Yiran’s eyes turned steely. He didn’t look like the frightened little boy Ash remembered.
“We can clear my name later. We need to get the talisman and stop our father first. Zizi and I came up with a plan. Rui isn’t quite on board, but I hope you’ll be.” Yiran craned his neck, yelling in the direction of the kitchen. “You can come over now.”
Rui and Zizi trooped in, settling onto the couch next to Yiran.
“We were eavesdropping, so there’s no need to catch us up,” Zizi said in a matter-of-fact way.
Rui shot him an aghast look. “We didn’t mean to, but you weren’t exactly keeping it down.” At least she had the decency to look embarrassed.
Ash didn’t have the energy to be upset with either of them. “Tell me about the plan.”
Zizi and Yiran laid things out, with Rui throwing in a side of skepticism.
“It’s risky,” Ash said when they were done.
“It’s the only way,” Yiran said. “Let me do this. I have to.”
Yiran’s expression told Ash all he needed to know. His brother wanted redemption, and in his mind, this was atonement. “Given our choices, it might be the best bet,” Ash said reluctantly. “Regardless, our primary objective for this mission should be the talisman and nothing more.”
“What about the kidnapped Exorcists and cadets? What about Surin?” Rui asked. “Shouldn’t we use this opportunity to rescue them too? Can’t you send in a team of Exorcists?”
Others are searching too.
Ash wasn’t sure which Exorcists he could trust to keep his brother alive if they saw him. He would have to rely on Teshin and the rest of his A-Team. Still, there might be other ways to make use of the Exorcists’ firepower.
“Let me handle that,” he said. “Timing is important. We don’t wantto spook the Hybrids and have them escape with the talisman and the prisoners.”
Yiran sat up. “Shut down the city. Shift things to our advantage.”
“A complete lockdown,” Rui said, eyes glinting, catching on to what he was saying. “Make it too dangerous and risky for the Hybrids to come out and feed. It’ll weaken them and stop them from moving around.”
“Have the rescue team on standby,” Yiran said, nodding at Rui. They were in sync with each other. “Once I’m clear, they can go in to do a clean sweep.”
Ash didn’t like that the plan had so many variables in flux, but it was a shot they had to take. “We’ll have to improvise if things change. I’ll make the preparations.” He glanced at Yiran pointedly. “Kodie will put a tracker in you.”
“It won’t work.” Quickly, Yiran explained the device the Hybrids had used on him.
Ash hit the table in frustration. “That must be how they found Surin’s tracker. Fine. You get in, you find the talisman, you get out immediately. No casting of the rogue spell, nothing flashy, and no unplanned heroics.”
“Then I’ll bring it to the underworld and destroy it,” Zizi said.
He had been oddly quiet for a while in the ongoing conversation. The darkness in his left iris had grown, the pale blue almost swallowed up by black. Ash brushed it off. There were more important things to focus on; Zizi could take care of himself.
After all, he was immortal.
62
Yiran
The outside of the dive bar looked seedier than Yiran remembered. He rapped sharply on the door, following the same pattern his father had used. The wooden floors inside creaked, and the door opened by a crack.
A pale hand snatched his collar.
“Whoa—” Yiran stumbled forward. “It’sme, Yuki.”
The Hybrid made a low, rumbling noise in his throat, but he pulled Yiran in. “Where have you been?”
“Hiding,” Yiran said. No one else seemed to be around. The trapdoor was open, sticking up from the floor. “Don’t worry, no one followed me. Where’s my father?”
