Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,107

wants to survive this bitch.” Ashworth drank his coffee. “And it doesn’t have to be much blood. We can use magic to amplify its range and draw her in.”

“The only problem with all that,” Monty said, “is the fact she’s magically proficient; we can’t offer John any real means of protection, because she’ll sense it and stay away.”

“She won’t sense me,” I said. “If I’m with him—hidden, but with him—then—”

“No,” Aiden growled. “Definitely not.”

I met his gaze and raised my eyebrows. “Really? You’ve a better plan, then?”

He glared at me. It was a full-on “the alpha is unhappy” type glare, and the sensible part of me definitely quailed. Thankfully, the unsensible part was in full control.

It usually is in matters like this, Belle commented dryly.

He’s being unreasonable.

He’s imagining you dead, and it scares the hell out of him.

I’m not going to get dead.

I daresay he’d find that statement as comforting as I do, given just how close you’ve come on several occasions.

You exaggerate.

You are altogether too cavalier about your own safety for comfort sometimes.

Only when there’s little other choice, Belle. This is one of those times.

She mentally grunted. It was not a sound that suggested agreement. Then you won’t be there alone.

I briefly thought about arguing, but in truth, it was actually a damn good idea. Telepathy was probably the better weapon in this particular case.

“Why you?” Aiden growled. “Both Monty and Ashworth—”

“Need to create their spells before they can use them. I don’t have the same restriction with the wild magic. It’s becoming a weaponizable force.”

Monty frowned. “When did this start happening?”

“Recently.” I gave him a deadpan look. “If only we had someone with access to an ancient book on the wild magic, we might learn why.”

He grinned. “It’s not my fault that the reservation is considered country and it therefore takes extra days for a parcel to be delivered here. Which it will be in the next day or so, if tracking is to be believed.”

“Which doesn’t help the current situation,” Aiden growled. “Besides, if Honor is part wolf, she may well scent the presence of anyone else in the room, concealed or not.”

“Not if Lizzie’s in the roof,” Ashworth said. “It’d be easy enough to drill a small hole through the ceiling and stick a peephole spy camera through to keep track of everything.”

Aiden made another low sound deep in his throat, his expression one of frustration. He knew what we were proposing was the logical course of action. He just didn’t like it.

“Before anything is decided, we need to talk to John. Would you be able to sift through his memories this afternoon, Belle?”

She nodded. “The sooner the better, I’m thinking.”

“I agree.” Ashworth leaned forward and placed his now empty plate on the table. “She’d know by now that the ties that bound her to Henry were severed, and there’s no accounting how she will react. It may just send her mad.”

“Which raises another point,” Belle said. “We can’t treat her like any other dark witch or supernatural entity. She’s not. She’s been twisted and controlled from the very beginnings of her life, and she should be treated with pity rather than death.”

Monty frowned. “Except, she’s as dangerous as any other supernatural—”

“There are jails capable of holding even the strongest of dark witches,” Belle said. “Just as there are witch psychiatric hospitals. She’s a human-wolf hybrid rather than a supernatural entity, and we have to treat her as such. Otherwise, we’re no different than darkness itself.”

“And what if Liz’s containment doesn’t work?” Aiden said.

“It will,” Belle said simply. “Because I’ll be there right beside her, freezing Honor’s goddamn brain.”

“You two are as bad as each other,” he muttered and then pushed to his feet. “I’ll go ring Mac and warn him we’re on our way.”

As he moved out onto the balcony, Ashworth said, “If this is the course we’re set on—and I do agree we should at least try containment before destruction—I’ll contact the specialist psych hospital in Melbourne and get them to send up a team this evening.”

Belle’s eyebrows rose. “They have teams for this sort of thing?”

“Well, not exactly this, because it’s rare for a blood apprentice to survive their master.” He shrugged. “But insanity is not an unknown side-product of witches who attempt spells beyond their capability.”

Because all magic had consequences, I thought, and wondered again what price the wild magic would ultimately draw from me.

Aiden came back into the room. “Okay, we’re set. Monty, Ashworth, I’d feel better if you’re nearby when