The Dealers

Chapter 40 - Noah

Staring into the phone for minute after Lena hung up on me, I was at a loss for words. Having dozed off for less than five hours, Lena's phone call woke me up abruptly. I couldn't believe that I heard her voice and then, she was just gone.

Don't do anything reckless?

How in the world could I promise her that? Everything I wanted to do at that very moment were all beyond reckless and I didn't care. Getting Lena back was my main priority.

Pushing into the study, Finn and Eli were still working at the large, wooden table but, they weren't alone. A petite redhead with bangles up to each elbow sat beside Finn and helped him scour a worn black leather book.

"Noah!" Eli said since he expected me to still be asleep.

"Lena called me." I said flatly, ignoring the new addition to the group.

"What?" Eli and Finn both said in unison.

"She wants me to trust her and not do anything stupid." I scoffed, as if that were even possible. "She said she'll be back home tomorrow."

Raising an eyebrow at me, Finn was confused, "so, are we or are we not storming the castle?"

Eli shot him a dirty look, "let's think about this, okay? Alvin already confirmed he can't help us. He said security was tripled when he got to work."

That was more proof that Azrael had taken Lena to the Elms. Fuming, I sat down at the table and finally acknowledged the girl beside Finn.

"Noah, this is Tessa," Finn introduced us but neither of us got up from the table and instead I nodded at the enchantress as she examined me spaciously.

"Thanks for coming..." I said since she had driven all the way to Moorehead to help me.

She nodded simply.

"How did she sound?" Eli asked, returning the subject to Lena's phone call.

"Terrified." I snapped. "She sounded fucking terrified. I just know Azrael made her say all of that stuff."

"—but, she promised she'd be back in the morning?" Eli asked.

I didn't give a shit when Azrael would return Lena, I was going to get her myself.

"Noah, think about what you're attempting here..." Eli, the voice of reason, tried to reason. "We can't get into that compound without getting ourselves killed. Even if Alvin could give us eyes on them, we have no way in."

I knew that Eli was right and I knew that so was Lena but I couldn't just sit there and let Azrael have her.

"We'll use this time to narrow down a solution." Eli added. "A permanent solution. We'll make this time count."

Fuck.

"What if you anchor her to you?" The petite redhead, Tessa said under her breath as she scanned a different book from a nearby pile. My brothers and I looked up at her and she was suddenly on the spot. Turning the book so that we could see the pages, she pointed at a diagram. "Anchoring." She said. "I've done similar rituals."

Taking the book from the table and examining it further, Eli and Finn looked at each other and I could tell they didn't think it was a good idea.

"Ritual?" I asked Tessa.

Pushing back the emo bangs from her face, she shrugged, "nothing crazy. Think of it as a spiritual marriage of sorts. The ritual binds two souls together permanently."

Jesus.

"No fucking pressure, Noah." Finn scoffed. "There has to be another way. One girl for the rest of your life? No thanks!"