Chapter 30
30
brOGAN
K illian had just texted the rest of the coven to join us. I paced the floor as we waited for everyone else to arrive, my mind a tangled mess of worry and self-loathing.
Every few seconds, my eyes shot to Killian where he spoke quietly with Alice. When he noticed me watching him, he said, "We'll get yer Esme back. I swear it."
Standing there doing nothing was eating me alive, and he damn well knew it. "And when, exactly, are we going to do that?" I asked through gritted teeth.
He didn't respond, and honestly, he didn't need to. We'd already gone round and round when I'd tried to run out the door the second I realized Esme was missing.
But Killian had forbidden me to go off on my own, ordering me to stay in the house and wait. And now I physically couldn't leave. So here is where I stood and waited.
Tomorrow I'd be grateful he hadn't let me tear through the city with a death wish, possibly getting both myself and Esme killed in the process. Tomorrow, when she was safe in my arms once again. But tonight…my upper lip lifted in a snarl, fangs bared in challenge…tonight I wanted nothing more than to rip his fucking head off.
Lizzy stood with her back to the room, ignoring us both as she stared out the window like Esme would come waltzing down the street at any moment. Finished talking with Killian, Alice went to sit stiffly in the chair beside her, her eyes on the area rug at her feet.
Footsteps pounded down the stairs and Dae sauntered in, still wearing his gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt stretched across his muscular chest that read,
I have a dig bick
(Read that wrong, didn't you?)
"What'd I miss?" His smile vanished when he saw our faces.
"Marcus has Esme," I said, my voice hollow.
Dae froze mid-stride. "Fuck."
Alice suddenly stood from her seat, tucking a strand of honey-blonde hair behind her ear. "We need to draw him out. Make him come to us on our terms."
Dae's head snapped toward Alice as his entire body stiffened like he'd just been electrocuted. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again. No sound came out.
I frowned, wondering what the hell had gotten into him. But his reaction was a welcome distraction. I'd never seen him speechless before.
He continued to stare at her while the others filtered into the room, and Killian filled them in on the current situation.
"So, what are we going to do?" I asked loudly once everyone was caught up. "Because I'm having a hell of a problem standing here not doing a damn fucking thing while my mate is out there in danger."
Everyone stopped talking and all eyes shot to me. All except Dae, who cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to the rug when Alice noticed him staring.
"I don't know," Killian said. "Marcus is impossible to find unless he wants to be found. And we already know he can block the witch's tracking spell, so Alice and Lizzy are no help there."
Alice squared her shoulders. "I'll act as bait. He wants me. He wants his family, even as distant as we are. If he thinks he can get to me, he'll come."
"NO," Alex said, gawking at his sister like she'd lost her last brain cell.
"Absolutely NOT." The words burst from Dae's mouth with unexpected force.
With shocked expressions, everyone turned to stare at him. Dae never got worked up about anything—he was our resident carefree spirit. Now he stood rigid, fists clenched at his sides.
"I mean... that's..." Dae cleared his throat again, glancing at Alex who glared at him with fire in his golden eyes, his usual smooth confidence nowhere to be found. "It's too dangerous."
Alice tilted her head, studying him with curiosity. "I can handle myself."
“And you know what he's capable of," Dae pressed, taking a step toward her.
"Yes, I do." Alice's soft voice was laced with hardened steel. "He's my blood. As is Alex. I know exactly what we're dealing with."
Alex ground his teeth together so hard muscles jumped in his jaw at his sister's dig at his magic, which he’d hid from everyone—including her—until he couldn’t anymore.
"That magic saved my life," Kenya reminded her.
"And it can save Esme's," Alice insisted, glaring at her brother.
But Alex shook his head. "I'm nowhere near as strong as he is. My magic was enough to draw out the curse he put on Kenya, but I couldn't stand up to him in a fight."
"Hopefully you won't need to," she said quietly, her eyes softening.
Dae raked his fingers through his hair, looking to Killian for help. "There has to be another way."
"There isn't," Alice said gently. "And every moment we waste arguing, Esme remains in danger."
Dae looked like he might argue further, then abruptly turned away and paced to the other end of the room.
"Alice," Killian said. "We can't ask ye to put yerself at risk like that."
"You're not asking. It was my idea."
After a beat, Killian turned to me, and I didn't even pause to think about it. "I think she's right. It's the only way we'll be able to draw him out."
"Fucking hell." Alex laced his fingers on top of his head as Kenya put a hand on his chest to try to calm him.
It was wrong, and I was a goddamn bastard for thinking it, but God help me, I would gladly sacrifice Alice to get Esme back.
"No." Killian shook his head. "There has to be another way."
The room exploded into chaos, everyone talking over each other at once.
"We could try scrying again—" Lizzy suggested.
"It doesn't work, Marcus is blocking—" Alice began.
"We don't know that until we try," Alex cut in.
"What about that friend of yours…?" Kenya asked Angel.
Killian's voice rose above the others. "If we all went out in teams to search?—"
I slammed my fist against the wall so hard it cracked the plaster. Everyone fell silent.
"Marcus has Esme." My voice came out as a growl. "My mate . He could be hurting her. Torturing her."
The thought made me sick to my stomach. The mating bond between us pulsed with a dull ache that had only grown stronger while we'd all been standing here wasting time. Esme was alive—I could feel that much—but I could also feel her pain.
"Brogan's right," Alice said. "I know my plan isn't ideal, but Marcus wants me and Alex. He's made that clear. I can draw him out."
"And what happens when he gets his hands on you?" Dae demanded. "You think he's just going to let Esme go?"
Alice met his eyes steadily. "No. But he'll be distracted enough for you all to make a move."
"I'll go with you," Alex told her with a tone of resignation.
Kenya stepped in front of him. "Alex, no. Please."
“Honey, I can't let my sister go out there on her own."
She opened her mouth to say more, and then shut it again. She knew she would do the same if it were any of us.
Killian pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't like it."
"None of us do," I said. "But unless someone has a better idea in the next thirty seconds, we go with Alice's plan."
The room fell silent again.
"We'll put protective wards on them," Lizzy offered quietly. "Not enough to stop Marcus completely, but it might give us an edge."
Killian nodded.
"And we'll be nearby." Jamal spoke up from the back of the room. "If he shows, we'll hit him with everything we've got until we can all get the hell out of there."
Dae still looked livid, but he'd stopped arguing.
"Fine," Killian finally said. "But we do this smart. Everyone has a position, everyone knows their role. No heroics." He looked pointedly at me. "That means you too, Brogan."
I nodded stiffly. I'd agree to anything right now if it would get him to let me the hell out of this house.
"Then it's settled," Alice said, her voice calm despite the danger she was about to walk into. "We use Alex and me as bait."