“Our enemies use it.” She quickly told them about the mages, at least the short version.
“Bad gris-gris, blood magic,” Adelaide said with a tsk. “We stay away from it. For decades, my family and I have kept to ourselves, because we do not like to get involved in wars.”
“It has kept us safe. Kept our children safe,” Gabrielle said as she patted Marina’s head. “Our dark magic keeps most people away from us. Surrounds our home so no one can harm us.”
“I can’t explain it, but I heard it calling to me.” Just like the first time he had heard the shadow call him. “And then we were pulled to shore.”
“I felt him too,” Gabrielle said. “At first, I thought that someone had penetrated our shields. I was the one that hauled your boat to shore.”
“You can control shadows,” he deduced. “That’s how you kicked me out.”
She nodded. “Helene and I used to play this game. She would hide in the shadows and I would try to find her, and when I did, I would push her out.”
“It’s fate that you came to us, Marc,” Adelaide said.
“Oh, shit!” Mika blurted out. “Sorry … this really is amazing, but that’s not quite the reason we came here.”
He nearly forgot about Remy. But when he remembered that bastard, rage pumped through his veins. “We’re here for Remy. We have to make him pay.”
“Marc,” Mika said. “I know you’re furious at him—hell, that probably doesn’t even begin to describe how you’re feeling. But we can’t kill him. You know that. If the Council finds out—”
“You’re here for Remy Boudreaux?” Gabrielle got up from her chair, the legs scraping across the wooden floor. “I want to go with you.”
“We have to take him in alive,” Mika said. “We have a council that governs us, and if they find out we killed him, they’ll come down on Marc and I.”
“But we’re not part of any council.” Adelaide’s eyes burned with the fire of someone decades younger. “We will avenge my Helene.”
“And my father,” he said. “Mika … your plan was brilliant. But you know this is what has to happen. You have no idea what Remy is like. You’re a leader, too, and you have to make hard decisions sometimes. Remy wouldn’t hesitate to kill you or any of us.”
“I—” She took a deep breath. “We need a confession from him. We have to be sure it was him.”
“Oh, he will confess,” Gabrielle clasped her hands together. “I will make sure of it.”
“We strike tonight.” Adelaide stood, her eyes still ablaze. “He will not expect it.”
“Tonight?” Mika said. “But Remy has a lot of wolves. There’s only us.”
“We are not alone.” Gabrielle smiled. “The entire Beaumont clan will join us. To avenge our Helene. And Marc, who’s been kept from us all these years.”
“Marc,” Adelaide turned her gaze to him. “It’s time for you to meet the rest of the family.”
Chapter Seventeen
The boats moved through the water, silent as shadows, floating along the bayou towards one destination.
He should feel some fear, seeing as they were about to take on his former clan, but Delacroix was calm. This feeling, he couldn’t describe it except that it was like he belonged, not just to this place, but to these people.
About twenty or so were with them now, all piled into the half a dozen boats floating along the bayou. Even now, with what lay ahead, there was that sense that this was where he was supposed to be, with his people. There were seven families who lived in the swamps, nearly fifty people in total. His introduction to them had been brief, and he didn’t have time to learn all their names, but they all immediately welcomed him without hesitation. And when they learned of Remy’s betrayal, each one was eager to join them.
“All of you have blessed powers?” Mika had asked. Most witches only had the power to cast spells and potions, and the few who had active powers, like Jacob or Lizzie, were called blessed witches.
“Most of us do in some shape or form,” Gabrielle replied. “And we have a stockpile of potions we can use to confuse and stun our enemies. Not a lot, because they cost a lot to make, but there is no better time than now to use them.”
“We’ll definitely be a more even match then,” he had said, and with all the pieces in place, they began to plan and strategize how they were going to get to Remy.
The first part of their plan was to sneak up on them by way of the swamps, not to the warehouse but his actual home where Remy would be holed up and surrounded by most of his Lycans. He realized now the reason Remy told them to never go near the water, and him in particular. He was afraid Delacroix might discover his real identity if he ever got too close to the Beaumont’s territory.
Remy’s house was another couple of miles down the bayou, and it took them a while longer to get there seeing as they had to use the shadows to propel them. Gabrielle and another witch with similar powers used the darkness to push the boats in a slow, silent procession, and they all knew to keep noise to a minimum.
Beside him, Mika slipped her hand into his and gave him a squeeze. He knew he couldn’t ask her to sit this out, as she was determined to see this through. However, she agreed to stay in the rear and protect Adelaide, who had insisted on coming as she demanded to be able to look Remy in the eye when he finally confessed the truth.
A short whistle rang out, catching everyone’s attention. He focused his gaze up ahead. Just as I thought. Remy’s property was lit up like Rockefeller Center at Christmas. Flood lights surrounded the property. Remy knew that for him to travel from shadow to shadow, he would
