Her First Mistake

Chapter Sixty-Eight: A Little Too Important

    My fingers rubbed the crimson leather. Tate gathered his supplies nearby, stuffing them all into his backpack. I stared down at the leather jacket. I'd been wearing it when Dani captured me. It was covered with dried blood. I set it on my lap with a sigh. 

   Tate opened the closet door. My staff leaned against the wall inside. He pulled it out and offered it to me. Relieved, I grasped the wood. It was incredibly relieving to be back in my possession, but there was something missing.

   "The magic-blocking spell hasn't worn off yet," I muttered. I flexed my fingers. Normally, coming into contact with my staff would force a response from my magic. There was nothing.

   Tate's eyebrows pulled. "How long has it been?"

   "At least thirty-six hours." I felt naked without the bank of power that usually sat in the back of my head. The humming . . . it was gone. My head was oddly quiet. I didn't like it.

   "I'm sure it will come back."

   "We've got less than forty-eight hours before we face Dani. What if it's not back by then?" I clenched my fists. "I don't like not having it."

~

   Daniella ended up having to transport the five of us to Anchorage. She'd given me an odd look when I didn't offer to help. She had to know that I was still powerless. I gripped Tate's hand tightly as we materialized outside Anchorage. For a moment, I saw the night. I saw six Enforcer bodies on the road. And I saw Dani standing above them.

   I blinked my eyes clear, shaking my head. Tate walked forward, pulling me with him. After a few paces, his hand tightened. I looked at him oddly. He'd shut his eyes.

   "They're right. Anchorage's barrier amplifies Enforcers." He rubbed his chest, right above where his new tattoo sat. "That feeling . . . I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

   "So you're overpowered, now?" I felt my lips curl up. "What will that change for you?"

   "The time it takes to shift forms will probably be cut way down," he mused. "And I've have more stamina for shifts. Maybe even be able to hold a hybrid form for more than a few minutes. My strength and speed, too, feel different. My senses." His nostrils flared. "It's . . . incredible."

   Daniella snapped her staff back onto her back. I'd been forced to wear the same contraption, seeing as I couldn't put my staff away. It sat like a backpack across my shoulders. The straps combined into one piece of sturdy Kevlar. A button on my shoulder would release the clasps around my staff.

   It was a slow, ineffective method of carrying a staff. I hated it. No wonder Alexie found a different way to transport a staff. Yuck.

   "Jennifer and Zain have been trying to gather forces for the fight," said Daniella. "But word made it to the Council. They're apparently being a little pissy."

   I ground my teeth. "Fine. I'll take care of them. Caze, Erlan, get to Jennifer and explain what you figured out about the bracelet. Daniella, you come with me. They'll probably listen if you're with me."

   "Probably right," she muttered. 

   Caze and Erlan split off, heading for wherever Jennifer seemed to be. I started down the street, my feet almost stamping in my frustration. Bloody hell. These Councilmembers are way too much trouble. This whole operation is to protect them. If any of them are stupid enough to not listen, they apparently aren't worth the trouble.

   I threw open the doors to the City Hall. The bird shifter at the desk bolted upright in alarm as I made my way inside, Tate and Daniella on my heels. "Wait, what are you--"

   "Don't," I snapped at her. "Hit that panic button and you'll regret it."

   The blood drained from her face. I moved past her desk and down the hall, towards the courtroom. An Enforcer skidded into the hallway. It was the shifter I'd met before -- the one that had been involved in our discussion of the door.

   "What are you doing here?" He asked, alarmed. 

   "Talking to the Council." I shouldered past him. He narrowed his eyes, stepping in front of me. 

   "Not without an appointment, you aren't."

   "Too bad. I'm afraid this is a little too important for an appointment."

   Tate lifted his hand when the Enforcer opened his mouth again. He pulled down his shirt, exposing the emblem, which caused the Enforcer to stutter enough for me to get past. Finding the doors, I grabbed the golden handle and forced it open. Their lack of security right now is astounding.

   The Council had apparently been in the middle of a meeting because the cacophony of voices died as I entered. All heads swiveled in my direction.

   "What's this about you being stubborn?" I asked, my voice ringing through the silence. "We show up with a plan to keep you alive and you refuse?"

   A few of them shot to their feet. "What the -- you're responsible for this?" A witch barked, aghast. 

   I ground my teeth. "Dani and her forces are going to be here in less than two days. They're damn intent on killing every one of you. Don't you think it's best that you get away from here?"

   "On what grounds do you believe this?" A shifter asked. She rose to her feet, hands against the bench. "What information could you possibly have that we don't? We see no signs of such an attack. They'd be incredibly reckless to attack Anchorage."

   "I heard Dani say it herself," I fired back. Half-truth, but whatever. I don't care. "She and her friends -- who all happen to be as amped up as Enforcers when in the barrier -- are going to be here."

   "You know about the barrier's ability." It was Mark. My head turned to look at him. I pressed my lips and nodded. My gaze seared into his, pleading for him to listen. To trust me. He studied my face.

   "If you don't hide, you're going to get hurt. The fight is going to be in the city. It's the only chance we have to be on even fighting grounds as Dani and her goons." I looked away. "I'm only going to tell you this once. Hide or run. Dani's serious about killing you. And, as much as I hate it, she's powerful. She could very well get past our defenses and straight to you. If that happens, you're dead."