Chapter 20
Liam opened the door to find his Uncle Nathan standing on the doorstep, looking every inch the seasoned warrior.
He was a big man, broad-shouldered and solid, with dark hair threaded with silver at the temples and cropped military-short.
He wore jeans and a dark jacket, casual enough not to draw attention, but Liam knew he was armed and ready for action, despite his years.
“Uncle Nate.” Liam stepped back, surprise evident in his voice. “I thought you were just coordinating the team on-site, not coming here yourself.”
“Plans change.” Nathan stepped inside, his gaze immediately finding Lina where she stood to the side, hand still near her weapon. His expression warmed with approval. “And you must be the FBI kitty I’ve been hearing about.”
Lina straightened, professional mask sliding into place, even as Liam felt a bit of annoyance at his uncle’s teasing. He hoped Lina realized it was only that. Sometimes, Uncle Nathan was a bit gruffer than most.
“Lina Goodwell. It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” she said politely.
“Nathan Kinkaid. And drop the sir. You can call me Nathan.” He offered his hand, and Lina took it, her grip firm. Nathan’s smile widened. “Lynx, right? I can always tell. You’ve got that aura of the north.”
“Guilty as charged,” Lina said, relaxing slightly. “And I have to say, I’m honored to meet one of the originators of the Navy SEAL program. That’s quite a legacy.”
Nathan let out a bark of laughter. “The SEAL program. Yeah, me and a few other selkies stepped up during the war to help out. We liked the irony of the name. It amused us. The Navy was looking for men who could operate in water for extended periods and could infiltrate from the sea without being detected. Turned out us selkies were naturals for the job, though we did have to learn a bit more about blowing stuff up underwater, but that was the really fun part.”
“I bet,” Lina said smiling. “I guess there’s nothing like having an actual seal form for water operations.”
“Made the training considerably easier, that’s for sure.” Nathan’s humor faded, his expression turning grim. “But I’m not here for a social visit or a trip down memory lane. We’ve got a problem.”
Liam’s instincts went on high alert. “What kind of problem?”
“The kind that involves new magical markings appearing at your target site.” Nathan pulled out his phone, scrolling through photos.
“I went out to Wardenclyffe myself this afternoon, for a quick sneak and peek. I wanted to get eyes on the location before tonight. Found these in the parking lot of the visitor’s center. ”
He held out the phone. Liam took it, Lina moving to look over his shoulder. The photos showed markings on the pavement. The symbols were drawn in what looked like chalk or paint, forming an intricate pattern that made Liam’s lion stir uneasily.
“When did these appear?” Liam asked, zooming in on one of the photos.
“Sometime between dawn and three PM. Mike’s team did a perimeter check at first light and didn’t see anything.
I got there around three, and they were already in place.
” Nathan’s jaw tightened. “Nobody saw who made them. The visitor’s center was open all day, but not one person noticed someone drawing on the parking lot. ”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Lina said quietly.
“No, it doesn’t. And here’s the thing. I’m a selkie.
We’re inherently more magical than most other shifters, and more sensitive to magical disturbances.
My guys should have noticed.” Nathan met Liam’s eyes.
“And those markings feel really wrong. The kind of wrong that makes my seal want to dive deep and stay underwater until whatever made them is gone.”
Liam felt ice form in his gut. If something spooked Nathan—a man who’d fought in multiple wars, helped found one of the most elite Special Operations programs, and seen and survived things that would break lesser men—then they were dealing with something extremely dangerous.
“We need to show the photos to Mrs. Peabody,” Liam said decisively. “She’ll probably know what they mean and how to counter them.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Nathan pocketed his phone. “How fast can you get to her?”
Liam checked his watch. Nine-forty-five. They’d planned to leave for Wardenclyffe by ten to be in position well before high tide. But this changed things.
“Ten minutes to call Mrs. P and get over to her house. We have to talk to her, then get to Wardenclyffe. We can make it work, but it’ll be tight.” He looked at Lina. “You good with that?”
“We need to know what we’re walking into,” she said firmly. “I’ll call her while you pull out the SUV so we can go straight from her house.”
Liam grabbed his keys, then paused. “Uncle Nate, why didn’t you just call me with this? We could have sent the photos to Mrs. P and saved some time.”
Nathan’s expression turned uncomfortable, which was unusual enough to make Liam’s instincts prickle. “Because I was told not to.”
“Told not to? By who?”
“By a seer I trust.” Nathan held up a hand before Liam could protest. “I know how that sounds. But this particular seer has never steered me wrong. She said I had to come here in person, had to show you the photos myself, and had to stay here when you and Lina go to Wardenclyffe.”
Liam exchanged a glance with Lina. “Stay here? Uncle Nate, we need every operator we can get at the site. If Mrs. E shows—”
“She will show. But I don’t think she’s working alone tonight.
” Nathan’s voice held absolute certainty.
“The seer was very clear. Mrs. Entwistle is planning a two-pronged attack. The summoning at Wardenclyffe is the main event, but she’s got something planned for the coven as well.
A distraction, or maybe revenge, or both.
Someone needs to be here protecting the witches while you’re dealing with the summoning. ”
Liam felt his blood run cold. Of course. Of course Mrs. E wouldn’t just focus on the ritual. She’d want to hurt the women who’d rejected her, who’d discovered her treachery. And with most of their forces focused on Wardenclyffe…
“How many men do you have?” he asked.
“Six, including me. All former SEALs, all selkies, all experienced in combating magical threats.” Nathan’s expression was grim. “We’ll set up a defensive perimeter around the neighborhood. Anyone tries to get to the witches, they’ll have to go through us first.”
“Mrs. Peabody needs to know,” Liam said. “And Rich and Billy—their mates are here. They need to be prepared.”
“Agreed.” Nathan was already moving toward the door with Liam while Lina was on the phone with Mrs. P, warning her that they were on their way to see her.
“Uncle Nate, get your team in position. We’ll brief Mrs. P on everything. Then Lina and I need to head to Wardenclyffe.”
Liam’s instincts were screaming at him. This was exactly the kind of multilayered plan a witch as cunning as Mrs. Entwistle would devise. Hit them where they were focused while striking somewhere else entirely.
All three of them piled into Liam’s SUV and made the short trip to Mrs. Peabody’s house in just under three minutes. The elderly witch was waiting at the door, her expression shifting from concerned to alert when she saw their faces.
“Come inside.” She didn’t wait for explanations, just ushered them in.
Liam introduced his uncle and brought her up to speed quickly. Nathan pulled up the photos on his phone again. Mrs. Peabody took one look, and her face went pale.
“Where?” she demanded.
“This was in the Wardenclyffe parking lot and appeared sometime today, between dawn and three PM.” Nathan handed her the phone so she could examine the images more closely.
Mrs. Peabody scrolled through them, her expression growing more troubled with each photo.
“This is a beacon spell. She’s marking the location for others to find, calling them to the site.
” She looked up. “Mrs. Entwistle isn’t planning to do this alone.
She’s calling in reinforcements. Other Venifucus agents, maybe even other rogue witches or mages. ”
“How many?” Liam asked.
“I can’t tell from these photos. But if she’s going to this much trouble...” Mrs. Peabody set down the phone. “Assume at least three or four others, possibly more.”
Lina cursed softly. “We might be outnumbered.”
“Maybe not.” Mrs. Peabody moved to a cabinet and pulled out several small pouches.
“These will help level the playing field. They’re disruption charms. They won’t stop magic entirely, but they’ll interfere with spell-casting, make it harder for them to focus and channel power.
” She pressed them into Liam’s hands. “Distribute these among your backup team. And whatever you do, don’t let Mrs. Entwistle complete that summoning ritual. ”
“We won’t.” Liam pocketed the charms.
“There’s more,” Nathan said. “I was told by a reliable seer that Mrs. E is planning something here as well. A two-pronged attack.”
Mrs. Peabody went very still. “Here? Against the coven?”
“That’s the intelligence we have.” Nathan’s voice was steady. “I’ve got six men who’ll be setting up a defensive perimeter around this neighborhood tonight. But you ladies should be prepared for possible attack.”
For a long moment, Mrs. Peabody was silent, thinking. Then she nodded decisively. “We’ll call an emergency gathering in the circle. We’re safest there, and you’ll have less ground to cover. If she tries something, she’ll find us ready.”
“Rich and Billy can help with logistics. They’ve defended the circle before,” Liam told Nathan.
“Already on it.” Mrs. Peabody was pulling out her phone, her fingers moving with surprising speed. “You two need to go. Get to Wardenclyffe before she arrives. Stop that summoning. We’ll handle things here.”
“Just one other thing,” Nathan put in quickly.
“I’ve heard Lina here has mad sniper skills.
The seer said she should use them. I’ve heard you both went furry to patrol the grounds of Wardenclyffe last night, but I think that has to change tonight.
Lina needs to be able to use her rifle, at least at first.”
“I was the one who told them to utilize their cat forms,” Mrs. P admitted, raising one eyebrow in Nathan’s direction. “How sure are you of this seer?”
“Very sure, ma’am,” he replied instantly.
A beat of silence passed between them while Mrs. P seemed to consider his words. Then, she nodded. “All right. Do as you will. Circumstances have obviously changed since I gave my first advice.”
“Indeed, they have,” Nathan replied inclining his head respectfully at the old woman, then he turned to look at Lina. “Get your rifle, girl, and mount up. Time to get cracking.”
Liam hesitated for just a moment. Then instinct kicked in. This advice was from Uncle Nate. The best of the best. Surely, he wouldn’t steer them wrong.
Liam also had to battle the instinct that screamed at him to stay and protect the people he’d come to care about in this neighborhood, but the greater threat was the summoning.
If a demon creature was brought to this realm to wreak havoc, it wouldn’t matter if they protected the coven tonight.
If they failed, the entire region would be devastated.
Lina’s hand found his, squeezing once. He felt her understanding and support. He felt like he could do anything with her at his side.
“Be safe,” he said to Mrs. Peabody and Nathan both.
“You too, nephew.” Nathan clasped his shoulder. “And Liam? Whatever happens tonight, remember this. You’re not alone. You’ve got Lina, you’ve got your backup team, and you’ve got family helping with the rest of it. Rely on that.”
“I will. And thanks, Uncle Nate.” Liam gave the big man a quick, back-pounding hug and then headed out the door with Lina.
They left Mrs. Peabody’s house at a run, climbing back into the SUV. Liam’s hands were steady on the wheel, but his mind was racing. Multiple attackers at Wardenclyffe. A possible assault on the coven. And only a handful of operators to handle both situations.
“We can do this,” Lina said quietly, reading his tension through the bond.
“I know.” He did know. They were well-trained, well-prepared, and they had surprise on their side. Mrs. E thought they’d be focused solely on Wardenclyffe. She didn’t know about Nathan’s intel, didn’t know they’d split their forces.
That edge might be all they needed.
Liam pulled out of the neighborhood and headed toward Wardenclyffe, checking the time. Ten-fifteen. They’d be on site by ten-thirty, giving them over an hour before the optimal window for the summoning.
It would have to be enough.
“Here we go,” Lina murmured as the dim lights of the visitor’s center parking lot came into view in the distance.
The endgame had begun.