I crossed my arms in front of my chest and jutted out one hip. “Look, Will, I’m not in the mood. Ophelia has kidnapped my best friend.” My voice cracked and my vision blurred, the hot tears rushing over my cheeks. “And it’s all my fault.”
Will stepped closer to me, tried to put his arms around me, but I pushed him away, using the back of my hand to wipe my eyes. “And you’re a horrible guardian!”
“Isn’t she a bit old for a guardian?” I heard Vlad mutter to Alex.
“Vessel thing,” he returned.
Then, “Oooh. She’s got the Vessel?”
“She is the Vessel.”
I pushed my palms flat against Will’s chest. “Get out.”
I felt Alex’s palm on my shoulder. “Wait. Lawson, we need all the firepower we can get. As much as I don’t like it—or him—he is the seventh guardian. He’s avoided Ophelia for this long and kept you alive.”
Will grinned, brushing his fingernails on his shirt proudly. “Haven’t lost one yet.”
“You had to put the ‘yet’ in there, didn’t you?”
“Um, guys? Can we just go find my aunt?” Vlad said from behind us.
We all filed into the living room, filling Will in on what we knew. When we got to the table, Alex unzipped his backpack and started handing out books.
“I thought these just dealt with the Vessel,” I said.
“All of these mention the fallen and all of them were stolen from Ophelia. Might give us some insight into where she took Nina.”
Vlad took the book Alex handed him and looked at the spine disdainfully. “I don’t think this is going to help. I’m sure I can sense her or track Ophelia by her scent.”
“You can track a scent through seven square miles?” Alex asked.
Vlad’s lip curled and he huffed into a chair, pulling open his book angrily.
I pushed away from the table and looked out the living-room window, staring into the slate grey of the sky as it edged into night. Everything was still outside; the world stood motionless. I blew out a sigh.
“Everything okay?” Alex asked, coming up on my left shoulder.
I wagged my head, feeling waterlogged and exhausted from the tears I’d already shed. “It’s going to take forever to get through all these books, and even then all that’s going to happen is that we’ll have an idea of where she may have taken Nina. We won’t have Nina.”
“We’re going to find her,” Alex said solemnly.
“I just feel like Ophelia is constantly one step ahead of us.”
“Well, right now she is. But”—Alex gestured back at the guys, Vlad snapping pages angrily, Will silently moving his lips as he read—“we’re gaining on her.”
I looked hopelessly on.
“We need to do more.” I tapped my index finger against my lips and paced. “I think I have an idea. I think I know a way to get one over on Ophelia.”
I took Alex by the hand and led him into the hallway. “You need to get the Vessel.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
“If you have the Vessel of Souls—if you return it—then Ophelia won’t be after me anymore. She’ll release Nina and everything will be fine.”
Alex put his fists on his hips. “Everything will be fine? We don’t know that Ophelia would release Nina, and anyway, Lawson, you’ll be dead.”
“We all have to make sacrifices.”
Alex grabbed my shoulders and gave me a shake. “Do you hear what you’re saying? No. No, I’m not going to do it.”
“It’s the only way to get rid of Ophelia and keep Nina safe.”
“It is not.”
“Come on, Alex. If we go up against Ophelia, it’s likely I’m going to—”
“Don’t you dare say it,” Alex said between gritted teeth. “Don’t you dare.”
“Maybe this is why you found me.”
“I found you so I could protect you and I sure as hell am not going to let Ophelia win. We’ll figure out another way.”
“I’m beginning to believe there is no other way.”
“This isn’t worth your life.”
“Nina is.”
“We are going to find another way.”
I stepped back, put my hands on my hips. “Okay, so what else do you propose we do?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
Alex followed me back into the dining room, where Will and Vlad were turning pages. Vlad groaned. “Can’t we just go to her house or something? Doesn’t anyone know where Ophelia lives?”
We all wagged our heads.
“So far she’s blown up my father’s house—”
Will knitted his brows. “Oh, I’m sorry about that, love.”
“Don’t be. It wasn’t actually his house. And anyway I think my dad is Satan. Oh, and Ophelia’s my sister.”
Will’s eyebrows shot up. “Now that wasn’t on your getting-to-know-you form. Hell of a family tree.”