“She does, but she needs Roane more than my love.” She glanced over and would’ve caressed the other vampiress’s head if she could’ve. “Her belief in him grounds her. She needs that and she knows it. She’ll always choose him over me.”
Tick. Tick. Tick.
I felt the clock beneath our feet. The time was coming. I had to make my move. I had to do it now.
The Immortal rallied again. She snarled at Tracey, “Leave us. You do not help, you will only hinder.”
Tracey’s eyes shuddered, but she surged away in retreat.
I felt Lucan’s anger. It was broiling to the top. Soon he would break through the time freeze so I hurried to the cage, closed my eyes and let go.
The Immortal gleamed as she lifted a hand. There wasn’t a command, just the will. The door unlocked and Gavin and Gregory were also unlocked from the time freeze.
“Wha—Davy!” Gavin launched himself forward and started to scoop me up.
My eyes flashed at him and he braked. The Immortal’s whites shined at him and he took a breath.
Then I waved my hand to the other door. Wren was unfrozen. Her head jerked up, and her nostrils flared. A wild look shifted over her, and her fangs protruded at me.
Then she stopped and turned back.
Tracey was still frozen.
She swung her head to me. “Undo her.”
The Immortal sneered at her. “She wishes to remain. So be it.”
“Undo her!” Her hands lifted, and her body started to arch.
She would’ve thrown herself on me, but I waved a hand. Her body slammed to the wall from my will. When she would’ve fallen to the ground, I lifted my palm. She rose in the air, and my grip was at her throat. “She remains for her niece. You knew this.”
She snarled again. “Unfreeze her—I will not—”
“You will.” I let her body fall to the ground with a thump. “Or you will die. I will not go against her wishes, not when they rally with one of my sisters.”
“Sisters?” Gavin murmured behind me.
Then I felt the crack beginning. The time freeze thread was starting to unravel. “We must go
or all will be lost.”
“Kates?”
I clasped my eyes shut a moment. The Immortal allowed me this weakness. Something broke inside of me. “We must leave her. I don’t know where she is—”
“Davy!”
Lucan was coming.
I whirled to Gavin and gasped, “I’m weakening. I can’t—”
Gregory was at the door, then through it. Gavin started to follow, but turned back. He saw the problem and with a hardened mask over his face, he swept past me. Picking up Wren, he carried her to the door. I started forward, still leaving Tracey frozen when Wren shouted, “At least let her escape on her own, or do whatever she wants. At least—” The growl melted into a forlorn look. As Gavin paused, right before the door, her shoulders dropped. She finished, “At least, let her decide.”
I felt inside of myself. I didn’t have much magic, but I nodded. “Go!” I yelled at them and unfroze Tracey at the same time.
She jerked out of place, but she knew what was going on. A resolved expression crossed her face. She nodded to me. “Go.”
“Wren is—”