“Just like you predicted, my love.” Even as I praised her, my knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “She’s coming through the lake.”
“Too damn early,” Zane muttered. “Fosteroni said 10. It’s only 8.”
“Plans change.” I accelerated slightly, the SUV’s powerful engine responding instantly. “Her ETA, Ko?”
“Best estimate? Three minutes.”
“Should you deactivate the wards around the house?” Seri leaned forward, her small hand resting on my shoulder. “Just for today?”
I considered it for a moment. The wards were our primary defense, two layers of protection that Father and Sebastian had laid themselves, covering the mansion from top to bottom and extending five feet out in every direction. My brothers and I had added additional protections since then, transforming Evermere into an impenetrable fortress.
“No,” Zane said before I could respond. “I want to see if she can get around them. From a security perspective,” he added, catching my eye in the mirror, “but also to see what the bitch is made of.”
“I’m curious, too,” I admitted. “Those wards would keep out most supernatural creatures, even powerful ones. If she can breach them, we need to know.”
I left the thought unfinished, but we all understood the implications. If Amabel could get past our security, we needed to know how.
“Foster mentioned that Amabel stole a favor token,” Koa reminded us, still monitoring his feeds. “One that a greater demon gave to Arabesque.”
“Waste of a demon favor,” Zane scoffed, although privately, I was concerned. Therewerediabolical powers who could get through wards…
“There,” Koa suddenly said, pointing to his screen. “Movement in the lake. Park, Cas.”
We were still about half a mile from the main gates, but I pulled the SUV off the driveway into a small clearing, glad to see that it was hidden from both the house and the lake.
“She’s moving fast,” Koa reported, turning his laptop so we could all see. On the security feed, a disturbance rippled across the lake’s surface, heading directly for the shoreline. As we watched, a sodden figure emerged from the water, dark hair plastered to her head.
“That’s her,” Seri whispered, her voice tight.
Amabel sloshed onto the shore, water streaming from her clothes as she looked cautiously around before slinking into the willow grove that bordered the lake. She moved with purpose, clearly familiarwith our grounds. Not surprising. We knew they’d been watching us, and had even fed them false information when we could.
“Seri, stay here with Brumous no matter what,” I reminded her. “No heroics.”
“I’ll set the SUV’s security systems once we’re out,” Koa told her, snapping his laptop shut and reaching for his tactical vest. “No one can get in unless they’re one of us. Remember, if something really, really bad happens, hit the red button in the console. Lucian and Sebastian will be notified immediately.”
“They’re both on stand-by.” Zane checked his pistol once more before tucking it into his hip holster. “Seb’ll come for you if we can’t. Got it, sunshine?”
“Got it, Zoodle.”
“Comms check,” I said, activating the small earpiece that would keep us connected. “Clear.”
“Clear.” Zane slipped the Hexenf?nger’s long handle into a loop on his belt so he could run more freely.
“Clear,” echoed Koa.
I turned to Seri, who looked like she wanted to say something, her gray eyes wide with worry, but there wasn’t time. Every second counted now that Amabel was on our property. I didn’t even pause to kiss her goodbye, something I would later regret with every fiber of my being. Instead, I grabbed my rifle, pulled on my helmet, and flicked down my tactical goggles.
“Stay put,” I ordered, meeting her gaze one last time. “No matter what you see or hear.”
“I remember all the rules, Simmy.” She nodded solemnly and recited, “I promise to stay in here until you return and tap the code on the passenger side window. I promise I’ll alert Papa-in-Law and Sebastian if you don’t.”
And I forced myself to turn away, shutting the SUV door with a solid thud. Brumous pressed his muzzle against the window, his blue eyes following us as we moved swiftly into the trees.
We split up, each taking a different approach to the mansion. Koa circled wide to the east, keeping the lake in view. Zane headed straight for the house, using the formal gardens as cover. I took the western approach, skirting the hedge maze that would give me a clear line of sight to both the lake shore and the mansion’s main entrance.
“I’ve got movement in the willows,” I whispered into my comm, tracking a shadow through my scope.
“I see her,” Koa confirmed. “She’s heading for the front door.”
