“Define ‘small team,’” I said. “Each of us is essential in one way or another.”
“But she’s right,” Soph replied. “We can’t all go. Richard isn’t back on his feet, and we can’t leave him here alone. Nowhere is really safe on this island.”
Viola nodded slowly. “I can teleport the crew in and out of HQ. And there is enough invisibility magic to keep us all hidden while we operate.”
“Astra is the best at testing spirits,” I said. “She can verify whether the Isabelle, Voss, and Chantal we find are the real ones.”
Myst exhaled sharply. “There will be Berserkers on site. I saw at least five.”
“There are over a dozen currently working with HQ,” Brandon replied. “You’ll need sources of light for your power. That’s your fae dragon and the two Daughters.”
“Okay, so Jericho’s in,” I concluded. “What about you, Brandon? Will you help us, or will you sit this one out?” There was an underlying meaning to my question, and it was meant to make him uncomfortable. Regardless of his loyalty, I needed to ensure our survival.
The Berserker gave me a wry smile. “My brothers will eat you alive if I let you go in there on your own. Should your invisibility magic work, great—less work for me in the end. But if you’re discovered, the clones and the Berserkers will stop at nothing to tear you all apart. Remember that they’re gunning for Pinkie the most.”
“So, you’re necessary, and therefore you should tag along,” Astra scoffed. Brandon nodded once. “I accept the premise, but I will be keeping an eye on you.”
“Good. I perform better under scrutiny.”
Richard raised a hand. “I have a question.” He paused, as if waiting for us to give him our full attention. “Do you know why the clones and HQ and whoever else are so hell-bent on killing Astra in particular? I notice they didn’t rush to kill Viola. Sure, they planned to use her as bait, but still… she was never the initial target. Astra was, since Isabelle’s clone attacked her back home.”
Suddenly, every eye in the cave had shifted to Brandon. He cleared his throat, giving Astra a brief but meaningful glance, the fires in his gaze turning white for a second. “She has power. I don’t know the details, but I believe it has something to do with her hybrid nature.”
“She can identify clones where other tools and methods fail,” Viola said. “It wasn’t until Astra explained her experience upon touching Isabelle’s clone’s soul that our Reaper friends were finally able to discover the issue.”
Myst’s expression shifted to one of pure wonder. As if Astra was unlike anyone she’d ever met before. Granted, we all felt the same about our beloved half-Daughter, half-sentry. It further served to reinforce my own belief that Astra had to be protected, no matter what. “That is interesting,” the Valkyrie murmured. “Yes, you are integral to this mission, indeed.”
“And you?” Brandon said, looking my way. “What makes you useful? Your vampire abilities are practically useless against a Berserker. I could break you in half right now and not blink an eye doing it.”
Astra frowned. “He can bend spirits. You saw what he’s capable of.”
“I saw his brain nearly turn to mush when he tried to pull that stunt on Haldor,” the Berserker chuckled. “And… sorry to break this to you, but Haldor isn’t even the strongest among those who’ve joined HQ.” He moved his attention back to me. “Maybe you should stay back and take care of Richard.”
“Dafne and I can do that,” Soph retorted. “Thayen leads this team on every mission. He has proven himself more than once. Where the team goes, he goes.”
My heart grew a few sizes in the span of seconds. Their faith in me was a badge of honor, and I intended to wear it proudly. Of course, it was also added pressure on my shoulders, but it was a burden I was proud to bear. The journey ahead was long and rife with dangers. My friends relied on me to lead them through this evil darkness. My parents expected me to carry the Novak name with my head held high and my soul beaming life and light.
I couldn’t let any of them down. “I’m getting better at glamoring. Days ago, I could barely hold on to a living soul like Richard’s. Now, I’m able to pin a clone down. I can even touch a Berserker’s spirit. While I’m not sure how much further I can push this ability, I won’t stop working on it.”
My answer seemed to satisfy Brandon. The faint smile he gave me suggested a degree of trust. I would’ve liked a verbal vote of confidence, but I doubted he’d be so generous. It was odd that I aspired for his and Myst’s approval, though. It was also terrifying that we were about to go up against a bunch of Berserkers, not just Haldor. We needed to avoid alerting them to our presence if at all possible.
“It’s settled, then,” I said. “Astra, Viola, Jericho, Myst, Brandon, and I will be undertaking this mission to rescue our friends from HQ. Maybe we’ll manage to gather more intel, too. There’s so much we still don’t know.”
Myst’s head turned sharply as something outside caught her attention. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I followed her gaze.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’m not sure. Give me a second.” She dashed out, and we all stood still, not moving a single muscle, listening to every sound that trickled into the cave. My ears twitched, picking up bird trills and leaves rustling. Distant howls of cloned werewolves. Faint echoes of dragon copies flying over the fake Shade, likely searching for us.
“A further word of advice, Thayen,” Brandon said, his voice low so as
