Page 81 of All's Fair in Love and Magic

But I was going to have to think about it later, because right now, that was the last thing I needed on my mind.

I was about to risk our lives to save my mother, and the witches could still kill her.

The next fiveminutes passed slower than I ever could’ve imagined. Eventually, my phone rang again.

I didn’t breathe as I answered Liam’s call.

“Hey, Clove. I’m with your mom and five other witches right now. I’m sure there are others sneaking around, but she’s fine,” he said.

My eyes stung. “Can you put her on the phone so I know it’s her?”

“Sure. Sage wants to make sure it’s you, Tess.” There was a quiet noise of motion before my mom’s voice met my ears.

“Hey, sweetie. I’m okay,” my mom said calmly. “You don’t need to take down the resort’s wards. I’d rather make sure you?—“

The stinging in my eyes morphed to burning at the sound of her voice, even though someone took the phone from her to cut her off.

“You’re down to fifteen minutes, Sage,” another woman said flatly. It was Jill, the coven’s most powerful charm witch. She was our unofficial leader, though she was too abrasive to be well-liked.

More motion sounded in my ear, and Liam was the one who spoke next. “It’s me again. I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Ready for what?” one of the other witches demanded, her voice muffled with her distance from Liam.

None of them would dare try to steal the phone from him. They were far too smart for that, and he was far too big.

“I’m on my way.” I said, slipping out of the bungalow.

My gaze scanned the resort around me, looking for anything abnormal or out of place.

For once, the ocean’s consistent roll felt foreboding, not relaxing. Every sound had me on edge, waiting for something to go wrong or someone to jump out at me.

“Where are you?” Liam asked.

“Just reached the path,” I said softly.

“Good. Anyone outside?”

“No.”

“She had better be taking down the wards,” Jill snapped.

“Bitch,” I whispered.

Liam gave a rumble of agreement. To anyone who didn’t know him, it would’ve sounded threatening.

“I see the security guys,” I said. “Three of them. They’re wearing the usual uniform. One of them just waved at me. I recognize him, so they should be legitimate.”

They looked threatening, as usual, but that was kind of the point.

“Give the phone to whoever is in charge. Please,” Liam said.

I put the call on speaker and looked between the guys. I didn’t feel like it mattered who I picked, so I handed the device to the guy who had waved. The one I recognized.

“I’m starting now,” I told Liam. “It won’t take long. Let me know if I need to stop.”

“Will do.”

My heart was still pounding as I took a seat in the same bench I had spent countless hours sitting on. Pulling up the anchor and looking at the sphere full of centuries-old magic was instinctual.