Latoya sprung forward, but a yank from Maya reined her in.
“Malik, you’re not helping,” Joanna spat.
I hated hearing his name leave her lips. “He shouldn’t be here,” I stated calmly, fighting for control.
She tapped the blade of the knife rhythmically on her thigh. “I couldn’t do this alone.”
What did she mean,alone? If she didn’t want me, I could’ve entrusted Maya, Jerome, or Grace to help. Hell, I’d even command Lucas to get off his ass if that’s what Joanna wanted.
Joanna pointed to the shackles around Latoya’s wrists. “Is there a key for those?”
I pulled the small lead box from my pocket and tossed it to her.
Instinct forced Jerome to take a step away from her when she opened the box to examine the silver key.
“The magic feeding the silver is powerful. It can still burn us through fabric, so we have to be careful,” I said by way of explanation.
Joanna nodded. “We have something similar to this.”
A foul taste appeared in my mouth: the sour tang of crushed delusion. Of course I didn’t have to explain silver-infused shackles to thewerewolf hunter.
“Did Grace figure out a way to get the list?”
I looked to Maya, allowing her the honor of speaking about her warrior’s capabilities.
“She’s making a cloning device,” Maya announced. “As long as Silas has his cellphone, it will copy all its data. The problem is, it’ll be cloning all the phones in its proximity at once. And there’s no way of knowing if the device has fully copied Silas’s until it confirms that it’s cloned every phone.”
“So, we have to make sure we’re there long enough,” Joanna concluded, placing the box in Malik’s outstretched hand.
“Will they let me in if I arrive before you?” I asked Latoya.
The rogue pouted her lips, pointing to her mouth.
I flexed my fingers, fighting the urge to form a fist. “Answer the damn question.”
She smiled. “Oh, yay. I’ve received permission to speak.” She looked at Joanna. “Hey, little sis. You look… lethal.”
Joanna carried no visible weapon except for the knife from Malik, but she wore black leather from head to toe. She sighed. “Please answer his question, Latoya.”
Latoya flicked a hand in my direction. “You’ll be fine.”
Joanna grimaced. “Are you sure—”
“He’ll befine, Joey.” The levity disappeared from her eyes as she cut her sister’s words short. “So, you can stop treating me like a fucking criminal and trust me.”
Joanna didn’t retort. “Maya, will you help my sister into the car?”
“Of course,” Maya replied, shoving her forward.
“Why couldn’t Idris over there be my bad cop, huh?” Latoya yelped as Maya tightened the grip on her arm.
Joanna gestured to Jerome. “Can you make sure Maya doesn’t kill her?”
I faced Malik as Jerome began following the two women. “You can go too—”
“I’m fine here,” he snapped before I could finish.
This was not how I wanted my last genuine moment with Joanna to be. But I shook off my irritation and asked the question I’d been dreading out loud. “When do you perform the spell?”
