Chapter 21
They arrived at Wardenclyffe at ten-twenty-eight, parking the SUV on a side street with a clear view of the visitor center parking lot but obscured by other parked vehicles and shadow.
The building was dark, closed for the night, the grounds quiet except for the distant sound of traffic on the main road.
Liam killed the engine and lights, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. The moon was already visible, climbing steadily toward its peak. High tide was still over an hour away, but he could feel the anticipation building, the sense of something enormous about to happen.
“Mike’s team is in position by now,” he said quietly, checking his phone. A text confirmed that all six members of the SEAL team were spread out in a loose perimeter around the property, hidden in the woods and watching all approaches.
“I’ll keep watch here while you get those charms to them,” Lina said, her eyes already scanning the parking lot and surrounding area.
Liam nodded, grabbing the small pouches Mrs. Peabody had given them. “I’ll be quick. Five minutes, tops.”
“I’ll be here.” She glanced at him, and even in the dim light, he could see the concern in her eyes. “Be careful.”
He leaned over and kissed her, quick but thorough. “You too.”
Then he slipped out of the SUV and melted into the shadows, moving with the silent efficiency that had been perfected over years of training. His lion prowled just beneath his skin, eager to be released but content to wait. Soon enough, he’d let his beast take over. For now, the man had work to do.
Liam found Mike first, positioned at the northern edge of the property with a clear sightline to both the parking lot and the tower site. The older SEAL materialized from the darkness like a ghost, his expression alert.
“Cuz,” Mike greeted quietly. “Everything okay? You’re cutting it close.”
“New intel.” Liam handed him the pouches. “Looks like Mrs. E still has a few tricks up her sleeve. It appears that she called in reinforcements tonight. She’s got probably three or four other mages coming to her aid, and she marked the parking lot with some kind of beacon spell to guide them in.”
Mike’s expression hardened. “That changes the math considerably.”
“Yeah. The coven elder sent these.” Liam held up the remaining pouches. “Disruption charms. They’ll interfere with spell-casting, make it harder for the mages to focus their magic. Get these distributed to the team. Keep one for yourself.”
“Will do.” Mike pocketed the charms. “What’s your play?”
“Lina and I will be in the woods around the tower site, but she’s staying human tonight.
At least for the opening salvo. She’s an expert sniper, and can pick off targets from quite a distance.
I’m going lion and will be doing close-in fighting once things kick off.
” Liam checked his watch. “Mrs. E should be showing soon. We’ll let them get into position, start their fun and games, then hit them before they can complete it. ”
“Aggressive plan. I like it.” Mike’s teeth gleamed in the moonlight. “We’ll tighten the perimeter once they arrive, cut off any escape routes. They’re not getting out of here tonight.”
“That’s the plan.” Liam clasped his cousin’s shoulder once. “Stay sharp. These aren’t amateur practitioners we’re dealing with.”
“Roger that.” Mike faded back into the darkness, moving to distribute the charms to the rest of his team.
Liam made his way back to the SUV, taking his time, using all his senses to check the area. Everything was quiet. The calm before the storm.
He’d just reached the vehicle when Lina’s hand shot up in a silent signal. Stop. He froze, then moved carefully to the driver’s side door, slipping in beside her.
“What’ve you got?” he murmured.
“Car.” She pointed toward the main road. “Just turned into the parking lot.”
Liam grabbed his binoculars and trained them on the vehicle. It was a dark luxury sedan, moving slowly through the empty lot, as if looking for the right spot. It finally parked near the far end, close to the walking path that led to the tower site.
The driver’s door opened, and a figure emerged. Older female, average height, wearing dark clothing. She moved with purpose toward the path, not bothering to lock her car. She wasn’t planning to be here long.
“Is that her?” Lina asked.
Liam focused on the woman’s face as she passed under one of the parking lot lights. His blood ran cold. “That’s her. Mrs. Entwistle, in the flesh.”
Even from this distance, in poor light, he recognized her. The plump, grandmotherly figure who’d played at being a harmless old witch for decades while plotting destruction and death. She looked so ordinary, so harmless. That’s what made her so dangerous.
“She’s early,” Lina observed. “High tide isn’t for another half-hour.”
“She’s setting up and checking her wards, probably.”
“She’s going to notice that we dismantled her glyphs,” Lina whispered, her voice tight.
“She probably will,” Liam agreed, thinking hard.
If she knew someone had messed with her glyphs, the element of surprise would be lost. Then again, she had to expect trouble, so maybe that wasn’t such a big problem.
They watched Mrs. E disappear down the path toward the tower site. Liam was about to suggest they move into position when Lina tensed again.
“Another car,” she said sharply.
This one was a dark SUV, newer and more expensive-looking than Mrs. E’s sedan. It pulled into the lot and parked two spaces away from the first car. Two figures emerged. Both were male, and both moved with the confident gait of people used to wielding power.
“They’ve got to be her Venifucus friends,” Liam muttered, recognizing the type, even if he didn’t know the individuals. They had that particular arrogance, that sense of superiority that marked the organization’s members.
The two men headed down the path after Mrs. E, not bothering with stealth or caution. They owned this night, or thought they did.
“Two down, possibly more to come,” Lina said, making notes on her phone. “If Mrs. P was right about three or four helpers...”
“There’ll be at least one more.” Liam checked his watch. “Probably arriving any minute.”
He was right. Less than two minutes later, a third vehicle turned into the lot. This one was a compact car that was dented and old. It was the kind of car that wouldn’t draw a second glance. A single figure got out, smaller than the others, moving with quick, nervous energy.
“That makes four total, including Mrs. E.”
“For the four cardinal points,” Liam said, the pieces clicking together. “North, south, east, west. She’s going to position them around the ritual site.”
“Which means we need to take them out before they get into position.” Lina was already running scenarios, he could see it in her expression. “If they complete the circle, it’ll be harder to disrupt.”
“Agreed.” Liam turned to face her fully. “I think this is your chance to use your rifle. Pick off as many of them as you can before they realize what’s happening.”
“And you?” But she already knew.
“I go in for the kill in my fur. I’ll take down whoever you can’t get a clean shot at.” His jaw tightened. “Between us and Mike’s team holding the line around the perimeter, we can thin their numbers and stop the ritual before they start.”
Lina nodded. “If I get a clear shot at Mrs. E, I’m taking it.”
“Understood.” He pulled her close, kissing her hard and quick. “If the summoning starts despite everything, you get out. You hear me?”
She pulled back, her green eyes fierce. “Like hell I’m leaving you. We’re partners. We do this together or not at all.”
His lion rumbled approval, even as his human side wanted to argue and make her promise to save herself.
But he knew it was pointless. She was a warrior, a protector, and she’d no more abandon him than he’d abandon her.
Plus, if they managed to summon the horror they contemplated, nobody on this island or the surrounding areas would be safe for long.
“Together then,” he conceded. “But we’re both walking away from this. That’s not negotiable.”
“Deal.” She grabbed her go-bag from the backseat, quickly assembling the sniper rifle she’d packed back there earlier today with practiced efficiency. It was a beauty. A custom job designed for precision shooting at distance. She slung it across her back. “Ready when you are.”
Liam grabbed his own gear, which was minimal, since he’d be shifting soon anyway. He’d strip off and stash his clothes once they reached the woods.
They slipped out of the SUV, moving like shadows across the quiet street. The parking lot was still empty, except for the three vehicles. Their occupants had already disappeared into the woods, heading for the tower site.
Liam led the way as they moved deeper into the woods until they reached their destination.
It was a good vantage point on a slight rise that gave them a view of the tower site while keeping them hidden in the underbrush.
They’d scouted this location when they went through the woods the first time, but had decided against using Lina’s sniper skills until now.
Below, they could see movement. Flashlights bobbing in the darkness as the four mages took up positions.
“Four cardinal points, like you said,” Lina murmured, pulling out her binoculars. “Mrs. E is at the north position, closest to us and she looks pissed. She has to realize by now that we dismantled her glyphs. The two men from the SUV are at east and west. The nervous girl is at the south.”
“Which gives you three potential targets from this position.” Liam was already assessing angles, distances. “Mrs. E is maybe seventy yards. The others are further, eighty to a hundred yards.”
“I can make those shots.” Lina’s voice sounded with absolute confidence. “Once I start shooting, they’ll scatter. That’s when you hit them.”
“Fast and brutal. Don’t give them time to reorganize.” Liam started stripping off his clothes, folding them quickly and tucking them into the hollow of a nearby tree. “Mike’s team will close in from the perimeter. No one’s escaping tonight.”
Lina was setting up her rifle, using a fallen log as a brace, checking her sight lines. She worked with calm efficiency, every movement precise. This was her element, her expertise.
Liam stood beside her, naked and ready to shift. The mages below weren’t quite ready yet, waiting for the right time and the go signal from Mrs. E. The cool night air raised goosebumps on Liam’s bare skin, but his lion was warm beneath, eager to be released.
Lina glanced up at him, her expression softening for just a moment. “For luck,” she said, and pulled him down for a kiss that was fierce and claiming, and full of promise.
When they broke apart, his heart was pounding for reasons that had nothing to do with the coming fight.
“Stay alive,” she whispered. “That’s an order.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He could feel the shift starting, his lion pushing forward. “You too.”
Then he let go, let the transformation take him. Bones restructured, muscles reformed, tawny fur rippling across his skin as he dropped to four legs. Within seconds, he was fully lion—massive, powerful, ready to hunt.
Lina’s hand touched his mane briefly, a gesture of connection. Then she turned back to her rifle, settling into position.
Below them, the mages were still moving around a little, getting ready. They had no idea what was waiting in the darkness above them.
Liam’s lion bared its teeth in a silent snarl. They were about to find out.
Lina settled behind her rifle, her breathing calm and controlled. This was familiar territory. She focused on the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, the weight of the weapon against her shoulder, and the cool kiss of metal against her cheek as she sighted down the scope.
Below, Mrs. Entwistle stood at the north point, her back to Lina’s position.
The witch had pulled something from her bag and was setting it on the ground with careful precision.
The other three mages were doing the same at their respective positions, creating some kind of anchoring points for the ritual.
They weren’t too far. It would be an easy shot on a calm night with good visibility. Lina had made harder shots under worse conditions.
She adjusted for the slight breeze, compensated for the downward angle, and let her breathing slow even further. The world narrowed to the crosshairs, the target, and the moment between heartbeats when her shot would be just right.
She sensed Liam’s massive lion form, still and patient. Waiting for her signal. She could also sense his absolute confidence in her and his readiness to move the instant she fired.
Mrs. Entwistle straightened, stepping back from whatever she’d placed on the ground. She raised her arms, beginning to chant in a language Lina didn’t recognize that hurt her ears. The other three mages echoed her, their voices rising in unison.
The ritual was beginning. It was now or never.
Lina exhaled slowly, finding that perfect stillness between breaths.
Her finger tightened on the trigger. The rifle cracked, sounding like a firework in the night.
That wouldn’t raise any eyebrows in this busy area.
There were always kids shooting off big fireworks here and there.
So much so that only the occasional old biddy would ask on her neighborhood app if the kids were at it again.
The shot was perfect, hitting exactly where she’d aimed, but instead of Mrs. Entwistle dropping to the ground, there was a flash of sickly green light, and the bullet ricocheted off an invisible barrier, sparking into the darkness.
Holy shit! The witch had some sort of magical shield.