Maybe … There was one other option. The logical choice. The least risky for everyone.
If I could just get out of here without being noticed … I quietly got to my feet, now intent on making less noise than the dead. Luckily, this wasn’t the average closet condo and my room was far from the main living area.
“Wraith?” I hissed.
“Yes?” came the monotone reply.
“Did you see any way out of this place other than the front door? Somewhere we could sneak out without everyone noticing?” Wraith had scoured the entire condo upon entry, taking inventory of all potential exits. I couldn’t be more thankful for his standard protocol than at this particular moment.
“Yes. There is a service entrance off the end of this hall.”
Perfect. “And were you paying attention to Caden when he explained how to get to the underground garage? All those tunnels we needed to take?” I silently berated myself for tuning him out.
“I have entered it into memory.”
I released the lungs full of air. I had my own personal Terminator. Finally. A bit of luck my way. Silently slipping on my winter coat, I crept to the door on my tiptoes. “Come on, Wraith,” I mouthed, cracking open the door. “And don’t make a sound.”
He was on his feet immediately. “Where will we be going?”
My finger flew to my mouth, to silence him. He looked at me blankly. “Be quiet! We’re going to get Julian and Veronique. And we’re doing it alone.”
15. Impasse—Sofie
I stood with my mouth agape, speechless.
“Yes, it’s been rather interesting, watching your precious little human cuckold you,” Incendia purred, a malicious smile curving his lips. Unda and Ventus joined in with a chortle that pained my eardrums.
I finally found my voice again. “I don’t believe you.”
“Really? It’s quite basic,” Terra began. “Evangeline was linked to Veronique through that pendant. You knew that. When the Tribe released her from its curse, it also released Veronique from hers. The curse of her tomb. I’m surprised you didn’t put two and two together. I expected more from you.”
“That was not a curse,” I began breathlessly. “I did that intentionally to preserve her, to—”
“We considered it a curse,” Ventus cut in flatly. “And so we ensured she was released.”
I stood silently, replaying all that I knew of the spell. Chills coursed through my body as realization set in. If this was true, that meant the same magic coursing through Evangeline’s body was in Veronique. She could be turning into Walking Death. She certainly couldn’t be touched by magic. She couldn’t be turned … My knees buckled beneath me and I crumbled into a heap on my pedestal, my hands holding my forehead. After all this. After all we had struggled through. No … no, it couldn’t be real.
I looked up to see Incendia’s eyebrow quirked as he looked from me to Terra, reading my mind. “No? Not real?” With a flourish of his hand, my surroundings morphed again. I heard feet splashing through shallow water a split second before two forms rushed around the bend. I frowned as Evangeline and Wraith passed by me.
“Why are you in the sewer?” I asked. They didn’t answer. They couldn’t hear me. I wasn’t really there. “What are they doing in the sewers, Terra?” I demanded angrily. “Where exactly are they going?” I already knew the answer. I recognized these sewers in particular. They were just below Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. If one knew the path, they would lead right into Viggo’s garage.
The vision blurred and I was back on my pedestal in front of the Fates. “Well, since you asked,” Incendia stepped forward, thoroughly enjoying being the bearer of bad news. “Your spell over that love-struck Bishop failed miserably. He took off to New York to seek vengeance, your dear friend Mage is chasing after him, allowing this troubled foursome the opportunity to run off to New York and try to change the fate of the world. I believe that about covers it.”
“No …” I whispered. Something didn’t make sense, though. “But why is she alone?”
“She’s not alone,” Terra reminded me.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” I rolled my eyes. “Why is she with Wraith and not the others?”
“Because she cares greatly for them and doesn’t want them to die,” Terra explained. “Quite gallant of her, don’t you agree?”
“So … are you ready? We’re granting you one request. One spell. But what will you choose? There are so many fires to put out, aren’t there?” Incendia’s hands clasped together triumphantly.