I listened as he talked, my stomach turning. I wanted to earn my wings to save my magic and my soul—but this. He was describing terrible atrocities. We needed to help these people.
Finally, he slowed to a halt.
I frowned. “The Rebel Gods have been busy. How long has this been going on? In earnest, I mean. These particular operations. I know they were lying low for a long time, their power depleted.”
“About five years now. They got a big shot of power, and it helped them jumpstart their operations again. They’re smart, and fast.”
“Are there any more records of these activities besides your office at the stronghold?” I asked. We’d want to get every record so we could put a stop to the Rebel Gods’ bullshit.
“I have most of them. There’s also the command center, to the left of the temple. There should be records there, too.”
I looked at Jude. “That enough?”
She nodded, her starry eyes serious. She turned to Ali and Haris, who stood in the doorway. “Take him up onto the lawn and call the Order. Tell them to pick him up ASAP.”
Ali and Haris nodded, then hurried into the room and hoisted the guy up by the arms.
“You can’t send me there!” he cried.
“You just described over a dozen torturous deeds you’ve helped the Rebel Gods commit against humans,” I said. “Sweatshops, slavery, murder. You think we’re not going to turn you over to the law?”
“You’re lucky we’re giving you to the Order,” Cade growled.
The man shrank back, and Ali and Haris carried him out.
I turned to Jude, Hedy, Cade, and Ana. “That was helpful.”
“It was.” Jude frowned. “Except we have no way to siphon that magic from the flame in the stronghold.”
“Without that, we can’t remove the magic that powers the place,” Hedy said. “And we can’t destroy it.”
Ana caught my gaze.
I nodded at her. “We know someone. Phoenix Knight, in Magic’s Bend. She’s a Conjurer who can transfer magic from object to object.”
Hedy’s brows rose. “Really? She must be very powerful.”
“To say the least.” Nix was a serious badass.
“Will they help you?” Jude asked.
We’d already called in one favor with Nix’s friend Cass. She’d helped me find Ricketts’s goons. But I could still count on Nix. “I think so. We helped her once, about five years ago.”
“Then go ask her.” Jude looked at her watch. “It’s after three a.m. here. If you take the portal to Magic’s Bend, you’ll arrive in time to ask them tonight.”
Cade looked at me. “Do you need to rest?”
Sure, I was dead tired. But there was no time. “I just need to get cleaned up real quick. Then we’ll go.”
“Me too,” Ana said.
I nodded. Ana had helped Nix, too.
“Ana and Bree, if you’ll go to Magic’s Bend, I’ll stay behind with Jude, and we’ll do a briefing of what we found at the stronghold,” Cade said. “We need a well-designed attack if we want to destroy the stronghold and get ahold of all their records.”
I nodded, relieved. Cade had gone with me to get Cass’s help before, but it’d be easier if it were just Ana and me. Cass, Nix, and Del were FireSouls, a forbidden sort of supernatural.
They were so powerful that they didn’t have to be very wary anymore, but it was always easier to ask for help when the person you were asking was comfortable. Not bringing the god of war would be better.
After the quickest shower in the history of time and a change of clothes, Ana and I met in the main hall. She wore her new brown leather jacket and boots, while I favored black. The cool Scottish weather had totally switched up our usual wardrobe.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Yep.”
We crossed the lawn, Mayhem joining us as we hurried across the grass. The ham in her mouth was almost entirely intact, indicating that it was probably her second or third of the evening.
Security ham, I liked to call it. Never leave home without one.
We entered the forest, which was still recovering from last week’s terrible spell. Underbrush was dead and the gnarled tree trunks were blackened, but they were slowly recovering. Fairy lights had returned to the forest and seemed to be healing it, so despite the fact that the damage got worse the closer we drew to the portals, I had hope that this place would recover.
We’d even spoken to Jude a couple days ago about eventually re-opening the portal to the Fae realm and helping Rocky and Emrys sort out things with the Vampire Demon Bats.
The portal to Magic’s Bend glowed white, and we approached it.
“Age before beauty.” Ana gestured to the portal.
I grinned. “I’m only a few hours older, dude.”
“Hey, I didn’t make the rules.”
I laughed and stepped through the portal, out into the alley in the Historic District of Magic’s Bend. Ana followed, and we went out onto the main street, where partiers were really starting to get their jam on. All sorts of supernaturals roamed the streets, and no one blinked an eye at Mayhem, who fluttered at my side. A group of girls did coo at her, however.
I couldn’t blame them. Mayhem was cute.
I hailed a cab, and we hopped in.
“To Factory Row.” I glanced at the clock on the dash. Nine p.m. “Potions & Pastilles.”
The cab driver saluted, then peeled away from the curb. We rode in silence to the coffee shop/bar that was run by Nix’s friends. We’d probably find them there in the evening, and if we didn’t, at least we could ask Connor and Claire, their friends who ran the place.
The cab stopped and Ana paid, then we climbed out, Mayhem fluttering behind us.
As expected, the crowd inside Potions & Pastilles was thick. Through the wide glass windows, warm light glowed from the mason jar lamps hanging from the ceiling, and local artwork covered the wooden walls. In the corner, Nix, Cass, and Del sat in their usual chairs.
“It seems things don’t change,” Ana said.
“Fortunate for us.” I crossed the sidewalk and pulled open the door. Music flowed out.
From behind the bar, a young man with floppy black hair and a band T-shirt waved, then his eyes brightened with recognition. Connor.
I smiled and waved, then turned and headed toward Cass, Nix, and Del. They were three of the most powerful supernaturals I’d ever met. Cass, with her red hair gleaming in the light, sat next to Del, a Phantom-FireSoul halfbreed, who had an enormous Hellhound at her feet. Pond Flower, I thought her name was.
Nix, our target, wore one of the funny cartoon cat T-shirts that I remembered. Her eyes brightened when she caught sight of us approaching and she stood. “Bree! Ana!”
Cass and Del smiled and stood.
“Hey.” I waved, feeling a bit awkward now. I really should have made a point to visit them more, or keep in touch, if I was going to start making a habit of asking them for help.
“It’s been so long.” Nix smiled, her green eyes bright. “It’s about time you visited.”
She sat and gestured for us to take two of the big chairs.
We sat just as Connor showed up. “Long time no see! What can I get for you?”
“Coffee,” Ana said.
“Same.” Though I was sure Connor could make an amazing pink cocktail, I was too exhausted. It pulled at my bones, so what I really needed was some caffeine.