to me. “It’d probably be better if she were unconscious and bundled onto my back. I can create a proper harness. The big issue will be cold at altitude.”
“I can do a warming spell,” Uma said. “We’ll make it work.”
I raised my hand. “I hate to throw a wrench into this, but shouldn’t we find her parents? I mean, she’s been locked up for who knows how long.”
Jade nodded. “Good point. Let’s ask her who they are.” Jade started for the door.
“No! Jade!” I turned and hurried to block the door. “Let’s let her get comfortable with us first. At least give her a couple of hours.”
Jade thought about it. “Okay. No need to scare the hell out of her.”
Relieved, I moved out of the doorway.
“I’ll be standing guard.” Jade left just as quickly as she came in.
I shook my head. “She’s certainly an odd one.”
Uma sighed. “We need to prepare defenses. We don’t know when they’ll decide to try to take her back.”
“Or we could attack first,” Brody countered.
Everyone turned to him.
“We don’t know where they are,” Uma shot back.
“They’ve been following my people all week,” Brody said. “It’s time we take advantage of it.”
Uma raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
“We grab one of our tails and make them talk.” Brody said it so casually it chilled me to the bone.
“You mean torture them?” Was he seriously suggesting this?
He sent me a look. “I was thinking more along the lines of Uma doing that mind reading trick of hers and getting us a location.”
Uma nodded. “Good plan. Get going and I’ll get started on our defenses.”
Brody gave a quick nod before he turned and left the room.
“There’s something we need to discuss.” Uma turned to us with a serious face. “What might happen if any of you are taken hostage.”
Hostage? “She’s coming to kill me and get Quinn back. I doubt she’ll try and take anyone alive.”
“I assumed torture and death,” Isaac said with false cheerfulness.
The others nodded.
Uma’s face grew stern. “And if she gets her hands on one of you boys? What would Lexie be willing to do to save you from that?”
Everyone turned to me.
“If they get the upper hand, they won’t hesitate to use you,” Uma stated.
I thought about it. What would I be willing to do to save the guys? A solid feeling filled my chest. I’d felt it before, when Jadis asked me the same question, but this time I knew the answer. “I’d burn the world myself.”
“I think we need a moment,” Miles said politely.
“I understand.” Uma nodded before quickly and quietly leaving.
“Ally.” Asher moved beside me. “If we’re taken—”
“I’ll save you.” I looked up at him, daring him to tell me different. “That’s a fact.”
“We aren’t worth the price of the world,” Ethan stated.
I scowled. “You are to me.”
A big calloused hand wrapped around the back of my neck as Zeke moved to my side. “That’s not who you are, Baby.”
I ground my teeth. “Are you really going to stand there and tell me you wouldn’t do the same.”
“I’d do everything I could to save them,” Zeke confirmed.
“So would I,” I said. “I just have more resources.”
“You have a responsibility to use your abilities for the right reasons,” Ethan countered.
I turned to him. “If you tell me to let you guys be tortured, I’ll tell you where to shove that idea.”
Miles moved next to Zeke and the twins filled in our circle between Asher and Miles.
“What he’s saying is …” Isaac hesitated then turned back to Ethan. “What are you saying?”
“If we’re taken, don’t let them use us as a way to control you,” Miles said in a hard voice. “Even if it means we die.”
The guys all nodded in agreement.
I scowled at them. “And you think I could do that? Just let you be tortured. Killed.” I started for the door. “You guys are fucking insane.”
“Lexie,” Miles called, “we just don’t want you to do anything rash if the worst comes.”
I stopped with my hand on the doorknob. I took a deep breath. “Don’t tell me not to save you. Please.”
“We just don’t want you to do anything that would put the world at risk,” Ethan said gently.
Not able to take this anymore, I opened the door and left the study, not even willing to entertain the idea of not doing everything I could to save them. Yeah, I had a responsibility with my abilities, but that didn’t mean I could just let them die!
Still seething, I went into the bathroom at