pistols pointed at us.
The driver had a rifle slung over his shoulder and nodded for us to go inside the cabin.
I glared at him, but we followed him in. We took turns using the restroom, and I washed my face, which made me feel a little better. I would’ve liked to shower and change clothes. And we all needed sleep, but that wasn’t possible.
A female operative with short brown hair stepped forward. I guessed she was the leader.
“President Anderson said you claim to have no knowledge of the artifact,” she said. “You made phone calls outside Association headquarters. I assume if your mother or aunt was willing to disclose the location of the amber, you’d have traded the information for the release of your friends.”
Bryn and I exchanged glances, but didn’t disagree.
“We have reason to believe the artifact wasn’t taken far from the location of its original discovery.”
“How come?” I asked.
“That’s not your concern.”
“Does President Anderson know you kidnapped us?” I demanded. “Because he acted like we could find the amber on our own.”
A couple of the operatives smirked.
“A good Association president allows the Conclave to work at its own discretion on matters of national importance, which this is,” the leader said. She held out a hand. “Do you know the location of the artifact?”
“I couldn’t reach all the people I needed to reach,” I said.
“Well, until you do, we’ll go ahead with our own plans. But anytime your aunt or mother wants to rendezvous with us to turn over the stone, we’ll be happy to accommodate them.”
I frowned, but didn’t argue. What could I say? That I couldn’t reach Momma by cell phone because there were no cell towers in the Never?
“I’m hungry,” I muttered.
“I’d imagine everyone is,” the leader said, nodding at the team.
One of the operatives, a tall man with buzzed brown hair, laid out food from a cooler while the driver tacked a map to the wall. We ate standing up.
“Pay attention,” the leader said, waving me over. “You’re the key here. This is the pub. You’ll go in alone and order a hard cider. You’ll spend at least an hour drinking, and be sure they know you’re an American looking for a member of your family. If no one approaches you, this is the route you take back,” she said, pointing.
Mercutio, who’d slept the entire drive, was climbing on the furniture and doing his feline acrobatics.
“Hear that, Merc?” I asked.
Mercutio meowed.
“He’s got it.”
“He’s not going with you. You’re going alone,” the woman said.
Try to stop him
, I thought. Mercutio was as slippery as a fish when he wanted to be. “So I’m supposed to drink for an hour and walk back here. Then what?”
“Then we wait. Hopefully the contact will come to the pub when he hears you’re there or will track you back here. If no one does, then tomorrow you’ll go back and have another pint.”
“And then?” Bryn asked. “If no contact approaches her tomorrow?”
“Drink, walk, repeat,” the operative said.
My jaw dropped. “That’s your whole plan? What the Sam Houston?”
“In the meantime, Lyons can walk through the woods with a couple agents. He’s from your hometown. If there are traces of your family magic out here, he should be able to recognize them.”
“You’re as able to detect magic as I am,” Bryn said. “Why don’t you just investigate any traces of magic you find?”
“These woods are old. There are lots of whispers of magic rolling through the place.”
Bryn shrugged and remained silent. I felt the tension in the room build. None of the Conclave members took a step, but it felt like they crowded us nonetheless.
“No harm in taking a walk,” Bryn finally said.
The room seemed to exhale. Except for Zach and me.
I didn’t like the idea of being separated from the guys. All our escape plans depended on our being together, of course.
“Van Noten, this is quite the team you’ve
The driver had a rifle slung over his shoulder and nodded for us to go inside the cabin.
I glared at him, but we followed him in. We took turns using the restroom, and I washed my face, which made me feel a little better. I would’ve liked to shower and change clothes. And we all needed sleep, but that wasn’t possible.
A female operative with short brown hair stepped forward. I guessed she was the leader.
“President Anderson said you claim to have no knowledge of the artifact,” she said. “You made phone calls outside Association headquarters. I assume if your mother or aunt was willing to disclose the location of the amber, you’d have traded the information for the release of your friends.”
Bryn and I exchanged glances, but didn’t disagree.
“We have reason to believe the artifact wasn’t taken far from the location of its original discovery.”
“How come?” I asked.
“That’s not your concern.”
“Does President Anderson know you kidnapped us?” I demanded. “Because he acted like we could find the amber on our own.”
A couple of the operatives smirked.
“A good Association president allows the Conclave to work at its own discretion on matters of national importance, which this is,” the leader said. She held out a hand. “Do you know the location of the artifact?”
“I couldn’t reach all the people I needed to reach,” I said.
“Well, until you do, we’ll go ahead with our own plans. But anytime your aunt or mother wants to rendezvous with us to turn over the stone, we’ll be happy to accommodate them.”
I frowned, but didn’t argue. What could I say? That I couldn’t reach Momma by cell phone because there were no cell towers in the Never?
“I’m hungry,” I muttered.
“I’d imagine everyone is,” the leader said, nodding at the team.
One of the operatives, a tall man with buzzed brown hair, laid out food from a cooler while the driver tacked a map to the wall. We ate standing up.
“Pay attention,” the leader said, waving me over. “You’re the key here. This is the pub. You’ll go in alone and order a hard cider. You’ll spend at least an hour drinking, and be sure they know you’re an American looking for a member of your family. If no one approaches you, this is the route you take back,” she said, pointing.
Mercutio, who’d slept the entire drive, was climbing on the furniture and doing his feline acrobatics.
“Hear that, Merc?” I asked.
Mercutio meowed.
“He’s got it.”
“He’s not going with you. You’re going alone,” the woman said.
Try to stop him
, I thought. Mercutio was as slippery as a fish when he wanted to be. “So I’m supposed to drink for an hour and walk back here. Then what?”
“Then we wait. Hopefully the contact will come to the pub when he hears you’re there or will track you back here. If no one does, then tomorrow you’ll go back and have another pint.”
“And then?” Bryn asked. “If no contact approaches her tomorrow?”
“Drink, walk, repeat,” the operative said.
My jaw dropped. “That’s your whole plan? What the Sam Houston?”
“In the meantime, Lyons can walk through the woods with a couple agents. He’s from your hometown. If there are traces of your family magic out here, he should be able to recognize them.”
“You’re as able to detect magic as I am,” Bryn said. “Why don’t you just investigate any traces of magic you find?”
“These woods are old. There are lots of whispers of magic rolling through the place.”
Bryn shrugged and remained silent. I felt the tension in the room build. None of the Conclave members took a step, but it felt like they crowded us nonetheless.
“No harm in taking a walk,” Bryn finally said.
The room seemed to exhale. Except for Zach and me.
I didn’t like the idea of being separated from the guys. All our escape plans depended on our being together, of course.
“Van Noten, this is quite the team you’ve
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