She inclined her head in return. “Good evening, Reed. The witches of Seattle are at your service.”
“And a few of us vampires, too,” Simone chimed in, giving Nathaniel an amused glance.
The vampire king chuckled, but Tatiana shot Simone a silencing look that the ancient vampire answered with a serene smile.
“So,” Poppy said. “Now that we’ve all been way too stuffy and formal for one day, show us where you want the portal and we’ll pop it open.”
Lee and Hunter both chuckled at that.
Reed’s gaze lingered on Simone’s long, flowing dress. “Uh, do you guys want to get changed first? It’s in the middle of the forest, so it’s probably going to be muddy.”
“Darling,” Simone said, favoring him with a wide smile. “I’ve never been afraid of getting my dress—or my hands—dirty.”
Lindsey snorted from behind us. “Noted. And well warned.”
“Movingrightalong,” Ethan said, a touch too brightly. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Indeed,” Nathaniel agreed, giving Simone a reproachful look.
With that, Reed led all of us to the spot where he and I had been attacked in the woods, where Sally’s scent had vanished. “This is the only place we’re sure it’s come through.”
A thrill of fear shot through me, and I had the wild impulse to put a stop to this. Should I have brought the amulet? After all, it blocked—or neutralized—magic. I’d left it at the cabin because I didn’t know if it would interfere with the spell to open the portal. Now I wasn’t so sure that had been a good idea. The Algea was a magical creature, after all. Would the amulet have slowed it down or hurt it?
Too late now, I told myself.Suck it up.
“Well then,” Tatiana said briskly. “Nightfall is nearly upon us. I suppose we ought to get started.”
Then, with a flourish of her hands, as though releasing a bird, brilliant motes of bright white light ignited all around the clearing, providing enough illumination for the witches to work by.
“You must hurry,” Tamrand said. He stood a few paces away from the rest of us, rigid as a spear. His eyes seemed faintly illuminated in the darkness. “Sally is running out of time.”
Poppy’s gaze flicked to him. “Wait a second. You’re fae.”
Tamrand inclined his head by way of reply, but I didn’t miss the way he frowned. Apparently, he was uncomfortable being recognized as anything other than human.
“You can’t just… wave your arms and make a portal?”
Tamrand’s jaw tightened. “I cannot. Were I capable of such a thing, I never would have risked revealing myself by involving others in my affairs.”
“I’ve only ever met faeries during coven gatherings, when we celebrate in the Otherworld,” Poppy said. “I’ve never met any who prefer to live here.”
Tamrand’s frown deepened. “Our temperaments are as diverse as any other person on this plane of existence or any other. But should you ever encounter any of my kind again, my name mustnevercross your lips.”
Poppy and Simone traded a bemused look, but Tamrand seemed deadly serious.
“Alright,” Tatiana said, interrupting their exchange. “We are ready to begin. Reed, you must ready your wolves to be prepared for whatever comes through the portal once it is opened.”
Lee and Hunter exchanged a troubled look. It was Lee who spoke. “What does that mean?”
“The topography of the Otherworld is roughly parallel to our world,” the older matronly witch standing beside Tatiana explained, speaking for the first time. “While we have befriended the fae creatures near Seattle’s covenstead, making this exercise as safe as it is capable of being, we have not done such a thing here.”
Ethan chimed in. “Wynn’s right. We’re opening a door. We have no way of knowing what will or won’t come through once it’s opened. Including—or maybe in addition to—your monster.”
“Wait,” Lacey said, sounding alarmed. “That’s anoption?”
Poppy gave her a wry look. “It’s magic. Everything is an option. You guys need to hang on to your fur coats.”
“You’re hilarious,” Lacey said, glaring at her.
