“That’s not an option,” Balthazar said from where he leaned against the wall.
He’d been abnormally quiet after settling Jayson onto the chair adjacent to the couch. He was still passed out from the bullet to his head, Lara having focused on Leela first. Luc—who stood beside Balthazar—had said Leela needed to recover first because her skills would be needed.
Stas agreed with that decision. “Leela and Vera could come with me, right?” Assuming Vera returned from wherever she’d misted off to. She’d disappeared almost as soon as she’d finished the rune on Leela’s arm, saying nothing about her intended destination. She seemed to do that a lot.
Balthazar shook his head. “It’s not a viable plan.”
“Do you have a better one?” Stas countered, irritated.
His brown eyes smoldered with an intensity she’d never before seen in him. “I want Lizzie back, too. Don’t treat me like an enemy, Stas. We’re on the same side.”
“Then give me a better idea.” It would be more productive than turning down the only plans she could think up.
“When I discover one, I’ll share it,” he replied. His tone was one she’d never heard him use. Yet the authority in his voice suited him in his Elder position.
Although, she didn’t much care for his response. The longer they debated this, the more likely Lizzie would be hurt. And that outcome was unacceptable to Stas.
He’s right, Aya, Issac whispered into her mind. Going to the council won’t help anything. We need a strategy.
That could take days to come up with, Issac.
Look at Lucian, love, he encouraged her. He’s running through scenarios in his head. That’s why he’s so silent. Give him a few minutes to come up with an alternative. He’ll tell us if you going to the Seraphim is the only viable plan or not.
She knew he was right, that her mind had jumped to a rash conclusion, but she couldn’t think of any other alternative. The Seraphim had taken her best friend. Gabriel had confirmed it by telling them about Skye’s prophecy and her ties to the Fates.
Stas ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated. I feel helpless.
I know.
I hate this feeling.
I know, Issac repeated, kissing her temple. We’ll figure this out.
She turned into him, her gaze finding his sapphire irises and holding on for dear life. “How do you manage to remain so calm?” The words were soft, meant only for him. But she knew the rest of the room heard her.
“Practice,” he whispered, pressing his lips to hers. “And trust in those around me to determine a solution.”
Trust wasn’t Stas’s problem. Concern was her issue. What if we don’t get there in time?
As you age, you’ll learn that time is relative. He cupped her cheek, his thumb running over her bottom lip. The Seraphim took Elizabeth for a reason. If they wanted her dead, they would have killed her rather than going through the effort of kidnapping her.
She hadn’t considered that before, her mind immediately jumping to the worst conclusion.
However, she’d stopped herself from reacting without thought. An indication she was at least learning from her past mistakes. While she might not be able to die now, she could be taken captive and endure treatment much worse than death.
Issac kissed her again, his mouth a promise against hers. We’re going to figure this out, Aya.
Thank you. Just being held by him made her feel a little better. No one here would allow Lizzie’s disappearance to go unanswered. They just wanted to ensure the plan—
Gabriel reappeared, his light blond strands windswept and rearranged on top of his head. “Sethios and Caro are with Lizzie,” he announced.
Stas gaped at him. “What?”
“Osiris took her,” he went on to explain. “And he secured her in an estate on a private island in the Caribbean. It’s covered in protective wards to hide her from the council.”
“He knew they would come for her,” Luc said.
“So it would seem,” Gabriel replied. “Skye prophesied that Sethios would gain his wings the same day Lizzie went into labor. As a result, Osiris laced a compulsive spell through Sethios to force him to mist directly to the island the moment his wings appeared.”
“Lizzie’s gone into labor?” Balthazar said, pushing off the wall.
“Yes.” Gabriel held up a hand. “There’s more. They told Ezekiel—who relayed all this information to me—that they believe this is some sort of ornate trap meant to ensnare Stas. Skye says she can’t see anything that confirms that threat, but she also didn’t predict Sethios being compelled into Osiris’s waiting arms either.”