He fiddles with the dials on the back of the thing until all the multi-colored lights turn green. “Take us to the others. As much as I hate saying this, we need to get back in the air.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Gabriel
Far below us, a lid of magical energy shimmers over the remains of an old storage facility. The roof is mostly gone. No windows. Only a single door that we can see.
On the other side of the building, a large reservoir stretches for miles. Approachable only by backroads, yet in the center of the ley line, this is certainly where AURA will bring Willow. If she is not inside already.
Two hours after leaving San Francisco, Killian’s little black box alerted us to the faintest trail of magic. We followed it from the train tracks, down a steep hill, to a highway, then lost it again. He blathered on about some calculation involving miles-per-hour and the coefficient of drag, but I paid little attention to the specifics.
I can see my breath in the air. It is close to freezing in the Colorado mountains. Killian started a fire, then wove a spell around the area to hide the light and smoke—and trap as much heat as possible. I have not complained about its inefficacy. I suspect the warlock would react…badly.
The vampires care little about the cold. Nor does Kunchin with his thick fur. But the rest of us are uncomfortable at best. Maddox said something about “human popsicles” not too long ago, and the term, while revolting, is accurate.
Zoe burrows deeper into Sinclair’s leather jacket, eyeing the fire warily. I am not surprised. Only weeks ago, she and the incubus almost perished in the flames of Hell. I suppose I did too. My wings ache from the memory.
“My love, you are freezing,” Sin says as he pulls Zoe into his arms.
Her lips take on a bluish tinge. “Better th-than burning.”
“Let me bring you to the penthouse.” I drop to one knee in front of the couple. “We cannot do anything until Grayson returns from reconnaissance. It would take only moments.”
In truth, the idea of leaving Willow—though we have no proof she is actually here—terrifies me. But I know what love is now. I will not allow Sinclair and Zoe to lose what they have only recently found if it is within my power to save it.
“I’m staying here,” Zoe says. “Non-negotiable.”
The underbrush rustles to the west. I push to my feet and loose my wings. Sinclair cut holes in one of my t-shirts so I don’t destroy them every time I—as Willow put it—“wing-out.”
Fuck. She still thinks I am horribly broken. I suspect it was actually her words that healed me. She thought me worthy despite the devastation. She made love to me knowing I could not fly. She loved—loves—me for who I am. Not what I can do.
A tall, very naked blonde strides from a dense grouping of trees. Dirt stains her cheeks, and leaves stick to her elbows and knees. “Fuck, Grayson,” Sin mutters. “Put some damn clothes on.”
“Myclothesare in that bundle there,” the eagle shifter says and points to a pack next to the fire. “Did you expect me to leave them in the woods where bugs would crawl all over them?” Sheshudders. “Been there, done that. I found a centipede in myass crackonce.You try forgetting that sensation. I dare you.” She unzips the small bag and pulls out a sweater.
“What did you find?” I ask, averting my eyes until she has covered herself.
Grayson runs her fingers through her rough-chopped blond hair and comes away with a handful of twigs. “There’s a reason I prefer flying in the city.” Still barefoot, she crouches down next to the fire and warms her hands. “I convinced a male to fly directly over the building. Or…try to.”
“A male—do you mean anactualeagle?” Killian asks. “As in…not a shifter?”
With a huff, Grayson stares up at him. “Yes. These assholes are careful. Bordering on obsessive. And given what the male saw—before he smashed into a wall of magic and almost dislocated his beak—it’s a damn good thing I took the precaution.”
“Well?” I would shake the woman if I were not so fucking grateful for her help. “What did he see?”
“Cages. A lot of them. Several of the prisoners inside were screaming. After he spent ten minutes bitching me out for almost killing him, I made two passes myself—as close as I dared. The magic they’re using is…” she shivers, “the strongest I’ve felt—outside of Killian’s—in my lifetime. By my count, there are two men present—in addition to the prisoners. Eagles don’t have the best sense of smell, so I can’t tell you what any of them were. Humans, shifters, witches…” She shrugs. “I saw no sign of Willow, but that doesn’t mean anything. She could have been in one of the cages.”
My ass hits the log Sinclair dropped next to the fire to use as a bench. I have been searching for Willow’s emotions since we set up our small base of operations here. She is still hidden from me. Either by the magical wards layered over and around thebuilding, or because they have trapped her deep in the void. I do not know which is worse.
If the wards are as strong as Killian believes, I may not be able to pass through them to save her. But if she has been in the void since she was taken…will there be anything of her mind left when they finally bring her out?
“Enough of this,” Kàra snaps. “Why are we doing nothing? If Willow is in the void, she cannot be forced to wield the Blade. We should breach now.”
“And what if she is not there?” Sinclair faces off with the vampire and her mate. “We need proof. If we’re premature, they could disappear with Willow forever.”
Killian lifts a pair of binoculars to his eyes. “Something’s happening. Is that…? Fuck me.”
I snatch the lenses from his hand and adjust the magnification. A large, black van rolls to a stop in the parking lot. From this vantage point, I can only see the driver’s side. A dark-haired male emerges, looks around, and heads around the vehicle.
