I turned to Danny. “Are you still getting messages from Naomi?”
Danny nodded, his gaze darting back to the larger-than-life celestial being who stood in front of us. “Aye, she’s still coming through. She was describing her whereabouts, but I’m not sure it will help us much. It seems they are locked in a room with crumbling walls, which describes just about every residence in this city. She never got a glimpse of the outside. It is secure. No power can get in or out. Jax has tried to tear his way through, but he hasn’t succeeded.”
“Is it like an apartment, or a bunker, or something else? Ask her to be as specific as she can,” I instructed him.
“I have been doing so.” His voice was strained. “She feels that maybe it’s an old monastery or something of the like. She hasn’t heard any vehicles or casual human sounds, so she is guessing that they’re outside the city limits, somewhat secluded.”
“We have to remember that Enid wants us to find her,” I said. “That’s the only way we can make a swap.”
“Wait.” He held up a finger while pressing another one against his temple. “She was speaking but abruptly stopped. Something’s going on.” His voice rose in accord with his panic.
I reached out and touched him, giving him strength, pouring as much calm into him as I could. “Enid is not going to hurt them,” I assured. “She wants me and only me.”
“This is true,” Leo confirmed, his baritone sounding lovely and melodic. “She will have felt my power, and Jessica has disappeared abruptly off her radar. She will put them together immediately. She will not be happy, but she will find a way to achieve her goals, likely by speaking through your mate.”
Danny nodded slowly, trying to keep his composure. “Yes, I think Naomi’s speaking with someone else.”
“If we don’t think she’s within the city limits,” Rourke said, “we’re going to need to figure out how to get to our next destination. We let Lucas take the vehicle back to the villa.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Leo said. “I can get us there merely on a thought.”
“Well, that’s…handy.” I exhaled. It was actually unbelievable. What incredible power. “Danny is worried about Naomi, so the sooner we find out where she is, the better.”
“I understand,” Leo answered. “But you must not worry overly much.” He directed his comment at Danny. “Your mate is strong.”
“Do you know who she is?” I asked.
“Yes,” Leo said. “I know all who will sit on the Coalition.”
I was both shocked and relieved. “So it’s true!” I exclaimed. “Naomi will take the vampire seat.”
“What? What are you saying?” Danny sputtered. “Naomi will sit on the Coalition?”
“I didn’t mention it before, because it was only speculation,” I told him. “But it does make sense. When she ingested my blood, she became the most powerful vampire after Eudoxia. But Eudoxia can’t take two seats, so it’s up to the power to find the best vampire suited for the job, and that happens to be your mate.”
“My mind just shattered into a million pieces,” Danny said. “This is a lot to take in at the moment.”
“Of course it is,” I told him, patting his back. “It’s probably best not to tell Naomi right now. We don’t want to shock her. She’s got enough going on as it is. It’s going to take her some time to process the news, especially since she’s so used to taking orders from others.” I imagined her denying her place for a while. I was going to have to remind her that she’d learned a long time ago that she was destined for this, when she first spoke to the Hag who spared her life all those years ago, after Selene had sent her on a doomed mission. The Hag had said if she pledged herself to someone, she would live to see the wrongs of the world righted. I wondered if that Hag had been Enid?
That would be a full-circle moment.
“Wait, wait,” Danny said, holding up his finger. “Naomi’s come back. She says she has a message for us. Enid knows you have enlisted the angel’s help. She says this has changed nothing. It’s Jessica’s life for theirs. If you dare to break them out, she will kill them without hesitation.”
I looked to Leo for guidance. “We knew this was her game all along,” I said. “She’s always wanted me. Do we have a chance to defy her if we’re cloaked? A chance to break them out anyway?”
Leo gazed off into the distance for a moment, then turned back. “We are cloaked, so she cannot see our movements. We can achieve many things in this state. But that does not mean she can’t harm the innocents while we are doing so. We risk much if we go against her wishes.”
I sighed. “Jeb told me that if I followed her missives directly, I would die. That means if we let Enid decide how to proceed, we lose our advantage and the outcome might be dire.”
Leo nodded. “I suggest we change the plan without telling Enid. Instead of finding Naomi and the boy, we locate Enid. Once we do, you will have a single chance to state your case, as you did to me. If you can convince her that there is an alternative to ending your life, and a chance to bring her sister back, you will prevail. If not, you will die. I see no other way around it.”
“Wait a minute. That’s not part of the plan,” Rourke said, his voice heavy with emotion. “There has to be another way that doesn’t involve Jessica walking straight into danger.”
I glanced at my mate, knowing this was incredibly hard for him. “Rourke,” I answered calmly, “Leo’s right. There is no other way. I have one chance. I can’t follow her orders blindly, so we have to use the only advantage we have. Even if we were somehow able to rescue Naomi and Jax, she isn’t going away, and my life is still in danger. It’s the only way.” Juanita had told me to make decisions with my heart, and I knew this was the right choice, wherever it led me. Before Rourke could protest further, I turned to Danny. “Tell Naomi to let Enid know we’re ready to make the swap, and we await her direction.” I reached out to grab Rourke’s hand. “We’re cloaked by Leo. Once she gives us the information, we can figure out where she is and try to take her by surprise. I believe this is the only way.”
“I don’t accept that.” We all heard the anguish in Rourke’s voice.
I squeezed his hand. “You’ll be standing right next to me. I’ll state my case, and we’ll see what she says. Leo and Danny will be there too. That’s a considerable amount of power. It will force Enid to listen. I don’t believe she can snatch me right under your noses. It will have to be a compromise in the end.” I nodded to Danny, who seemed to be waiting for us to come to a decision. “Go ahead, contact Naomi.”