Chapter 449: Exodus
I caught Trill before she could crumple, tears pouring down her face.
"This is all my fault," she said.
I wasn't about to argue with her, but I kept my mouth shut considering the timing.
Demetrius was at the door, unsealing it, amber eyes fixed on me. "Come," he said. "Time to fix me."
No argument from me. Except we were still shy one of our number.
"I can't just leave Owen." Trill tried to pull away from me, ending up in Charlotte's reach.
From the expression on her face, the weregirl didn't care a scrap what Trill wanted and I couldn't bring myself to blame her. Charlotte had just endured a very bad day and the wolf in her seemed ready to act on her own whether we were part of her exit or not.
"We're leaving." Charlotte's hand clamped down on Trill's arm. "Now."
The girl dug in, tears turning to fury. "I need to know Nona's not here," she snapped. "You could be lying so we'll leave. Your loyalty isn't exactly a big secret or anything."
Oh boy. Charlotte's normally calm demeanor snapped in half, a dried up and dusty wall her wolf was tired of hiding behind. Her alter persona emerged, face lengthening into a snout, eyes huge and full of cold rage.
"I said," she growled in a voice that echoed with the howl of a wild animal, harsh with an accent, "we're leaving." She snuffled the girl whose anger faded to fear at the sight of the werewolf begging for release. "And I swear to you, maji child, if you betray us again, your light will be extinguished once and for all, without your brother's help."
Trill squeaked a protest, but that's all she managed as Charlotte dragged her to the door and snarled at Demetrius.
"Lead the way," she rumbled, face returning to human. "But the same warning stands, old man. I'll kill you without a moment's thought."
He snarled back, but grunted and spun back to his work.
I probably should have told Charlotte to back off, but I just didn't have the heart.
She'd earned a little fun.
We'd just reached the top of the staircase when Demetrius stopped, dropping to a crouch, looking through the iron railing at the entry below. I slid up beside him, Charlotte, now fully human again, still clutching Trill so hard the girl winced from the contact.
"Your place is with us." Belaisle stood below, at the base of the stairs, Owen before him with two guards flanking him. No sign the sorcerer had any idea I was free, so at least we had something. Without the crystal and my power, I couldn't act against Belaisle. But I wasn't willing to leave the boy behind in the care of the Brotherhood either. All I could do was hover there and hope Owen would come to us.
I'd just have to deal with Belaisle later.
"I'll never join you," Owen said, voice strong, sure. "You can threaten me all you want, threaten my sister and the people who have helped us, but we know our duty. We'll stop you, somehow."
So much courage. I found myself grinning even though Owen's stand was pretty empty. Trill stared down at her brother with a fierce kind of love and loyalty and I wondered how their grandmother managed to instill so much faith in the two of them, faith in each other, considering their destiny.
Belaisle finally waved at Owen. "Take him back to his sister," he said. "If they don't comply with my orders, kill her."
Owen's face settled into a mask of anger. "You won't kill her," he said. "She's too valuable."
"You're wrong," Belaisle snapped back. "Neither of you has any value. Believe it. And with her dead, the last hope of the maji dies with her." He laughed. "You think we can't find another with maji blood to part the veil for us? Foolish boy and your pathetic prophesy."
Belaisle turned, swept really, away, heading for his office with his perfectly coiffed hair and impeccable pinstripe suit. We'd see how cocky and collected he'd be the second I was out of this cursed place.
The thought of facing him with my full power made my mouth water.
Charlotte hissed at me, retreating from the sightline of the stairs and I half-turned to follow her. We could retreat to the room now, pounce on the guards, maybe take them out before they could warn Belaisle. Make a clean break and tear this place apart from the outside.
At least, that's what my brain wanted to happen.
The reality wasn't under my control.
His amber eyes alight with flame and a howl of fury on his lips, Demetrius Strong took matters into his own hands, flinging himself forward to attack the approaching sorcerers.
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