Her lips have parted with a quickly indrawn breath. “You speak of impossible things.”
I shake my head. “All I need is for you to tell me where the book is.”
I expect her to play games with me, but she answers me immediately. “It’s closer than you might expect. Hidden within the catacombs beneath an old church not ten blocks south of here.”
I rapidly think through the information Sosia gave me about the layout and location of Taiven’s operations. As much as I need to distrust some of what she said to me, her information about places has, so far, proven to be reliable. The catacombs are a maze to navigate, but I’m generally familiar with them and I’m not deterred.
Not even when Halle continues. “Veda, trying to steal the book from your father is a guaranteed path to death.”
Well, of course it won’t be easy, but I’d like to know why she seems so certain it will get me killed. “Why do you say that?”
“Four weeks ago, Taiven started fortifying his defenses, mobilizing his soldiers around that area. Both humans and supernaturals now guard the buildings for two blocks in every direction.”
“Do the humans know they’re mixing with supernaturals?”
She grimaces. “Uncertain. In the past, there were a few human mob leaders who were aware of the Nostra Family’s true nature, but Taiven likes to play his cards close to his chest.” With a huff, she turns to Jonah. “Your knowledge is more recent than mine. Can you confirm?”
He wipes the blood from his forehead. “Hel’s right. When it comes to humans, Taiven doesn’t disclose who knows what. It keeps us walking on eggshells.”
“Right,” I mutter. “Then we’ll need to be careful not to act in any way that reveals what we are. No wings or claws or changing forms or using magic where humans might see it.”
Even so, she hasn’t told me anything I didn’t already anticipate.
Then she continues. “Of most concern: There’s a significant influx of light magic from within the church. I don’t know what’s really going on in there, but even I wouldn’t dare enter that place.”
I chew my thoughts. “We knew we’d be stepping into a battle. If we need to fight some of Taiven’s loyal soldiers along the way, then so be it. As for light magic…” I meet the keeper’s gaze across the distance. “We can deal with that when we come to it.”
He gives me a firm nod, his blue eyes bright in the shadows. “I can’t translocate us inside the catacombs—I’ve only seen the outside of the church in the memories of dark creatures. But I can get us close.”
“Good.” Despite my certainty, I look at my family, giving them a moment to speak up, to disagree.
Anarchy lifts her hands and tips her chin at me. “Why are we still standing here?”
Her brothers grin.
Lucian gives me a firm nod.
Behind me, Jonah pulls himself upright. “I’m coming with you.”
But as for Halle, she’s already stepping away toward Orlan.
“This fight is not for me,” she says firmly. “You’ll find the book in the deepest tomb on the northern side of the catacombs. But as for your survival, well… If you make it out alive, come and find me.”
There’s a short, silent communication between her and the warlock, after which he lightly claps his hands, his magic flares, and in the next instant, they’re gone.
I turn back to my family, but Lucian’s the one suddenly speaking hurriedly, describing the internal layout of the catacombs, confirming that it’s a maze, like I believed.
“I’ve never seen the deepest tombs, but the layout I just described should take us close,” he says. “As for getting inside, there are only two entrances: the front door and a side entrance next to an alley.” He turns to me. “Which do you want to take?”
Anarchy quickly interjects. “And do we go as ourselves?”
I consider for a moment the virtue of asking the keeper to create illusions that could make us look like Taiven’s followers. In particular, we could mimic the male vampire, whose name is Gad, and the female berserker known as Valki, both of whom I met on the train and are part of Taiven’s inner circle.
But the chances of them being present at the location are high—the most we could do is cause some momentary confusion—and the moment I use my claws, I’d give myself away.
As for trying to creep up on the place, we’ll meet a lot more resistance if one of the soldiers a block away manages to sound the alarm.
“The keeper will transport us into the alley at the side of the church,” I say. “He’ll need to compel any human witnesses to forget the magic they saw.”
