Her First Mistake

Chapter Sixty-Five: All Kinds of Surprises

   "You want to go directly against the Council."

   I nodded. "Yeah."

   "And you think there wouldn't be repercussions?" Erlan tilted his head, neon eyes boring into my face. I kept my face strictly neutral, not allowing the elf to see through me.

   "Well, honestly, if we succeed, then they can stuff it up their asses. We had the guts to do what they didn't."

   "And if we don't, we won't be alive to be punished," said Jennifer sharply.

   "Exactly." Her expression turned incredulous. 

   Zain braced her elbows on her knees, her ponytail falling over her shoulder. "Well, the way I see it, this is our only chance, right? The Council is depending on Daniella to die. Sure, they might have a plan for when that happens, but why bother risking a life? You know where Dani's base is. How hard would it be to sneak a demon in there to slit her throat?"

   "Impossible." Jennifer shook her head. "She can sense shifts in atmospheric magic. Gene's been staying in contact with me while surveying the building in New York. He got too close one time and her hackles went up."

   Gene. I'd forgotten he wasn't here. "He's in New York?"

   Caze nodded. "He's keeping tabs on their movements."

   "I forgot that you don't know," said Jennifer. "But apparently Dani had some sort of plan set for this morning. According to what Gene has texted me, it was banking on her having you accessible. When you escaped, you ruined that plan. She's livid."

   "Oh, shit." I winced. "I forgot that, too. She and Kingsley were planning on breaking Anchorage's defenses. They were going to kill the Council. Someone was being sent inside the defense to weaken it, and Dani was going to deliver the final blow."

   "How did you just forget the plan to assassinate our government?" Daniella asked, aghast.

   "Who's Kingsley?" asked Tate.

   "I think he's the seer you and Caze scented at Simone's house." My tongue caught my teeth. "He and Dani have been setting the plans. Everything . . . it's as if every time we've encountered her or her goons, it's been a plan or test. She even mentioned something about Memphis."

   "They were stalking your father," reminded Tate. "That could be it."

   My voice dropped. Something about their wording made me feel cold. The memory caused my heart to pick up. "I don't think it was."

   Caze frowned. "Kingsley is a dark seer? Were you able to determine what he's able to do? I don't think there's ever been a dark seer in magick history. We're completely in the dark about him."

   "I don't . . ." I gave a frustrated grunt. "I can barely remember any of it. I don't know enough about seers to tell. And it's like the more I try to remember the less I can recall." Something niggled at me. "The only thing I can think of is that Dani talked as if he was able to determine if plans would work ahead of time. Like he could be absolutely certain."

   Tate sat onto the bed, the fabric dipping under his weight. "That makes it sound as if he is the kind of seer that has glimpses of the future."

   Jennifer's eyebrows drew together. "If that were true, how would being dark change his ability?"

   "There's no telling," said Daniella. "Every dark magic user is different."

   The demon's eyes suddenly widened. "Wait, if he can see any glimpse of the future, then wouldn't he know our plan?" The color drained from her face. "He'd be able to know that Gene is there!"