Page 28

“ W hat the hell is going on now?” Shakti groused as she sat down hard at the table, immediately reaching for the tray of pastries.

“Just a little accidental arson,” I replied, cheeks warm.

Shakti paused, pain au chocolat halfway to her lips. “You figured out how to wrangle the whole nest, but not yourself?”

All the Protectors had gathered, including Calliope, though she looked a little worse for wear.

Caden, Seth, and Haru weren’t here this time, and even Murdoch had excused himself.

Yelena and Kendrick notably sat next to each other directly across from me, leaving me between Velda and Shakti, Calliope at the head of the table.

“It’s my fault,” said Velda, giving me a wink. “And it was my couch that suffered for it.”

“She’s going to burn the whole nest down,” Shakti lamented.

“That’s why we need to figure out a way to prevent it,” said Yelena.

“Oh,” Velda added, “I’ve been sorting things out with an eagle shifter who does air tours in Northern California. The Councils move at a fucking snail’s pace, and I figured I would get things rolling instead of waiting for approval.”

“ We don’t move at a snail’s pace,” Shakti pointed out. “We don’t get to know what you’re planning? This is supposed to be a democracy.”

Calliope smacked her hand on the table. “Let’s go one at a time. You guys are giving me a headache. Velda, go.”

“Logan wants to evacuate the kids in case something goes wrong during her heat. We figured an airlift would be the safest route since we can’t use the roads, so I reached out to see if that was a possibility.

He’s on his way here right now. He’ll refuel in Medford, pick up as many as he can here, and drop them at the Seattle nest. We need to keep an eye on the monster and make sure it’s not going to follow them. ”

“I’ll take care of that,” I said.

Shakti turned to me. “How?”

“I’ll distract it. I’m what it wants, and hopefully it won’t pay the evacuation any mind.”

“So we have to coordinate that in the next few hours, then?”

“Yep,” said Velda. “He gave us the weight limit for passengers so people won’t be able to take anything but the absolute necessities, if that.

I have Cora preparing the families here to be ready to leave.

As soon as we’re done with the meeting, we can go help, though I’m sure she has it well in hand.

But before that, we need to figure out a way to stop Logan from burning anything down during her heat. ”

I squirmed, all of them carefully observing me.

Yelena raised her hand briefly, turning everyone’s attention to her.

“We found scripts in the witch book that might be of use. It sounds like they were used to funnel magic. The only problem is finding a way to keep them on Logan’s skin for days at a time.

The ink recipes they provided fade in a day or two. ”

“Use henna,” said Shakti. Our heads swiveled from Yelena to her. “It’ll last way longer than ink. I already have a batch processing. I was going to use it for some of the ladies tonight since they’re forced to hold still and relax while it dries.”

“Would you help us with it?” I asked.

“I’m not trusting the rest of them. I’ve seen their penmanship. Show me what I’m putting on the witch so I can practice.”

A moment later, a knock at the door announced Seth delivering the book.

Yelena swept over to accept it with a quick thank-you.

She opened one of the pages she’d marked and laid it in front of Shakti.

“These ones contain the magic.” She flipped to another page.

“And this one should keep Logan from becoming a mother during all of this.”

A little knot of unrealized anxiety in my stomach loosened.

We had so many other things to worry about, I hadn’t even been focused on the potential for a child.

That was technically the entire point of a heat, but I was very glad Yelena had still been looking into alternatives after the one witch we spoke to denied us the recipe to prevent it.

Shakti stole some of Calliope’s stationary, her smooth hand copying out all of the symbols. “Do we know when the heat is set to begin?”

“No.” I sighed. “Soon, but no exact timeline.”

“I would bet good money that the orgy will trigger it,” Kendrick said, his eyes hot on me.

Desire rolled down my spine and Yelena whacked him in the shoulder. “Stop looking at her like that. We don’t want to set anything off too early.”

“How am I supposed to look at her any other way? Don’t pretend I’m the only one giving her eyes.”

Calliope giggled. “Did hell freeze over and Kendrick actually expressed one of his crushes out loud? I thought he would stew in silent misery forever.”

My cheeks burned. “I am definitely aware of the crush. Might have a little one myself.”

Calliope looked absolutely beside herself with glee, hands pressed to her cheeks, the edges of her smile pushing against them.

“Oh my gods. Fucking finally . I mean, I know he’s not exactly hurting for partnership, but it was getting a tiny bit pathetic, watching him lust after Yelena, and then Logan. ”

“Hey!” Kendrick frowned, almost falling into a pout.

“I call it like I see it.” Calliope shrugged. “So there’s a solid pack forming then? I’m a bit upset no one has been keeping me apprised of these developments. I can’t go collect gossip myself anymore until these little nuggets are on the outside.” She patted her belly.

“I wormed my way in there too,” Velda announced.

“I kind of assumed with the whole ‘couch bursting into flames’ situation,” Calliope said with a laugh. “You guys had better not make me feel like an awkward eighth wheel.”

Even though life or death topics were on the table, it was nice to feel the lightness in the air. Calliope was good at that.

She hadn’t made a peep about wanting to evacuate, even though she’d be safer if she did. Maybe she was more worried about the nest residents.

“I’ll go get the henna prepared,” Shakti announced. “It’s been processing for a few hours already. Logan, I would imagine we’re going to need a lot of symbols to keep your magic under control. Strip down as far as you’re comfortable and we’ll get to work.”

“Can I do anything in the meantime?” Calliope asked.

“Just rest,” I assured her.

“That’s all I do anymore.”

“If you’d like,” said Yelena, “we can bring you down in your wheelchair. I’m sure Cora would be happy to have your assistance with organizing the evacuation.”

Calliope brightened. “Hell yes. I’ll make Murdoch help too.”

I sat quietly while the other Protectors decided who would do what, when, and where.

Kendrick nudged me with his toes beneath the table. “Come here.”

I slipped around the table and sank onto his lap, relaxing when his arms wrapped around me.

“You were starting to smell like burnt flowers. Relax with me until Shakti gets back.”

Yelena departed with Calliope and Velda, collecting Seth, Caden, and Haru on the way, or at least that was the plan according to their conversations.

“Are you nervous?” Kendrick asked, the low thrum of his voice making me squeeze my thighs together.

“That I’ll burn down the nest? Yeah, pretty nervous.”

“We’ll manage it. Every fire extinguisher will be down with you, and surely those witch runes will be good for something.”

“Are you not planning on being there?”

He hesitated. “You still have to invite me. I’m not going to assume I’m part of your heat.”

I lifted my head to brush my lips over his. “I’d like you to be there.”

His mouth was hot against mine, his fingers threading into my hair until the sharp clearing of a throat pulled us apart.

“Stop getting her worked up before I get the runes on her,” Shakti admonished. She set down a tray of henna cones. “Clothes off, witch. I’ll start with your front so you can lie down, but you’ll have to stand eventually, especially while it’s all drying.”

With a sigh, I slipped off Kendrick’s lap, stripping each item of clothing and dropping them onto the nearest chair. Shakti observed me coolly, but Kendrick watched every movement, fire hot in his eyes.

Shakti snapped her fingers in front of his face. “What did I just say?”

“The only way I’m not going to stop myself from looking at her like that is if I leave.”

“Then leave,” Shakti deadpanned.

“Call me if you need me,” Kendrick ordered, planting a quick kiss on my temple before departing.

“You can lie on the couch for the first bit if you want,” Shakti told me. “Probably more comfortable than the table.”

I tugged cushions off the couch and loveseat, lying atop several of them, but leaving one for Shakti to kneel on.

“Let me know if you need me to stop anything, but otherwise I’ll work through until we’re finished.”

I nodded and she cleaned my skin with witch hazel.

“Let’s start with keeping you child-free.” I held the book on my chest while she diligently copied the complex script until it filled the space beneath my belly button to the start of the thatch of hair. She glanced up at me. “Doing okay?”

“Yep. Thank you.”

Shakti went back to work, covering my chest with intricate patterns. “You know, I was skeptical of you from the start.”

Nerves tripped in my belly. “I might’ve noticed that.”

She gave me a bemused smile, switching one henna cone for another, leaning over me. “I didn’t realize how stagnant we had gotten. It happens unfortunately often with beings who live as long as we do. We needed the shake-up.”

“I didn’t mean to shake quite so hard.”

“I won’t thank you for bringing things to head between Kendrick and Yelena, but I do think it was an inevitability.

They’ve been cordial since then.” She nudged my knee until I opened it so she could mark the symbols down my inner thigh.

“I also have to admit your methods have been helping with the residents. I’ve overheard them talking about it multiple times, how much fun they’re having, how grateful they are to have something to keep their minds off of everything. ”

“Really? I haven’t been able to check in with too many of them about it.”

Shakti nodded. “You’ve been busy recovering. I’m the one who’s been in the nest trenches during all of the chaos. I won’t lie and say there haven’t been challenges, but even with all the danger you brought, it’s impossible not to also see the positive changes.”

“So you hate me a little less?” I asked hopefully.

“I don’t hate you at all. And even if I did, I’d have put all of that aside while doing this. Kendrick has been almost alarmingly honest about the entire situation, so I understand it better than you might think I do.”

I hadn’t expected Shakti to be so open with me, but I was grateful she was willing to build a bridge. I was more than happy to meet her in the middle.

While she worked, we talked. My plethora of lovers dipped in and out, making sure we had drinks and snacks.

I told her all about my life growing up, and she shared the same, talking about the nest her family was already working on in Colorado and how excited she was to go there when this was all over.

When she was finished with my front, I was forced to stand and she covered me with more scripts down my back, arms, and legs with a quick, steady hand.

I had hundreds of sigils decorating my skin, but we couldn’t be too safe.

The last thing we needed was having to do a fire evacuation on top of everything else.

“All done.” She set aside the final henna cone and surveyed her work. “Don’t you dare smudge any of it. It has to stay on at least for two hours, but preferably twelve. Stay upright as long as you can.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a cheeky grin. The sound of a helicopter came from overhead and my smile faltered. “I should’ve said goodbye to everyone before doing this.”

“You’ll see them again,” Shakti promised.

“You don’t know that.” I swallowed hard.

“I know you’re a survivor. You’ll make it through this and restore the nest.”

My lip wobbled. “Really unfair of you to cover me in henna when I want to hug you.”

She offered me a soft smile. “Maybe that was my plan all along. I have to go help. You’ll be heading out to distract the monster?”

“Unfortunately, yeah.”

I didn’t relish wandering through the nest naked except for the henna, but it couldn’t be helped. Shakti and I went down to the main level together, going in opposite directions from there.

The helicopter landed and it was absolute chaotic cacophony. Nest residents cried as they loaded up their children.

I diverted to the gates where the monster sat, light and shadow writhing in shards that looked sharp enough to slice me down to the bone.

It rotated, pouring all of its focus onto me as I slowly walked to the opposite side of the nest from where the helicopter was being loaded up.

Thankfully, the creature followed. Its tendrils snaked up the warding like some fucked-up demon octopus and I fought the urge to bolt away.

“Why do you want me?”

The only answer forthcoming was its unholy shriek that had my heart jackhammering against my ribs. It threw itself hard against the wards. Frustration, fury, and pain rolled off it like raindrops down a roof.

So much negativity embroiled in all that light and shadow.

I almost felt sorry for it.

Weeping reached me, even above the sound of the helicopter. I hated not being able to say goodbye, but I had to hope Shakti was right.

I would see them again.

I just had to survive long enough to do so.