could hardly forget something like that. “You’d better ring them, then, because it’s unlikely they’ll be the High Council’s first priority given what has happened in Lincoln.”
While he made the call, I walked across to the wall that mapped out the Yorkshire area and found the main gate. Its rune was larger and a dark red rather than the gold of the other gates. Its color reminded me of dried blood, which was somewhat apt given if that gate ever opened, our blood would be flowing across all of England.
I raised a finger and lightly touched the rune. It was inert. I skimmed the rest of the map until I found an open gate and then touched that, just to compare. It felt like I was touching lightning.
Did that mean I could tell which gates were close to opening even just by touching them? I guess there was only one way to find out.
I slowly traversed the room and checked each of the runes. None of the closed gates sparked. Not until I reached the map detailing the southeast portion of the country and Greater London.
Three of the four gates there sparked even though their runes were still backward, indicating their closed state. The fourth was a known active gate.
I swore and thrust a hand through my tangled hair. At least none of the runes were currently blinking, and that meant we still had time. How much was the damn problem. Why on earth would Mryddin and the kings bury this place to protect it and then forget to leave a whole bunch of instructions on how to use it? My gaze went to the scrolls on the table. It was possible the instructions were somewhere amongst that lot, of course, but did we have the time to uncover and then transcribe them?
Maybe. Maybe not.
I sighed—a sound that was pure frustration—then sent a quick text to Mo to let her know what I’d discovered. She wouldn’t be near London as yet, but she’d at least have the information at hand when she met with the High Council.
“Problem?” Luc said, as he got off the phone.
“The inactive gates in Greater London are fizzing under my touch. I think it might mean they’re about to open. If I’m right, it means the demons are about to hit London en masse.”
His gaze went to that portion of the map. “The demon images near the Horn’s Green gate aren’t glowing.”
“That’s not unexpected if they are planning a mass attack. They wouldn’t do anything that would give us a warning. Were you able to get through to anyone?”
He nodded. “Jerold said he’d warn the palace team, then contact the council. If the Greater London gates are on the verge of opening, and they do attack the palace en masse, we’ll need help to counter them.”
“Why not just move the royal family to a more secure location?”
“They probably will if it’s deemed absolutely necessary, but it’s doubtful there’d be many places as secure as the palace.”
Because Layton—the very last witch king—had handed his human descendants the means of curtailing any magical attacks. “Darkside won’t attack it magically—they’ll try to overwhelm it with sheer bloody numbers.”
“Yes, but there are enough witches on staff to keep the barrier spells viable. And both the palace guards and the Blackbirds on duty there should be able to handle any who do break through.”
“What if her staff or guards have been infected by wraiths? Hell, what if the Blackbirds on protection detail there are infected?”
“The Blackbirds within the palace have already been checked—no infection. The council has given them ultraviolet lights to check anyone wishing contact with either the queen or the royal family.”
Which didn’t solve the wider problem of possible infection within the guard ranks. “What about the remaining six Blackbirds?”
“Jerold and Kai are in the clear. The other three will be checked when they report in.”
“And your cousin?”
“Ricker was shifted across to palace detail a day ago and was one of the first cleared.”
“Thank goodness for that.”
“Yeah, though it wouldn’t have surprised me if he had come up as infected.” Luc’s expression was grim. “Not given the hate your brother has for us in general and me in particular.”
I couldn’t help smiling. “That’s because you had the audacity to fall in lust with his sister.”
“Guilty as charged.” The heat that flared in the jade depths of his eyes burned all the way down to my toes. “I take it we’re now making this place our war room?”
I nodded even