Adeline blew out a breath.
“Shit,” was all she could manage, but Ger’s bright burst of laughter had them all flinching and glancing around, a round of hushes drowning him out.
“Sorry,” he said, grinning, “but—this is it, right? Imogen has all the power in the entire fucking world?”
Kai nodded.
“So we’ll take a stroll down to the queen’s quarters, Imogen can—I don’t know—turn her into a worm or something, and we’ll all be back in our warm, defrosted beds within the hour.”
Imogen raked in a long breath. “I can’t.”
Ger just laughed again.
“Fair,” he said jovially. “Thought it sounded a bit too good to be true.”
Adeline turned her head to fix him with a bemused stare.
“Why are you being so odd?”
He shrugged, lip quirking.
“Just in a good mood. Feeling positive.”
His lips popped around the P, and she stared back at him, laughter and confusion swelling in her chest.
“Well, that’s great, but what—” She cut herself off as understanding barrelled into her, her brows shooting up so fast she was in danger of losing them. “Wait. No.Didyou?”
He grinned and mimed locking his own lips.
“Oh,nowyou’re discreet?”
“Ade,” Marry sighed. “Whatever this is, could you two pick it up later?”
“Right. Sorry.” She shot one last giddy glance at Ger, then gave herself a mental shake and turned to Imogen. “So, youhavethe powers, you just can’t use them?”
Imogen dragged down another breath, her face so pained with the effort that Adeline felt guilty for even asking.
“It’s too much. Takes too much of a toll, but—” She paused and licked her dry lips, hand tight around Marry’s. “But I can channel it.”
“That’s how she fooled Avette,” Marry supplied, and Imogen gave her a grateful smile. “Imogen sent a wave of that power to her when she reached for it. She can feel it every time Avette tries to Wield.”
“She called to the Mother, and you answered,” said Kai.
Imogen nodded.
“So,” he paused, eyes searching the middle distance for something none of them could see, before his brows twitched up. “Sowecould call to you.”
“Yes,” she said, this nod a little firmer, eyes brighter. “Exactly. Let me channel through you both, and we can blindsight her.”
Adeline’s every nerve ending pulsed in protest, stomach flipping, but she nodded at once.
“Then that’s it,” she said. “We’ve got a plan, the upper hand, and the element of surprise.”
“We haven’t really got a plan,” said Kai. “Not yet.”
“I like my plan,” said Ger.
Adeline patted his shoulder.
