“She’ll be dealt with,” Lander adds.
“Not if I deal with her first,” Knox growls. “When this is over, I want it in writing that the Ministry of Magic will destroy every paperweight they find, every single one.”
“They will.” I glance up at Lander. “They will do that, won’t they?”
He meets my eyes, expression hard. “If they don’t, we’ll make them.”
“And if that still doesn’t work,” Knox says softly, the edge in his voice sharp enough to cut, “I’ll craft spells that tear the Ministry apart from the inside. You don’t want me as an enemy.”
“Hey.” Lander lifts a hand, calm but firm. “No one’s threatening anyone. Meredith acted on her own authority; that’s not on us.” He steps closer, voice low. “We’re here to help you, and we will finish this.”
“We need to be delicate,” I say. “They have set up some volatile magic.”
“They mentioned something about unwilling soul magic,” Knox says with a grimace, as if the words taste foul.
“Lander’s team have taken out most of the guards and all but two of the coven. That leaves Meredith and Samuel—he’s working on the circle in your living room. Meredith is asleep.”
“The bitch is sleeping in my bed,” Knox growls.
I wince.
“What do you want us to do?”
“Could you stay here?” I nod to George, who stands nearby. “George can ward this building. Until we have destroyed the rest of the magic, you might as well stay here where it’s safe.”
“But I feel stronger. Can’t I help?”
“The magic will still pin you down.”
“So you want me to sit here, in my own home, and wait?” Knox asks.
“We got this far; trust us to finish it. Trust me.”
He holds my gaze for a long beat, then exhales. “All right, Harper. Just be careful,” he grumbles.
“We just have to smash the last two paperweights, then I can break down the circle, and we can leave you in peace.”
Riker hefts the hammer on his shoulder and smirks. “I’ll get them.”
“All right,Thor,” Knox says. His eyes narrow as he looks at Lander. “Don’t think this is the last you’ll hear of this; I’ll be seeking serious reparations,” he adds.
He turns to me, his expression softening. “Thank you for rescuing us. If you’ll excuse me, I need to check on my people.”
He heads down the corridor. The cell doors already stand open. Cries and whispers ripple through the block as everyone realises they are free. I watch Riker as he prises apart a few anti-magic cuffs, his muscles straining. A woman with strawberry-blonde hair and pale skin flings her arms around Knox, weeping, and he holds her close, murmuring in her ear.
“Are you ready?” Lander asks.
My stomach flips. “No. But let’s do it anyway.”
The whole coven was needed to cast the unwilling soul magic. No wonder they are exhausted and easy to fell. Samuel carried on working after everyone else. He should not be a problem—we can handle a mage drained of power.
We leave the building, and as I stride past Knox, he gently catches my arm.
“Harper.”
I turn.
The woman beside him trembles, clutching his sleeve.
