“No, but …” My brain wracked the possibilities. “He could … torch it!” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I was positive that’s exactly what he’d do.
“Then the witches will have to come out and he would kill them,” Caden countered without missing a beat. “That wouldn’t be the worst thing.”
My head was already shaking. “No, it’s too dangerous for Veronique.”
“But Veronique is safe in a stone statue,” Amelie turned to stare at me, eyes narrowed. “Right?”
I shifted my weight, my latest deception unmasked. “No … she’s out.”
What? When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me? Max hammered me with a barrage of questions that I couldn’t focus on, given the volume of Amelie’s voice.
“Out?” Amelie repeated. “As in, not safe … not in the statue?”
My head spinning, I put my hands up to silence them all. First, Max. “I’ve known for a long time, Max. Since the jungle. I could’ve told you, I guess. I just didn’t want you worrying. Or doing something stupid like running off to New York and getting yourself killed.” Turning to Amelie, I said, “That’s right. No one else knew except Caden. Not Sofie, not Viggo, or Mortimer or Mage …” In the moment of silence that followed, I explained what happened when the Tribe spell took effect, how I had an out-of-body experience.
“Wow, so … that means she’s been their prisoner all this time?” Amelie said slowly. “Do we even know if she’s still alive?”
“Yes.” I bit my bottom lip while I gathered the courage to divulge my last bit of deceit. The last bit before I was completely free. “I connect with her in my sleep every night.”
“What?” Caden and Max’s combined explosion made me jump.
“I was about to tell you!” I said to Caden, my cheeks flushing, “But Wraith found us too soon.”
He answered me with a stern glare. “Why didn’t you tell me before? I mean, God!” His hands flew above his head. Then he froze, remembering something. His nostrils flared. “That night. The one where you woke up screaming. Complaining about fire.”
I swallowed. “They’re torturing her and I feel it when I’m there.”
Caden closed the distance. “Why didn’t you tell me?” The sudden iciness of his voice threw me off balance.
I turned away, unable to face his anger. “I was afraid you’d tell Sofie and then she’d fly there and start a war. I figured two people suffering was better than millions. They’ve stopped torturing her, anyway. They must’ve realized she’s more useful alive than dead.”
Pulling my face to his chest in a nurturing hug. “Oh my God, Eve! You could’ve told me! I get why you didn’t tell anyone but come on!”
I took a deep breath. “I did tell someone. I told Lilly.”
Caden’s body went rigid. “You told her and not me? Why?”
“Because she’s in Manhattan now and she’s going to help us get Veronique out!”
Amelie dropped to the couch in defeat. “How? The place is fully bound by magic. No one’s getting in there.” I watched a thought unfurl on her face. She turned to somewhere behind me. “Except him.”
I looked over my shoulder to find Wraith standing in the doorway. He must have just gotten there. He didn’t have superhuman speed. He took his time before he sucked the life out of people. But Amelie was right! Wraith was immune to magic. Wraith was unstoppable. The only problem? He wouldn’t go anywhere without me. But he didn’t have to …
“And me. I can get in there.” I could do something. All this time, I thought I was helpless in getting Veronique out. But, for once, I wasn’t a weak, useless human. With this Tribe magic coursing through me, no witch’s magic could touch me. I was like Wraith in that way. Almost dead.
“And me,” I heard Julian’s voice behind me. I turned to see Julian’s slow smile building. “Let me help. I can help. Not only will their magic not affect me but I can get in with my tattoo.”
Tattoo? What tattoo? Max suddenly chirped.
Oh, crap. “Nothing, Max.”
Caden exploded before Max had a chance to question further. “Are you two nuts? We’re not sending Evangeline in there! She’s not immortal, remember? She’ll die!”
“If we don’t get Veronique out of there before they do something drastic, no one is safe. No one at all, Caden,” I reminded him softly. “Think of what Viggo and Mortimer will do if the witches kill her.” He began to shake his head but I was already talking again, my jaw set defiantly and a huge weight lifted off my chest as I committed myself to what I knew was right.