“This is your only warning.” Her father’s face disappeared, the phone switching to black as the call cut off.
Piper’s hand shook, making the phone quiver, then slowly sunk to her side. “He’s a monster.” Her voice was a whisper, not really speaking to any of them.
Jace lurched forward and grabbed her by the shoulders to spin her around and hold her tight… but it was like holding onto a wildcat. She turned, claws out and slashing across his shirt before he even realized what was happening. Blood spread across the white linen, but the slicing pain was nothing compared to watching her flail out of his grasp, growling and crying and sobbing all at once.
“Piper… Piper, stop it,” he stammered.
She pointed an accusing finger at him. “You don’t know him! He’ll do it! He’ll take both of them…” Her shaking hand fell back to her side, defeated.
Jace edged closer to her, hands out, not moving so fast this time. “Let me help you.” He gestured to Olivia. “The coven can do another seeking spell—”
Piper’s eyes widened, and if it was possible, her face went even more pale. Ghostly. “I’m not doing that again.”
Olivia stepped forward. “You don’t need to. The memory is vivid enough in my own mind now—with my Aunt Gwen’s help, we could do the seeking spell without you. The only thing is… we would have to do it with the whole coven. Aunt Gwen says she can draw more magical energy from inside the Damon Design office, with all the witches there at once, even if they’re not all involved in the spell.”
Jace turned back to Piper. “See? We can do this. We’ll find him.”
Piper was shaking her head in a small quivering motion.
Jaxson took Olivia’s hand in his. “We’ll do what we can, but it’ll probably have to wait until morning. I’m pretty sure Damon Design is closed for the day.”
“The morning?” Piper gasped, her voice rising again. “I can’t wait until then! You heard him—he’s going to pull Daniel into the same secret program that has taken Noah. He’ll do it no matter what I say, no matter what I do, just to spite me. I have to move now!” She turned to storm towards the door.
Jace lunged after her, catching her by the elbow. “Wait! My brothers will call Daniel and warn him.”
Piper whirled on him, but this time her claws stayed sheathed. “He won’t believe you!”
“Jaxson will convince him.” Jace motioned subtly to the others in the room, who were quickly getting the hint and filing out to the kitchen. He kept his voice calm, in spite of the rising panic of his wolf pushing to get out. “We have to give Olivia time to do this right. Just until the morning. Then we’ll know if the coven can find him or not.”
She was back to shaking her head again. “I have to get back to the Senator’s office… I have to find out where they’re keeping Noah before it’s too late…” There was a dazed look in her eyes, crazy and in pain, and it tore through Jace to see it.
“It’s too dangerous, Piper.”
“You can’t stop me!”
Jace sighed. “No, I can’t stop you. But, please, just give me a couple minutes. Give me a chance. We can talk in private.” He tilted his head toward the stairs and prayed she would just grant him this one thing. He just needed to get her away from the door and cooled down, so he could figure out how to keep her from running off again. Because he had a sick, sick feeling in his stomach that if he didn’t stop her this time, she would be the next one to disappear.
And he would lose her forever.
To his immeasurable relief, she gave him one, small nod. “Five minutes,” she said, thickly, her eyes glazed.
“Five minutes,” he agreed, holding back the smile that wanted to burst forth.
She dully walked up the steps, and he followed close behind. She was in pain—he could tell by each heavy step—and he would give anything to erase that.
Piper’s feet seemed to catch on every small bump in the polished wood floor of the safehouse hallway. Jace led her to one of the many, identical rooms—once she was inside, she realized it must be his bedroom. The sheets on the bed were rumpled, as if he had just gotten out of it… or perhaps never made it. Clothes were strewn haphazardly around the room.
Jace closed the door behind them.
Piper turned to face him, the dull weight of the Colonel’s words and threats still pulling her down like a boulder around her neck. “You have five minutes, Jace River.” She was so tired. She needed to catch her breath and clear her head, before she would have any chance pulling off this idea of infiltrating the Senator’s office.