
On the other end of the line, Davina let out a sigh. “Unfortunately, that will only delay Marko for a while. If he can’t get you, he’ll eventually go find another coven, sacrifice as many of its members as necessary, and create another familiar just like you. Now that he knows it works, he can accelerate the process and be ready to conduct the ley-line ritual again by Samhain. He could decide to keep the five teenagers he’s already kidnapped or kill them and grab more later.”
Kat felt positively ill at that thought of any of those scenarios. She didn’t want the horrible events she’d been through to happen to another witch or warlock, she couldn’t let Addy, Ben, and those other kids remain in captivity, and she refused to even consider the possibility of them being killed and other kids being kidnapped in their place.
“Okay, so running away isn’t an option even if I wanted to,” Kat said. “And staying out of Marko’s hands obviously isn’t much better. So what’s this plan of yours where he captures me?”
The mere thought of willingly allowing Marko to get his hands on her made her blood run cold, but if that’s what it would take to stop him, then she’d do it.
“It came to me as I was reading through the various binding and power-channeling rituals,” Davina said casually, as if this were the most normal conversation in the world. “That’s when I realized every one of the rituals I could find had one thing in common. In order for Marko to tie himself to you—which he’ll need to do to be able to control the ley lines—he’ll have to be inside the protective circle with you during it. That’s when he’ll be at his most vulnerable.”
“Vulnerable to what?” Kat asked.
She wasn’t sure she liked where this was going. Actually, she wassureshe didn’t like it.
“Vulnerable to you,” Davina said matter-of-factly. “At some point during the ritual, Marko will have to allow you to access the gifts your coven gave you four years ago. Allowing you to access them is the only way you could possibly survive being connected to the ley lines.”
Kat winced. “That’s not exactly a comforting thought.”
She didn’t want anything to do with the gifts her coven members—her friends—had died to give her.
“It should be,” Davina responded. “Because for a short period of time, probably right before the ritual ends, you’ll be the one in control of all the power in the lines. During that same moment, Marko will be essentially defenseless. If you’re able to attack him at that point, he won’t stand a chance. With that much power at your disposal, you can vaporize him.”
