Destiny of the Witch (The Other Witch #4)

29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

My phone rang again. This time it was the Coven reception number and I grimaced. Someone was really trying to get hold of me. I swiped to answer. ‘Crone.’

‘Coven Mother,’ Janice said briskly, ‘I am sorry to interrupt. I am aware you do not wish to be disturbed but I have a lady on the phone who insists on speaking to you. She says her name is Charlize and she is your mum’s carer. She says it is urgent.’

I went cold. ‘Put her through,’ I ordered brusquely. Janice didn’t waste time. The phone line clicked. ‘Charlize?’

‘You need to get here now! We’ve been discovered. Someone’s watching the house.’ She sounded frantic and hung up before I could reply.

I swore loudly. ‘That was Charlize – she said the location is compromised! Hurry!’

We all ran to the underground carpark. ‘I’ll drive,’ I asserted, holding my hands out for the keys. Oscar had been drinking and he certainly wasn’t at his sharpest – something I had no doubt he regretted now.

He hesitated before handing them over. He’d been steaming the night before, and most drunk driving was done the next morning when you felt deceptively fine but you absolutely weren’t. He knew that as well as I did.

Bastion sat next to me, with Oscar and Benji in the back. I started the engine, threw the car into reverse and drove out of the car park. Next to me, I felt a buzz of disquiet from Bastion. He was looking at his phone. ‘What’s up?’ I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.

‘She didn’t ring me .’ His tone was a little hurt.

‘What?’

‘Charlize. She didn’t ring me.’

‘It’s my mum that’s under threat,’ I rationalised. ‘She probably had me on her brain.’

‘Maybe,’ he conceded, but the disquiet I felt from him didn’t fade.

I didn’t have time to pander to his hurt emotions because I was pretty sure that we were being followed and had been since we left the car park. ‘Black Range Rover,’ I said tightly. ‘It’s been on our six since we left.’

‘Yes,’ Bastion agreed. ‘And so has the maroon Volvo behind it.’

Dammit, I hadn’t made the Volvo. My fingers tightened on the steering wheel. ‘What do I do? We don’t have time for evasive manoeuvres.’

‘Unless we want to bring more enemies to your mum’s door, that’s exactly what we do,’ Bastion disagreed.

‘Hang a left here,’ Oscar instructed from behind me. I did, and both cars behind us followed. ‘Take another left.’ I took the left. ‘There are lights up ahead. They’re already on green so slow right down,’ he ordered.

I slowed and ambled towards the lights.

‘Orange lights, hit it!’ Oscar barked.

I floored the accelerator and the car leapt forward just as the light turned red. I checked my rear-view mirror: the Range Rover had followed me and run the red light, but the maroon car hadn’t. Maybe its driver already had points on his licence and couldn’t afford any more, or maybe he didn’t want to risk a collision with oncoming traffic. Either one worked for me.

One down, one to go.

‘Speed up and then hang a right,’ Oscar said. ‘There’s a road immediately to your left. Take it, then park the car on the side of the road. Benji, as soon as we hit the left, duck down.’

I sped up again, creating a little space between us and the car behind. It followed confidently and allowed a little more distance to creep between us. I took full advantage of that and floored it, breaking the speed limit more than a little. Then I careened around the corner and did a handbrake turn into the left-hand road. I drove down a little way, slammed on the brakes and parked.

Oscar and Benji ducked low as Bastion pulled me from my seat onto his lap. Before I could object, he kissed me firmly, melting my bones and short-circuiting my brain. My brain restarted as he gently ended the kiss and deposited me back in the driver’s seat. ‘Drive,’ he instructed.

I blinked rapidly. I looked around but there was no sign of the Range Rover.

‘They sailed right past us,’ Oscar said smugly. ‘Now, get us to Luna!’

I started the car and we roared off. I prayed we’d get there in time.