I look at the stairs again. “If I can get Jacques to somehow tell Trent that he’s calling you or something…you know, getting you all here to be under Trent’s control, then it puts you here with no questions asked. Play along and pretend you’re under his control until I give you a signal.”
“There’s a balcony,” Hasan starts. “On the floor above us. We can land up there and say we were summoned. Jacques is smart. He’ll know to go along with it.”
“Yes! That’ll work, but—shit. Jac told Trent he loses his powers during the day.” I chew on my lip and scramble to come up with something. “Though, honestly, he’s such a motherfucking dirt bag he might not question it. He’s power-hungry and believes he has control over you.”
“So it’s worth a shot?”
“I think it’s our only shot. We don’t have a whole lot of time. He’s going to figure out I’m not dead and that he doesn’t really have control over you guys.” I tear another piece of paper out of the notebook. “I’ll write the others a note and use magic to send it down. You can’t be flying back and forth. Someone will see you.”
“Or you could just call them.” Hasan pulls a cell phone from his back pocket.
“That would be easier.” I punch in Gemma’s number. She answers on the first ring.
“Ace, oh my God, Ace!” she exclaims, and I hurry to turn the volume down on the phone. “What the hell is going on? Nick is ready to call the whole police force and storm the place.”
“Tell him to wait. Trent has a magical arsenal up here. I need to talk to Tom or Gil. Now.”
For once, Gemma doesn’t keep asking questions and passes the phone to one of the twins.
“What’s going on?” Gil asks.
“Trent thinks he has control over you guys. Did Gemma bring any runes or crystals or anything?”
“Yes to crystals.”
“Find a way to scratch runes onto them. Can you fly?”
“No.”
“Have Hasan take you to the balcony and bring the fake runes. You have to act like you’re under Trent’s control, okay?”
“Yeah, but—”
Hasan grabs my arm. “Someone is coming.”
“I’m sorry. We don’t have much time. Just meet him down there. Be fast.” I hang up, shove the phone in my pocket, and move onto the first step of the spiral staircase.
“Be careful, Ace,” Hasan says, and leans in for a quick kiss. He pulls the hidden door closed and everything goes dark. I hold my breath, squeezing my eyes shut, and take a silent step backward, going up another stair.
Suddenly, all the noise in the office cuts off and the silence is deafening.Shit.Blindly feeling for the railing, I climb up two more stairs, looking for the light coming from under the door leading to the floor above me. My heart is racing and my palms are sweaty.
“She’s not in here,” someone says from inside the office. “But the boards are down. Maybe she escaped.”
“She didn’t jump from the tenth floor,” Charles says. Dammit. I thought he’d stay passed out longer. “We have to find her before Mr. Trent finds out she’s still alive. He’ll have our heads for this, you know.”
“I’ll check the security cameras,” the other man says. He has to be the guard, and if he’s the one that was watching over the children, then this could be my only chance to get to them. I hurry up the rest of the stairs, pausing by the door. I grip the railing, trying to calm my nerves.
“Yes,” Jacques says, and I assume he’s still talking to Mr. Trent. “I can translate, but I warn you this kind of dark magic can come with a cost.”
“Whatever the cost, I assure you, I can pay it,” Mr. Trent replies. I grit my teeth, wanting nothing more than to go a round or two with that fucker right now. “Now get to work. I want the whole thing translated in an hour.”
“That’s impossible,” Jacques counters.
“Do it. Unless you want me to order you to go after that worthless little witch your precious Acelina cared so much about.”
“How dare you speak her name!” Jacques roars.
“Watch your tone,” Trent sneers, and I can imagine the smug look on his face. “You are mine now whether you like it or—what the hell was that?”
