“If this Aaron Brock is connected to this clan, then someone is bound to recognize him,” Jared put out there.
Aiden nodded. “Except Raven and I are the only ones who know what he looks like.”
“It doesn’t matter what the boy looks like,” Gregory argued. “This is a demon with a thousand faces and no face at all. Raven, you said so yourself. Aaron Brock no longer exists.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Raven countered. “Are the odds better than not? Yes. It’s more probability than possibility. Yet, if there’s a shred of him left buried deep inside his psyche, then we could save him. We need to try.”
Gabrielle nodded. “Then we need know. Especially since odds are the in spiritu knows we’re here. There’s no way the incarnate demon down for the count in our basement didn’t let that little tidbit fly. One of them was feeling around this morning. Casting around to see who bites. I’m sure Raven filled you in on our would-be visit earlier. We smashed the mirror severing his search, but that didn’t prevent the incarnate from showing up on the shore the same time as Luke and I.”
“Maybe smashing that mirror was a rash thing to do. Perhaps you called them to us instead of doing the opposite.” Greg sat back, a little too smug.
Capiria shot him a dirty look. “No, it’s what all witches are trained to do. The alternative hands a demon your power.”
“Aiden, you’ve got your sentinel telepathy,” Tanya suggested. “You could use that to show his image around to the Laval wolves.”
Jared lifted Tanya’s fingers to his lips. “He already tried that, love. The images are pixelated, like someone jamming a satellite.”
“Even if Aiden shared the guy’s image, that would take care of the sentinels,” Gabby added. “What about the rest of us?
Capiria piped up again. “You could let Raven collectively into your heads. That way you all glimpse the man at once, and then compare notes.”
“That’s a negative for me,” Jared replied, with other sentinels nodding, as well. Witchy walkabouts not welcome.”
“Really.” Tanya lifted one eyebrow.
“Except you, babe.” Jared leaned over, giving her cheek a peck.
Aiden threw a pen at his brother.
“Ow, hey! You almost hit Tanya.”
“Tanya isn’t in my line of sight, but you are. Focus, bro.”
Jared licked his thumb to rub the ink mark off his cheek. “What we need is a sketch artist. Like the police use.”
Luke spared a look for his father, but the older man shook his head.
“What was that? Alain asked, catching the interaction.
“Luke, I said no.”
Ignoring his father’s grumble, Luke answered Alain, making sure everyone in the room did as well. “My sister, Evangeline, is a portrait artist. Pretty good, too. She would help in a heartbeat, but my father would prefer my sisters and my mother stay out of this mess.”
Alain spread his hands at Gregory. “Mon amie, desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“D’accord. I couldn’t put it better myself.”
All eyes turned to see Marie and Josee Laval standing in the doorway to the conference room.
“We may not be sentinels, but we are as much a part of this clan as you,” Marie’s comment was made in general, but her gaze was directed at her husband.
“My mother is right,” Josee agreed. “Luckily, she was blessed with the same telepathic gifts as some of my adorable cousins. Fortunately, she heard every word of this debate.”
Josee’s gaze moved from her father to Gabrielle, sitting beside Raven. “You certainly proved yourself more astute than Father gave you credit.” She paused. “In both your words and your thoughts, no?”
Gabby swallowed hard. Luke’s sister and mother heard her thoughts? How? She spared a look for Luke. He wore an I-told-you-so grin on his gorgeous face, and if she was closer, she’d have punched his shoulder. Since he was across the room, she focused on damage control instead.
“Josee, I apologize if any of the above insulted you or your mother. You’ve been nothing but welcoming to us all.”
Josee took Gabrielle’s hand, and Marie waved her apology off with a flourish. “We all know my husband can be difficult. Still, we forgive him his little faults because it comes from his need to protect and defend. Even if the sentiment overreaches at times.”
She put her hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder and squeezed. “I agree with my daughter. You are very astute.” The woman looked at both her husband and her son, and then leaned over to give Gabby’s cheek a peck. “Welcome to the family, cherie.”
Gabby’s stomach was in a knot, but the moment the three women connected—her, Josee and Marie—a calm settled over her body and mind. Her eyes pricked, and the two women embraced her despite Gregory’s low grumble.
Marie let go first, and then turned to face the end of the large conference table. “Greg,” she addressed her husband. “As our new American daughter-in-law would say, you need to CHILL.”
“Maman,” Luke interrupted. “Gabrielle was born in Montreal and raised there until she was ten years old. She’s actually a Quebecer.”
His father grumbled again, but Marie waved him off. “Pay the grumpy one no mind. As for Evangeline, she’s out with her boyfriend, but I expect her back soon and I’m sure she would love to lend her talents to help. In the meantime, you all have bigger fish to fry, no? Your demon is awake, and is raising unholy hell in the basement.”
Chapter Six
The incarnate paced the perimeter of its holding cell. It pulled at its scales, much the same way the juvenile did once it realized it didn’t have the upper hand.
Gabby brought up the rear behind the others, Aiden going first down the stairs, followed by Jared and Luke. The guys
