resolute tone of a mama bear. “Our children are there.”
Eli nodded and turned away, talking to the pilot again.
Angie Baby. Alone. A ticking time bomb with no finesse. Shiloh the only witch on the premises to keep her in check, a Shiloh who was still healing from having her throat ripped out.
EJ, all power and no training.
Only Shiloh . . .
“We have to go back,” I said. “Bruiser?”
He shook his head, eyes closed, his lips barely moving, saying, “Too sick. I’ll wait it out here.”
“He needs to feed again,” Shaddock said, “now and often.” He sliced his wrist with a tiny black blade and again offered it to Bruiser, who drank a few more sips before pushing the meal away.
“It’s been a while since I had blood. Can’t take more. I’ll be okay until nightfall, as long as I don’t use my magic again until then.” Bruiser opened his eyes and managed a sickly smile, directed at me. “Promise.”
I wanted him with me, but there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. Silently I slid my eyes from Eli to Bruiser and back, asking Eli to take care of him.
My partner tilted his head. “You know I will.”
I took a breath, thinking. Seven of us. “Ed, of course.” I almost said Gee could fly on his own, but I saw the Mercy Blade’s blue healing magics spreading over Edmund’s body and Ed was still out cold. Gee was using his Anzu magics to keep Ed unconscious and out of pain. “Gee and Shaddock, with me, if you’re willing?” Gee and Shaddock nodded agreement. I steeled my heart and said, “One of the Everhart-Truebloods because if we crash, they’ll have one parent left.”
Molly paled, her red hair blowing and sparkling with sleet. Evan, the air witch, whistled under his breath, his gaze far away, thinking, evaluating the storm.
I said, “That’s five, so two others, whoever we need most. No gear. No weapons. Light load. We can send in four-wheelers or the snowmobiles and the sleds to bring back anyone who stays, but it will be midmorning at the soonest. Decide quick, people.” It felt good to make demands. Real good.
“I’d be mighty appreciative if Kojo and Thema could go. If the storm shifts, they might not survive a sunny day without proper cover.”
Eli tapped his mic, again talking to the pilot: “One lift, seven passengers. How does it look?” He listened and talked, his face grim. “Copy. Extraction point? Copy. Thank you, Captain. You make it, and there’s a bonus. Yeah, in addition to living to see the dawn,” he said with humor, his eyes glancing at me, “we’ll make sure you have a bunk for tonight.”
I nodded. The pilot would be unable to get back to Asheville. We’d put him up.
Eli finished, “I owe you. Out.” To the rest of us, he said, “Okay. We have a hike to the extraction point. Who’s on the Huey?”
“I am,” Molly said.
“Moll—” Evan started.
“No. You have a chance to keep that storm front to the west. To help adjust the inversion layer higher or lower, where the pilot needs it. You can’t do that in the air; you need a circle, on the ground.”
“You can do that?” Eli asked.
Big Evan sighed, the sound gusting from his barrel chest, audible even over the storm. “I can help. My magic isn’t geared for weather, but I know the methods and I have my pipes.” He patted his coat, where I assume he kept his flutes, which were his weapons of war. “But I don’t like it, Moll.”
Molly slid her arm through her husband’s. “I know. But it’s best. Besides, I’m so cold I’d never survive out here. My milk would freeze.”
I wanted to laugh, pretty sure that was a joke. But not totally. Could a mother’s milk freeze in her boobs? Before I could decide how to ask that, Eli led the way into the blowing snow and sleet.
Lincoln stepped into place beside me where I trudged at the back of the group, trying to shake the compacted ice balls from under my toenails with each step. It wasn’t working and Lincoln’s eyes were sparkling with laughter at my leg shaking and foot waggling. He said, “There’s lizards that do that dance step.” Before I could respond he said, “I’ll summon Kojo and Thema. We’ll keep the humans and the witch lady alive in the event of a crash.” He looked me over with a critical eye. “You can shift and live, right?”