I have to get this under control, and I have to do it now. I take a deep breath and stand up. I instantly feel calmer now I’m moving. I feel more like myself, like a leader, and it’s time to put the team to work.
“Nexus, can you and Mel go back to finding some way for us to enter that gate and get down the staircase safely,” I say.
“Got it,” Nexus says.
Mel looks surprised that I want her to go with Nexus but she nods her head in agreement.
“No one goes anywhere alone from now on,” I explain. “The Boundless are getting information from somewhere and they’re clearly one step ahead of us. That makes them dangerous. Now that the location of the second Soul Gem is known, demons are going to be roaming the town. And War himself might already be here.”
I glance at Sailor as I say this, Nexus’ words echoing in my mind. A member of the team is War. That’s what she said. Only Sailor and I know that though, and Sailor wisely keeps her mouth shut.
“I will not lose another team member like we lost Grace because she went off on her own,” I say.
No one argues, not even Sailor. Things must be bad for even Sailor to not insist she doesn’t need a buddy system in place.
“Jinx, Sunday, I need you two to find out everything you can about Boundless. Whoever is behind this has access to Sailor, because they must have followed her yesterday. Leave no stone unturned. We have to know who is behind this,” I say. “Ya-Ya, Aziza, go back to the cabin and gather up our weapons and anything else you think might be useful.”
“Useful for what?” Aziza asks.
“We’re going hunting,” I say with a cold smile. “Whoever did this to Sailor isn’t going to get away with it. Keep an eye out for any odd behavior. We’re looking for anyone acting shifty who could be a part of Boundless. And don’t forget if War is already here and just waiting for us to find the weapon that will end him, people might be starting to be influenced by him. His presence tends to makes people act irrational.”
I see Sailor eyeing me from her bed, her eyes slightly narrowed as she studies me.
“And what about me?” she asks.
“That brings me to how I convinced your dad to go to work today,” I say. “He isn’t in the least bit impressed with the doctors here because neither of the ones who worked on you could give him a satisfactory answer about what the hell had happened to you. They threw a few theories around—an allergic reaction to the sedative he used on you, some sort of seizure. They said basically they don’t know what it was but they think it’s over. Understandably, they would never work out the truth, but as your dad knows nothing of that either, he isn’t happy and he’s insisting they discharge you today. He’s waiting on the paperwork now. He made it clear you are not to leave your house. I told him I would stay with you so that he and Raven can go to work.”
“It’s a Saturday. Raven is a teacher. I guess she didn’t give up the modelling after all, huh?” Jinx says. “Or maybe she’s doing some other kind of work.”
“Jinx. Shut up,” Aziza snaps, looking at Sailor like she expects her to be offended.
Sailor doesn’t look in the least bit bothered by Jinx’s comment. In fact, she’s still looking at me.
“The teachers have that training conference, remember?” Aziza says. “Nexus was fuming because she thought she’d have to go, but then they said substitute teachers didn’t need to go.”
Jinx opens his mouth to fire something back, but Sailor talks loudly, getting us back to the actual conversation and stopping Jinx and Aziza from dragging out their bickering.
“Are you saying my dad is seriously okay with that?” Sailor asks me, her eyebrow raised.
“Not at first he wasn’t, but I promised to call him if anything happened. And I might have reminded him that I was the one who reached you when the doctors couldn’t,” I say.
She nods.
“Okay,” she says simply.
She looks surprised but pleased, and I think she likes that her dad seems to not only like me, but trust me.
“Nexus, before you and Mel start working on your task, I need you to cast protection enchantments around Sailor’s house and the diner. Just in case,” I say. “We need all the extra security precautions we can think of. And I need everyone to be extra vigilant twenty-four seven. Is that clear?”
They all nod and then just stand there looking at me. I roll my eyes and raise my voice a little.
“So don’t just stand there like a bunch of idiots. Get on with your tasks,” I say.
I turn back to Sailor as the rest of them start to move out.
“I know this is all moving kind of fast, but we need to get this sorted,” I say.
“I know,” she agrees. “It doesn’t worry me that we’re moving fast. I feel fine and we need to—”
“Oh no. No way,” I say, cutting her off before she can get any further. “I promised your dad you wouldn’t be leaving the house today and I meant it, Sailor. I’m not betraying his trust like that. You and I are staying put.”
“Fine,” she pouts. “But first thing
