“Done,” I declared and closed the sketch pad, smacking the pages together. “Now to find a computer and an internet connection.”
“We almost got caught last week using the library’s Wi-Fi. The Council has patrols everywhere looking for us.”
I paused, blinking at him. It was a very Leo thing to say, pointing out the obvious like that, and made me miss my water elemental even more than usual. We couldn’t use the cabin’s Wi-Fi. The Council no doubt had it under surveillance.
From the outside.
I perked up. “What if we teleported into the cabin?”
Bryan dismissed the idea with a shake of his head. “Rob said the Council came up with some nifty new wards that blocked against popping in and out. Leo’s whining about having to go outside to teleport to work, says it messes with his hair.”
His comment made me smile sadly. I missed my guys so much, even smiling felt like a struggle. Bryan had used the crystal a few times to visit the guys while I stayed behind and worked on sketches, strategized with the coven leaders, and welcomed new residents to the grove. I wanted my guys here with me, needed them here to give me strength, but I needed them out there more.
Rob and Leo left books at random locations around the island for supporters of Sentry to use for the messages I sent in the webcomic. Clay kept watch over the school, recruiting members when he could and influencing Alec’s decisions as best he could. Without the guys on the outside, we’d never stand a chance at recruiting enough members to fight the Council, even with the mystery custodian helping by spreading graffiti and sending recruits our way.
So as much as I hated being apart from them, I had to embrace the suck.
“I’ll just use the crystal to take me to a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi.” I stood and stretched my aching muscles. I’d been sitting too long, focused on the sketches. I needed to move around.
“You still need a computer to upload the panels, don’t you? These burner phones suck for cameras.”
Minor detail. I’d figure out something. I was going stir-crazy inside the concealment veil. It was paradise, the weather perfect every day. I never thought I’d miss the rain.
Speaking of weather…
“What’s up with the weird natural disasters lately?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s definitely not natural. The earthquake last week, the tornado and waterspout this week, and wildfires. That’s four elements all acting out. Something has them upset.” Bryan returned to the radio and switched it back on. Tinny music filled the silence.
“Gee, can’t imagine what that could possibly be.” I motioned to the field below us, at all the residents of the grove focused on their assignments. Alchemists creating medicine and other treatments. Blacksmiths creating weapons. Witches casting spells to strengthen the potency of the medicines and charm the weapons. We’d managed to recruit two healers I recognized from the tribunals last fall, both working with the alchemists to stock up on everything we need to have our own infirmary. The grove had become its own self-sustaining community.
A community with the single, solitary purpose of taking down the corrupt Council before it destroyed our world.
Bryan found a different radio station. When the headline teaser came across the airwaves, he stiffened. “A pharmacist on Whidbey Island has been arrested in connection to a bomb threat. That story and more, after the break.”
I joined him at the radio. Neither of us spoke as we impatiently waited through commercial after commercial until the news came back on. No, that wasn’t true. Bryan chanted don’t be Merle throughout the entire break.
“Authorities arrested a man they say is responsible for the bomb threat that evacuated the Tacoma Dome during the boat show last weekend. When they raided the house of Merle Brooks, age seventy-six, they found several powders and metals in various stages of being melted down.”
“Shit.” Bryan stood and walked to the other side of the room. His shoulders rose and fell with his labored breathing. “Son of a bitch!” He kicked one of the chairs at the table, knocking it over.
I’d never seen him lose his temper like that and went to him, pulling him into my arms. Something was up with my earth elemental. He’d been going dark as of late, using forbidden calls, and in front of Nelems. He’d been giving in to his darkness more and more. It worried me that my darkness fueled his.
He accepted the hug and buried his face against my neck. I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing. I just held my guy close and hoped Merle had a good lawyer.
“Fucking Council,” he ground out, breaking our embrace. “Katy, we have to do something. We can’t let them get away with this. Based on what they found at Merle’s place, he was still practicing alchemy. This was the Council’s way of sending a message to the alchemists.”
“But why involve Nelems? We have our own prison.”
“Carcerem is designed for elementals. They keep the prisoners controlled by muting their powers with elemutuses. That won’t work on alchemists. He’ll still be able to practice.”
“What can we do? It’s not like we can break him out.”
“No, but we can bail him out. And we can retaliate. If the Council thinks it can restore order by using scare tactics, we’re just going to have to show them how wrong they are. Sentry needs to make a stand, and I know how.”
“How?”
“We get the custodian to help.”
I didn’t know how much I liked this plan. Enlisting the custodian meant putting the control in someone else’s hands. I wasn’t a big fan of losing control. “We don’t even know who that is.”
“Does it matter? We’ve trusted them enough to send recruits our way. We need to trust them enough to make
