his notes.
“Zoey thinks Sarah might have found a way to move it.” Danny’s fingers tapped along the table, a sure sign he was anxious about the whole thing. “If she did, she likely disappeared with it. If Asta doesn’t find anything, then we won’t show for the meeting with Myrddin at all. If she does, we’ll follow through on the plan. How compromised do you think your network is, Sasha?”
“I think Myrddin would kill them all if he could, or he would use them to send me bad intelligence. That hasn’t happened so far,” Sasha replied. “Up until now, all of my intelligence has been solid. He might have gotten lucky. I’ll be careful over the next few weeks, but we’ll need someone to help the queen and Lee.”
I was happy that spy couldn’t be Alexander. I would be going in during the daylight hours, so they couldn’t foist him on me. “I would rather work with Christine if I could.”
“Myrddin won’t take her along,” Sasha assured me. “She’s not the strongest of his witches. She’s been a very valuable source. Rhys, you need to confer with the Hidden Ones. Take our maps and make sure they know where to look first.”
“Is there any way they could take some of Zoey’s blood and grab the bag?” Danny asked.
“Not unless she knows some witchcraft I don’t,” a familiar voice said. Shy stood in the doorway, but it was my father who was speaking. “Sarah might have. She was an amazing witch. If she had some of Zoey’s blood, she might have been able to do it, but I wouldn’t know how to replicate it.”
“She told me she had something to do,” Zack said quietly. “That last day, I saw her in the hall and she was scared. I tried to get her to follow me. I already knew the kids were out of the building. I was trying to find Neil to get the rest of our people out. Sarah said she would meet me later, but she had something to do. I didn’t see her again.”
“And Neil firmly believes she didn’t leave the building.” I hated to even think about this, but I had to. “Do we know who lives in Sarah’s apartment now?”
Sasha stared down at his notes. “She was on the floor below the penthouse, correct?”
“Yes, it was one of the floors that was separated into four residences,” Dev explained. “Neil and Chad had one. Sarah and her family. Zack and his. For years we kept the last open for visiting VIPs. Myrddin took it over when he came to live at the compound. He and Nimue stayed there.”
“Of course, he’s now in the penthouse,” my father said, sliding into a seat close to Rhys. “But the floor Sarah used to live on is considered a high-security area. From what I learned when I hung out at the Council building, he doesn’t allow anyone but his most trusted witches on that floor. Some say it’s because he doesn’t want anyone too close to his domicile.”
Sasha nodded as though Dad had prodded his memory. “Yes, we have several theories about why he did this. Some believe it’s for security purposes. Others think he’s doing some kind of research he doesn’t want anyone to know about. He allows very few up there. Christine gave us what we hope is a complete list of wards used to keep witches out.”
“The cloak is very effective against wards,” Rhys explained. “We’ve tested it against everything we could and it always beats the wards. Certain cats are another thing entirely. Most won’t notice a thing, but a strong familiar knows something is wrong.”
“Yes, but even a strong familiar can be distracted.” I remembered how the pixie Dannan had taken on Myrddin’s familiar so Lee and I had time.
“I think this could work.” Sasha closed his notes and looked Daniel’s way. “Your Highness, I know you’re worried about the queen, but I think with the proper reconnaissance, she can run this op with confidence. I will find someone to play the part of the queen and be seen around town with Neil. You and Devinshea will meet with Myrddin. Zack, I need you to make contact with the shifter groups in the area. We’re still close allies with the big cats there and they can provide security.”
Zack held up a hand. “Uhm, hello. I don’t know why I should call someone. I’m one hundred percent good to go.”
Danny shook his head. “No. You’re not coming.