Page 153 of How to Flirt with a Witch

“Open the door,” Millie says sharply. She steps closer, a wild glint in her eyes. “Did you get access, Natalie?”

Sebastian reaches for her and rests a hand on her shoulder, his expression grim. His arm is mangled and bloody from Wyatt’s attack, and he’s severed his robe at the bottom to make a bandage.

Natalie drops her hands, furrowing her brow at the pair of them. “No. What are you doing here?”

“We were searching the wing and saw you run past,” Sebastian says.

I study the lock. “We came here because the Madsens are about to find this room. We have one last chance to stop them from taking what’s ins—”

“Look, I don’t give a shit what you do and who gets access to it,” Millie snaps. “Just open the door. It’s why you came here, isn’t it?”

Sebastian tightens his grip on her shoulder and addresses me, his brow furrowed. “Do what she says.”

I blink, bewildered. “I don’t—I can’t—”

“What’s going on?” Natalie demands.

“You have the gall to ask me that?” Millie hisses. She swipes a hand over her head and rips off her blonde wig, revealing her bald scalp—the reminder of her chemotherapy treatments. “I’ve suffered for long enough when the cure is right here in the goddamned building. Health and happiness are on the other side of that door, Natalie. Now will you pleaseopen it.” Her voice breaks, and she clenches her fists, her eyes reddening as tears threaten to spill.

My eyes prickle. I don’t know what to say. The cureison the other side of the door—bio magic, the means to restore her health, to mend the bite on Sebastian’s arm, even to stop the searing pain in my ankle. I can’t imagine the suffering Millie has endured, knowing what’s hiding within the walls of this building. And Sebastian, knowing he could fix his wife’s pain if he threw aside his oath and duties in order to break into this room.

Shouts mingle in the distance. A thunder of footsteps drifts closer. The walls rumble with earth magic.

They’re coming.

I clench my fists, and the gauntlet presses against my knuckles—like a message from Natalie’s mother beyond the grave.

“Natalie,” I say, my words sharp. “When bio magic is free—feral—is it hard to capture?”

She hesitates, eyeing me warily. “Nearly impossible. That’s why we have Trackers. They spend their whole lives hunting it down all over the world.”

I nod firmly. “Good.”

The next step in my plan illuminates, as clear and bright as a bolt of lightning.

There are two evils ahead: one in which the Madsens corner us, break into the room, and get what they came for… and the other in which bio magic is set loose, feral once more, wherenobodycan catch it.

Before Natalie can stop me, I spin and raise my fist, lining up the gauntlet with the serpentine door handle. With a grunt, I smash it as hard as I can, the impact reverberating up my arm.

CRACK!

A fissure appears in the handle, the iron splintering under the force of the blow.

“Katie!” Natalie shouts.

I hit it again. The handle clatters to the floor, the sound echoing.

Millie’s breath hitches. She leans forward as if ready to kick the door open and seize the power that’s been denied to her for so long.

I meet Natalie’s eyes, more certain than I’ve been all day. “They’re not going to give up until they’ve taken what’s in this room. We have to set it loose so they can’t steal it.”

She looks past me at the door, panic crossing her face. “It took over acenturyto contain all this!”

“Exactly. If it’s feral, they won’t catch it—but if it’s here, it’s easy to take, and you know how this will end.”

Natalie, Sebastian, and Millie exchange a look, their chests heaving as this monumental decision hangs between us.

Natalie says nothing. She has no argument.