This was going to work because we all were in it to make it work. Not for ourselves but for everyone else. And the fact that every person on this new council had links across supernatural boundaries meant that it was going to unify us all.
Beth was a good choice, and even if I was on the edge of my seat waiting for her answer, I was glad she was taking a second to think it through.
“Um. I need…” Her voice sounded like she’d been crying. “I need a few minutes to think about it.”
The line went dead.
“Shit,” Shane said, echoing my own thought. “I told you! We shouldn’t have even—”
“She’s texting,” Mr. Dawson said as he held out the phone. Sure enough those three little dots were blinking.
The room went dead quiet as we waited. My heart was beating in my ears as I held my breath. We needed her. Like needed her-needed her. If she couldn’t—wouldn’t come, then we were so screwed.
If she said no, the only other option was Raphael, but he said it himself—he didn’t have much magic and he was tied to Astaroth. I wasn’t sure how much of a detriment that would be to the spell seeing as how I was, too, but it couldn’t be—
“She’s coming,” Mr. Dawson said. His words rolled like a sigh of relief, one that I was sure everyone was feeling. “She said she needs a minute to get herself together, but she’ll pack a bag and be here in the next couple of hours.”
“Oh, thank God.” I rested my head on the table. The rush of relief was so strong I couldn’t even keep my head up.
Thank God.
Dastien ran a hand up and down my back. It’s going to work out. Step by step. We’ll be free of Astaroth.
I turned my head so I could peek up at him. I hope so. Now that we had all the witches, and I was taking it on faith that Cosette would come through, that meant there was only one other element that we needed.
Eli. He had to be our nuclear bomb-sized magical power to get this whole thing rolling.
I sat up, and looked around the table. “Anyone know anything about making a deal with an archon? Because that’s the next thing on my to do list and I’d rather not sell what’s left of my soul down the shitter.” Blaze laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile even though I was filled with dread.
I knew very limited things about Eli. He wasn’t a demon. He wasn’t an angel. He wasn’t good, but he wasn’t bad either.
Everyone said that dealing with the fey was tricky, but dealing with an archon? No one knew what that was going to be like, and with the way my life had been going lately, I had a feeling it was going to be anything but easy.
Twenty-One
My teeth rattled as the car bottomed out for the millionth time. After a bit of discussion on the best practices when making a deal with an archon—which was short given that no one had actually done that before—Dastien and I decided to take a drive to our land. I’d call for him there, and hoped he’d show up. Just because Eli had helped us twice didn’t mean he’d keep saving our asses.
Blaze said that all I had to do was go to a quiet place and meditate. Then I had to ask for him to appear, and if Eli deemed it worthy, he would.
I guessed that’s why I failed so many times during my vision. He didn’t deem my death via a snapped neck from one of the Evil Trinity worthy enough.
So what was worthy in Eli’s eyes? Why was last night different than all the other versions I’d seen in my visions? What rule had Astaroth broken that allowed Eli to take action?
My teeth rattled as we went over another pothole. “We need to get this road cleared before we drive up here again.” I wasn’t even sure my car could make it all the way to the clearing. The undercarriage slammed into the ground with a painful crack. “Shit!” I said as my head slammed into the window. “Thank God I’m a werewolf. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure I’d have a concussion.” I blinked until my vision cleared.
“We can walk from here. But yes, we’ll get it paved once things settle down.”
“I don’t remember it being this bad.” I tightened my grip on the door handle as he slowed. “Is the road worse?”
“Ouais.” Dastien put the car in park and turned off the engine. “There must’ve been some storms while we were gone. Fall is pretty rainy here.”
I got down from the car, my feet squishing in the mud. “You’re not kidding.” Damn it. My favorite Uggs were going to be toast. We definitely needed to cut a road through to the land. I liked being able to come here, even if we were years away from breaking ground.
“We’re not years away. We can get started whenever you want.”
He came around the car and I linked his hand with mine. “I want. As soon as we get rid of Astaroth. I don’t want to wait for anything. Every moment we have here is a gift, and I want to make the most of it.”
Are you okay?