Bram crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve already considered that. Go on.”
“I’ve got an idea to both get the potion down Morganna’s throat and trap Mathias.”
“Truly?” Bram raised a brow. “Two super villains in one day. How many battles have you been in, Anka?”
“Don’t you dare belittle her, you sodding dimwit,” Lucan snarled.
Anka sent him a grateful glance, then directed her attention back to Bram. “None, I admit. How many nights have you spent in Mathias’s dungeon?”
“Are you suggesting that you know him better because he tortured you?”
Anka nodded. “Better than you think. I’m not stupid. His biggest weakness is his vanity. He resurrected Morganna, never imagining that she would be too powerful for him to control. If we play on his arrogance, he’ll never suspect that we’re one step ahead of him.”
“Are you certain you really want to be involved?” Bram asked again, glancing up at Lucan. “He may think otherwise, but Lucan is my friend. He’ll perish in every sense of the word if the worst happens to you and your youngling.”
“Morganna isn’t going to let me sit this one out. My life will hardly matter if we allow her wreak havoc at will. She will kill innocents and expose us to all. Then what?” she challenged, looking at Lucan. “You must let me play my role.”
“If I don’t?” Lucan crossed his arms over his chest.
Lucan was calling her bluff. Anka threatening to leave him or face Morganna anyway would accomplish nothing. She loved Lucan, no matter what issues they had to work through. Unfortunately, they had a war to win first.
“Then your youngling will grow up in a very dangerous world—if she gets to grow up at all. And her mother will be quite unhappy.”
Lucan shook his head with an agitated sigh. “Bloody hell. All right, under one condition: The moment that potion is free, you teleport away, back to safety. No questions asked.”
Anka hesitated. She desperately wanted to deliver Mathias one blow, preferably the fatal one. But with a youngling coming, she had to look forward, not back.
“Agreed. I’ll leave administering the potion to Morganna in the hands of others. I will try to avoid fighting. But I think I know how to trap Mathias.”
“Do you?” Bram challenged. “Tell us.”
“We’ll need everyone here first. Every witch, wizard, and human we trust. And the Untouchable. We especially need her.”
“I don’t want Felicia in the middle of this,” Duke objected, glowering. He might be stylish in his pricy designer suits, but he could be intimidating as hell.
“No one wants to be in the middle of this,” Anka argued. “But with Felicia, we’ll have a chance. Without her, even though Morganna and Mathias aren’t pals, they might team up to destroy us. Take away their magic and we have a fight that’s two against many. Then we have a chance.”
No one argued with that logic, though Lucan looked as if he wanted to try. Frustration poured off of him.
She slipped her hand into his. “I’ll do everything in my power to stay safe, but you know this isn’t going to go away if we do nothing.”
With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t like it. But you’re right.”
Anka smiled up at Lucan. He really was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. And one of the best inside, as well.
“Oh, vomit,” Shock muttered beside her.
Please try to be happy. I’ll keep your secret. And I’ll always be here if you need me.
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “Same to you.”
Shock got her message loud and clear. He wasn’t in mate mourning. He wasn’t even terribly bitter. Her instinct that she wasn’t the mate of his heart had been right.
Someday, you’ll find the perfect woman for you. She’ll complete you, put a smile on your face, and pull your head out of the bottle. I’ll be thrilled for you.
Rolling his wide shoulders in his black leather jacket, Shock grimaced. “I’d rather decapitate myself with a razor blade.”
“Want help?” Lucan quipped.
But it lacked the hate that had backed his words before.
“Fuck off,” Shock groused.
“Wait,” Bram objected loudly enough to get everyone’s attention again. “If Felicia is there, none of us will be able to use magic, either. I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
Anka pulled away from Lucan and turned to Bram. “That’s the dilemma. We need to give Felicia a crash course in trusting us all. Without that, the plan won’t work. And we must be quick. Morganna isn’t going to wait long to find me. Another day or two at best, then…I’m afraid we’re in for a war.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Lucan pressed a damp towel to his face and tried to keep his calm. Duke and Marrok had taken aside the human ladies, Sydney and Kari, to drill them in self-defense. Olivia worked in a corner with a spell book, reading feverishly to understand more advanced magic. All of them were doing well. That’s where the happy news ended.
Felicia sat curled up against the far wall, eyes closed, mind obviously focused as he, Shock, Anka, Caden, Ice, Sabelle, the twins, and Bram all took turns trying to use their magic. Raiden had insisted Tabitha sit this battle out, given her coming youngling. They all agreed.
The poor Untouchable looked small with her knees curled to her chest and her petite frame dwarfed by so many warriors. Felicia had let the witches past her trust barrier within an hour. Anka and Sabelle both managed to turn lights off and on, conjure objects, and use magical defense spells easily. Anka had even shown a bit of her impish side and grown a thick floor of Bermuda grass inside Bram’s ballroom, complete with insects. Predictably, Bram had objected. But he hadn’t been able to magically make the out-of-place fauna disappear and restore the wooden floor.
Time was running short. They’d been at this for nearly twenty-four hours, stopping only briefly for food and a few hours’ sleep. Despite the frustration, all the wizards kept trying. Lucan bit back the urge to yell at Felicia that he’d never hurt her. Shock hadn’t held back at all. Caden diverted himself with a hanging punching bag. Ice joined him. Even Bram was unraveling.