Gabrielle smirked at that. “You mean I’m like super witch?” She grinned. “Maybe I should buy a cape with a giant W.”
“Gabs, you don’t really believe anything this demon says, do you?” Luke asked.
“It’s worth a shot, don’tcha think?” Getting to her feet, she grabbed Capiria’s hand. “C’mon. If anyone knows how much to test the theory without risking me or the baby, it’s you.”
“Gabrielle, no!”
Gabby ignored Luke’s protests, waiting for Capiria to take her stance. The old witch obliged, planting her feet before lifting one hand to strike.
“It’ll be okay, babe. Capiria is an elder and my mentor. She won’t hurt me…” Gabby spread her arms to take the hit, “…or her honorary grandbaby.”
Capiria lowered her hand, meeting Gabby’s soft smile with stunned silence. The old witch’s lips trembled, but she sniffed, squaring her shoulders. “You bet your wolfy ass I won’t.”
With a grin that made her look like a gnome, she hurled an energy ball straight for Gabrielle’s chest, only to have it rebound, scorching the adjacent concrete wall.
“Hey! Could we not blow a giftwrapped escape route in the basement foundation?”
Gabby slipped an arm around Luke’s waist, and then took his hand and placed it on her belly. “See? Untouched, and I didn’t lift a finger to deflect. It was our wolfitch.”
Nodding, Moe spread his dark scaley arms. “I may be deceit incarnate, as you are so fond of saying, but fact is fact. An unborn witch’s power of self-preservation is stronger than any in the universe.”
Stunned, everyone looked Capiria. “Don’t look at me. I never had children, so how would I know?”
“Okay, then.” Luke nodded slowly. “Point made and point taken. Let’s flush out our rat.”
Chapter Seven
Raven stood in front of the cell with her hand out, palm flat. Tanya flanked her on one side, with her hand on the angelic scion’s shoulder, while Gabrielle stood on the opposite side doing the same.
From there Luke put his hand on Gabby’s shoulder, while Laura stood beside Tanya for the same reason. Together they formed a paranormal wall of protection. A supernatural system for balancing Raven’s power, while keeping the demon in check. Aiden and Jared stood with Alain behind them, just in case.
Moe pressed his hand to Raven’s, and then closed his eyes, as if he didn’t want to see the assault to come.
“I know you’re feeling outnumbered, but no one will attack unless provoked. Cooperate, and this will be painless. Unless, of course, you’ve been tampered with and got a boobytrap waiting inside for both of us.”
“Not likely. Not when the in spiritu wants you for himself. Angelis Gloriana. You are the ultimate prize.”
Pfft. “That didn’t stop him from trying to fry my brain in New Orleans.”
Moe’s eyes met her gaze. “That boobytrap wasn’t meant for you. It was meant for the elder witch. Without her knowledge and guidance, your small coven wouldn’t be as much of a threat.”
Gabby stood beside Ray, so she heard every word. How would the in spiritu know about Capiria or the others? Could the other summoner be Alain? Or Gregory? There really wasn’t anyone else with them in New Orleans. It certainly wasn’t any of their mates. They’d know, right?
Raven nodded, and everyone focused. The temperature in the basement rose with the energy generated. The holding cell kept strong, preventing Moe from using their combined energy to replenish his depleted stores, or the in spiritu from eavesdropping.
Closing her eyes, Raven opened her mind. Tanya was there immediately. After all their training, their energy bond was as natural as breathing.
“Oh my God, this is so cool,” Gabby’s words feathered across to them both. “I can hear both your hearts beat, even if I can’t see you.”
“Gabs, can you see the mist?” Raven asked.
“Yes.”
“Walk toward where the mist is thickest. You’ll see us there. I’m waiting there with Tanya and Capiria.”
“Luke?” Gabby called, but there was no answer.
Mists swirled, and Tanya and Raven walked forward, T waving hard. Gabby saw them and rushed forward. “Luke isn’t with us.”
“I’m here, bébé. I can see everything, but I can’t conjure form.”
Tanya chuckled. “Rooster at a hen party, what do you expect.
“It’s because you’re a wolf, Luke,” Raven replied. “Same magical tree, different branch. Unfortunately, witches only since my channel with Tanya is the one most developed.”
“Understood.”
“Can you link with Aiden and Jared?”
“Yes. They’re at the ready in case of any distress.”
In Raven’s mind, the witches stood back waiting for her to make the connection. She reached out with her senses, letting her mind touch Moe’s.
Gabrielle held her breath as they met with similar mists. Only the demon’s miasma was black and red. Anger and lust. Pain and hurt. Voices cried out from the depths. Were they remnants of souls taken or just ghosts from his past?
“Okay, Moe. Show me the summoners. I need to separate fact from fiction, so I want to see both men.” Raven’s voice was strong and commanding, and two images formed immediately.
One was the same round, tomato-faced boy she saw in Ilaria Brock’s head. He truly was her son, even if the poor woman ended up an in spiritu puppet. The other was someone she’d never seen before.
A low growl rippled across from the background, but it wasn’t from Moe.
“Luke?” Gabrielle questioned. “Are you okay?”
“It’s Tim.”
Raven looked at the others in the mist. “Tim who?”
Pain hit them all, breaking every connection save Gabrielle’s link to Raven, and her link with the demon.
Moe groaned.
“What’s happening?” she ground out, clenching her teeth against the growing pain. It was different from what she felt with Ilaria. Sharp, not scorching.
