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“Holy hell, Kess,” she whispered, watching him move the giant metal beast that had to weigh several tons all with his mind. “That is a cooler power than I have.”

Kessler grunted, not with effort from moving the truck, but just with typical Kessler speak.

Grabbing the lantern they had set up nearby as Kessler had double-checked everything, she followed the truck and both men to the area near the gate.

“You think moving a metal object is better than warfare and guiding the dead?”Kian asked, his voice full of disappointment.

“Sure is.” She smiled at Kian, feeling some relief that they were making small steps toward leaving. “Do you see Kessler having to deal with you?”

At those words, she walked faster to where Kessler was slowing the truck, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. A concerning sight with the freezing air surrounding them.

“Are you going to be able to get us to Tanwen?” she asked, reaching out to touch his arm, her fingers hesitating for a second before she remembered that she could touch him without a vision.

As she laid her hand on his arm, he nodded.

“I am getting better. There had been some trial and error, but the concentration is more from trying to move this thing while not making a noise between buildings in the dark. Open road? No problem.”

That made sense.

Looking at her watch, it was time for the others to be here. Justin broke through the darkness first with a mini personal armory and his bag. Finian nipped at Justin’s heels before jumping into the cab of the truck the moment Kessler opened the door and took a seat. Bryn tried not to laugh as Kessler whisper shouted for Finian to get out of there.

Sage followed soon after with more books and herbs, a sad look on her face as she gave her possessions to Kessler to load. Bryn gave Sage a side hug knowing it was hard for her friend to have to give up so many books since there was only so much room.

Declan moved on silent feet, something that had always astonished her for a man of his size, as he handed off a crate of provisions from the Cauldron to Kessler.

“How will we make everything fit? This is too large, and with all the people, bags...” Kessler furrowed his brows as he looked back to the truck.

Declan slung a pack off his back, opening it up to show that it was empty.

“Turns out one of my powers is quite a boon when escaping hell.” He smiled, his teeth white in contrast to the dark night. Taking Sage’s books and herbs, he packed them into the backpack.

“What about your items?” Sage asked, watching him with curiosity as Niamh came around the corner after having done what she needed to do in handing the reins of the Sanctuary over.

“Already in there.” Declan smiled and grabbed Bryn’s bag from the bed of the truck, putting it in the backpack that should have been overly full by now. “It’s like another pocket of reality, or whatever shit Callum went on about when I was barely listening. Anyway, I have all the space in the world once I open up a pocket, and here we are.” He showed the stuff he had just put in was gone, the backpack still looking empty.

“I will kill you Declan Rafferty if anything happened to those books!” Sage growled, only earning a wink from the man in response.

Jace was the last one in, pulling a duffle over his shoulder full of his personal items while holding his medical bag in his other hand. He stopped when he realized everyone was already gathered and cautiously handed his belongings to Declan, who made them disappear.

“What in the—” Jace started but was cut off.

“You think to leave? Before you’ve fulfilled your own prophecy?” Danu interrupted, and everyone turned to the little old lady standing in front of the truck looking quite a bit more formidable than she ever had before with her eyes narrowed and hands clenched at her sides. The power she was radiating toward them was mind-numbing.

They thought her frail and that they could easily get past her when the time came, but Bryn knew they were wrong. The old lady facade was all an act, and Bryn remembered how Arawn stated he could change his appearance as needed.

Bryn could just bet that Danu could as well.

The tingly sensation that had run over her sensitive skin ever since right before the sandstorm was now threading through her muscles, attaching itself to bone and making her nervous system hum.

Cold chills ran down her spine as her hands and feet began to feel far colder than the rest of her. Her fight-or-flight instinct started to pump adrenaline into her blood as she turned to the gate, ignoring everyone else as her attention went to where Travis was on lookout.

Finian moved up beside her with a low growl, his hackles rising along his back.

“Bryn?” Declan’s voice cut through her thoughts, and she shook herself free of the sensation that tried to hold her in its thrall.

“Something is coming,” she responded. “We need to move rightnow.”

Chapter 41