bang her forehead against a wall. They'd been so focused on the incursions into Luke's territory that it hadn't occurred to anyone that the witches could be working outside of it. The evidence they’d gathered had meant to lead them to think the territory was being invaded. Ava had played them. "So who's territory is it?" asked Mel.
Luke shook his head. "No one's. Pack territory only stretches to the river. Beyond it is unclaimed, though no one will touch it with us so close."
The intricacies of territorial law were lost on Mel. She much preferred living where she liked without a thought for the politics. "Then let's roll the fuck out and put the hurt on Ava and her minions."
"We need a plan," Maya objected.
"She's right," said Krista. "Unless you want to be cursed into oblivion."
Mel had a plan. Kill as many of those fuckers as possible. How hard could it be?
"So what do you suggest?" asked Luke. "As I assume you'd be the best equipped to fight witches."
Krista took a seat at the bar. "My idea is damn near suicidal."
Mel perked up. Dangerous was good. They'd never beat Ava by playing it safe. But she glanced over at Luke and saw that his face was a mask of concern. Maybe suicidal wasn't what she wanted. Not if it meant that the morning in the shower was the last time that they would be together.
Mel stepped next to Luke and grabbed his hand. She didn't want to be alone. Luke gave her a squeeze as they listened to Krista lay it out.
"The margin for error is zero," Krista warned. "But it's our best shot to hit Ava when she tries to draw power from the Well."
"You mean let her take power from some magic freaking nuclear bomb?" Brynne scoffed. "How do we know that you're not working with her again?"
Luke held up his free hand to silence Brynne. No one dignified her accusation with an answer.
Krista continued. "There will be at least thirteen witches and they're all going to be focused on Ava. Frankly, I doubt she brought many more than that. The vampires are her firepower, her cannon fodder. They're going to keep hitting town, trying to keep us here."
"It's her MO," said Mel. "Why waste her people when there are others to spare?"
"She can't pull the full power of the Well unless Luke gives her ownership of the Scarlet Emerald. But she'll have more than enough power to destroy this county before we even realize we're dead. The ritual to pull in the power takes seven minutes from start to finish. We need to break through the circle and incapacitate or kill as many members of the coven before it's finished."
"How many?" asked Maya. "And how?" The concern in her eyes was for more than just the battle. She was looking at Krista the way Luke looked at Mel. It seemed that both she and Krista might have something more to live for after this was all over.
"It takes a minimum of seven witches to survive pulling magic from a Well," said Bob. Even Mel hadn't known that.
"Do you know when they're going to do it?" Luke asked. The tension in the room was thick. All of these lions hated being forced to react and Mel agreed. She wanted to punch someone, claw something, just fight and win. Standing around while their enemy got more powerful was the last thing she wanted.
"They'll act at dusk." Krista didn't sound sure, but she didn't try to couch her statement.
"How do you know?" Maya asked gently. She surreptitiously glanced around the room as if waiting for anyone to doubt Krista.
"It's magic 101. The four best times to do any major spell are midnight, noon, dawn, and dusk. We've passed noon and by midnight we would have had enough time to regroup." Krista glanced down at her watch. "We've got three and a half hours until full-dark. If I were Ava, I'd act as soon as possible."
"Alright," Luke sunk a world of authority into his voice. "Jonas, I want every fighter that we've got. Split them into two groups. A quarter to guard the town, three quarters into battle. Brynne, get everyone who isn't a fighter and station them in
Luke shook his head. "No one's. Pack territory only stretches to the river. Beyond it is unclaimed, though no one will touch it with us so close."
The intricacies of territorial law were lost on Mel. She much preferred living where she liked without a thought for the politics. "Then let's roll the fuck out and put the hurt on Ava and her minions."
"We need a plan," Maya objected.
"She's right," said Krista. "Unless you want to be cursed into oblivion."
Mel had a plan. Kill as many of those fuckers as possible. How hard could it be?
"So what do you suggest?" asked Luke. "As I assume you'd be the best equipped to fight witches."
Krista took a seat at the bar. "My idea is damn near suicidal."
Mel perked up. Dangerous was good. They'd never beat Ava by playing it safe. But she glanced over at Luke and saw that his face was a mask of concern. Maybe suicidal wasn't what she wanted. Not if it meant that the morning in the shower was the last time that they would be together.
Mel stepped next to Luke and grabbed his hand. She didn't want to be alone. Luke gave her a squeeze as they listened to Krista lay it out.
"The margin for error is zero," Krista warned. "But it's our best shot to hit Ava when she tries to draw power from the Well."
"You mean let her take power from some magic freaking nuclear bomb?" Brynne scoffed. "How do we know that you're not working with her again?"
Luke held up his free hand to silence Brynne. No one dignified her accusation with an answer.
Krista continued. "There will be at least thirteen witches and they're all going to be focused on Ava. Frankly, I doubt she brought many more than that. The vampires are her firepower, her cannon fodder. They're going to keep hitting town, trying to keep us here."
"It's her MO," said Mel. "Why waste her people when there are others to spare?"
"She can't pull the full power of the Well unless Luke gives her ownership of the Scarlet Emerald. But she'll have more than enough power to destroy this county before we even realize we're dead. The ritual to pull in the power takes seven minutes from start to finish. We need to break through the circle and incapacitate or kill as many members of the coven before it's finished."
"How many?" asked Maya. "And how?" The concern in her eyes was for more than just the battle. She was looking at Krista the way Luke looked at Mel. It seemed that both she and Krista might have something more to live for after this was all over.
"It takes a minimum of seven witches to survive pulling magic from a Well," said Bob. Even Mel hadn't known that.
"Do you know when they're going to do it?" Luke asked. The tension in the room was thick. All of these lions hated being forced to react and Mel agreed. She wanted to punch someone, claw something, just fight and win. Standing around while their enemy got more powerful was the last thing she wanted.
"They'll act at dusk." Krista didn't sound sure, but she didn't try to couch her statement.
"How do you know?" Maya asked gently. She surreptitiously glanced around the room as if waiting for anyone to doubt Krista.
"It's magic 101. The four best times to do any major spell are midnight, noon, dawn, and dusk. We've passed noon and by midnight we would have had enough time to regroup." Krista glanced down at her watch. "We've got three and a half hours until full-dark. If I were Ava, I'd act as soon as possible."
"Alright," Luke sunk a world of authority into his voice. "Jonas, I want every fighter that we've got. Split them into two groups. A quarter to guard the town, three quarters into battle. Brynne, get everyone who isn't a fighter and station them in
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