I snorted. That was an understatement. “Does anyone here have any idea what Luciana was calling up?”
“A high-level demon,” the older woman, Yvonne, said. “Luciana went dark some time ago, but I swear, we here had no idea it was this bad. Daniel made his sacrifice just in time. Otherwise, we’d all be dead.”
I noticed the tables filling up around us, and fought back a smile. They’d come to like the witches. They just needed some time.
“We couldn’t have fought it?” I wanted to be extra clear.
She shook her head. “Not and lived.”
“So what do we do?”
“That’s what we’ve been talking about,” Cosette said. “The fey have magic, but anything that could counter demons was lost a long time ago.”
“We need to find ancient white magic again,” Elsa said.
“Where would we even start?” I asked.
“Peru,” said a voice behind me. I turned to see Muraco. His wrinkles were a little more defined today. Was it a result of the fight or was he aging that rapidly?
“Peru?” I asked.
“The Incas were supposedly deep into both the dark and the light. Some say their white witches fought the lords of the underworld, but there’s no way to know whether that’s true,” Claudia said.
“It’s true,” Muraco said. “But finding mages who know the old ways and getting them to show you their magic—that will be no easy task.”
I chewed on my lip. Going to South America sounded like a terrible idea. I’d been through an ordeal, and I needed to rest before Luciana came back with reinforcements. I wanted that time with Dastien. And when the full moon came, we needed to be here to finish our bonding ceremony.
Plus, I couldn’t leave with Luciana gathering more support. The vampires would be back. And who knew what was going on with the wolves who’d taken off.
There was no way I could go. “I can’t. It’s impossible—”
“Who says it has to be you?” Muraco pulled out an empty chair. His knees creaked as he settled down.
I opened and closed my mouth a few times. I’d been the one on the spot so many times these past few weeks, I’d just assumed it would be me. Which was totally egotistical. “No one.” I tilted my head. “Who then?”
“Claudia De Santos. You were born of magic. I think the mages will like you.”
She scooted away from the table, her chair screeching against the floor. “Me? No. I’m nothing special. I help others with their magic. That’s what I do. I enhance others.”
That was true. Back when I first met her, my bond with Dastien hadn’t been that strong. She’d helped me strengthen my own abilities so I could find him when he was in the vampires’ den. Plus she’d seriously come through for me with the jars. If I hadn’t gotten my powers back when I did, I might not be sitting here.
Yvonne laughed. “And you think that means you don’t have power?”
“I…I…yes?” Claudia said. Her face was pale as she looked from Muraco to Yvonne to me and back again. “But saving us is Tessa’s path.”
“No. Tessa’s path is to serve as the leader of all. An ambassador that each community can look to for guidance,” Muraco said. “But she can’t guide the packs and covens at the same time.”
I clapped my hands. “Thank you. Thank you. Finally someone with some sanity.”
“That’s not getting you out of your position,” Muraco said.
I stopped clapping. Now that was a major downer. “Right.”
“I will take you back with me to Peru, and then we will go our separate ways. You will find the answers in the mountains.”
“I’ll go with her,” Raphael said.
“The mages in my country appreciate spiritual quests, but those are solitary things,” Muraco said. “This is something Claudia must do on her own.”
Raphael narrowed his gaze at Muraco, but Claudia placed her hand on his arm, stopping the argument before it started.
“Yes. She’s been hiding her light,” Yvonne said to Raphael, patting his hand. “It’s time for her to find it. And in doing so, she’ll find the answers to save us.”
Claudia looked at me with wide eyes, slowly shaking her head. “I feel for you,” I said. “I really do. But I have to say, I’m glad it’s you instead of me this time.”
“This is going to be a disaster,” Claudia said, rubbing her forehead.