Page 91 of Incoronate
“Not right away,” answered Caleb, choosing his words carefully. “Not unless they randomly decide to perform a full ward inspection. They’ll figure it out soon enough though, but it’ll buy us enough time to get people out.”
Enough time to get Tessa and Ares out.
I nodded, exhaustion pulling at my limbs and making everything feel heavy and jumbled. “How long do we have?”
“Hard to say. It could be days or it could be hours. Depends on how closely they’re monitoring the barrier network. In the meantime, we can drop it and raise it just as quickly without destabilizing the rest of the network or alerting the Council that anything’s changed.”
“Clever,” murmured Dominic, and there was genuine approval in his voice.
“We shouldn’t waste any more time,” I said, straightening despite my body’s objections. My wings had disappeared back into hiding just as soon as my hands left the barrier, leaving only the torn fabric of my shirt as evidence that they’d been there at all. “We need to get back and let Gabriel and the others know it worked.”
“You should give yourself a minute to recharge,” suggested Trace, his brows creasing as concern bled through both his voice and our bond.
I shook my head. “I don’t need to recharge. I’m fine.”
His dimples pressed in on a frown. “I felt how much power that took, Jemma. You almost burned out completely from it.”
“But I didn’t,” I fired back, before catching myself and quickly softening as I took in the worry etched across his features. He was only looking out for me, and I needed tonotlet my anxiety cloud that. “I’m okay, Trace. I’m just a little tired, but I’m okay. I promise.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push it either.
“Can the barrier hold without her here?” asked Dominic, his attention sliding from me to Caleb.
“Yeah, it’ll hold,” said Caleb confidently. “It’s self-sustaining now.”
Dominic nodded before turning back to me. “The choice is yours, angel. We move when you’re ready.”
The choice is yours.
No order. No pressure. Just the quiet acknowledgment that this was mine to decide, my war to wage, and the unspoken promise that wherever I went next, he would follow.
I glanced back at the gap in the barrier one last time. At the opening I had carved through Hollow Hills’ last line of defense. It wasn’t just a breach anymore. It was a way out. A chance for Tessa to walk through with Ares in her arms and keep going until this place was nothing but a nightmare behind her.
Somewhere safe and far away from here where the Order couldn’t reach them. That was all that mattered. Getting them out. Making sure they survived this, even if I didn’t.
“I’m ready,” I said, squaring my shoulders as I turned back to Trace, knowing what I needed to do. “Take us home.”
29. THE COST OF LOVE
I snuggled Ares against my chest, his small body warm and impossibly light as he slept in my arms. I didn’t know when I would hold him again after tonight, if it would be in a few days or a few months. Or maybe never at all, depending on how everything played out. His tiny fingers curled against my shirt, his breath coming out gentle and even against my collarbone, utterly unaware of what was about to happen. Of what I had to do.
The thought lodged itself somewhere behind my ribs, digging in with hooks I couldn’t pry loose to save my life, until breathing felt like the hardest thing I’d ever done.
I had to look away to stop the tears from coming.
My gaze lifted to Trace as he stood quietly by the window. He turned the moment he felt me looking, the moonlight filtering through the glass behind him and silvering the curve of his shoulders, his blue eyes instantly finding mine across the room. Whatever he saw in my face made his jaw flex and his hand twitch at his side as though it were taking everything he had not to cross the room and pull me into him.
I gave him a small smile, not wanting to worry him any more than I already knew he was. Then my eyes slid to Dominic, his attention already fixed on me from where he leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, both his hands buried in his pockets. He looked deceptively relaxed despite the unease radiating through our bond, but I knew he was just as troubled as Trace was. He was just better at hiding it.
Neither one of them had strayed more than a few feet from me since I’d come downstairs with Ares. They’d been holding their positions on either side of the room as though they werestanding watch over me, as though they expected me to come undone at any moment and were determined to be within arm’s reach when I did.
Of course, I wouldn’t have expected any less from them. They were my anchors long before the Roderick sisters ever made it official. They had always been the ones to moor me to solid ground when everything else felt like it was slipping out from under me. I wasn’t sure where I would be without them, but I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be any place good and honestly, I hoped I’d never have to find out.
In the meantime, I was going to need to lean into their strength and draw in every ounce of their conviction that I could do this.
Because I had to.
So we waited together, listening for the sound of footsteps on the stairs that would mean it was time to say goodbye.
