"We need to find the others and leave," repeats Ash.
"How can you be this heartless?" I ask him hoarsely.
"I'm not. We need to act before anybody else dies."
My heart jerks.
"Ash is right," says Alaric. "I'll take Izzy back to the car and prepare to leave." He nods at me and Tobias. "Are you able to help?"
Tobias’s face is covered by mud, the suit crumpled and torn. He’s standing and bright-eyed but he’s on the edge of coping. “Yes. Come on,” he says with determination.
I creep after Ash and Tobias walks behind, placing me between them, protected.
"Stop." Tobias grabs my hand. "Ash. I sense someone."
"A witch?"
He shakes his head. "Vampire. A strong one. There are a few at the estate currently, Ash."
"You think they followed us?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "I don't know. We alerted somebody, but this is different. Whoever is close by walked out the front of the estate."
"Close by?" I ask.
"Close enough. I'll scout. I'm less likely to be seen."
I wrap my arms around myself as Tobias blends into the silent shadows. Ash hugs me to him again and I rest my face against his jacket.
"What happened to you?" He tips my chin and brushes his thumb across my lips. "They sent a photo of you bleeding. Are you hurt?"
"No." His eyes narrow in suspicion. "Honestly, I'm fine."
"And Tobias?" He glances into the trees.
"He's fine too." I tiptoe and place my lips on Ash's to silence him. "Talk later." But how much do I say?
I tense, ready to defend myself as Tobias reappears. He rubs his temples. "This isn't good. Really not good. Gabriella is with Andrei and Jamie."
"What?" I half-shriek. "His mother? What's she doing?"
"I only saw from a distance. Nobody is hurt badly, as far as I can see. She's talking to Andrei and holding a book."
"Like she wanted," says Ash through gritted teeth. "The Blackwood grimoire and Andrei in exchange for you."
"That's what they asked for?" I ask and Ash nods. "But that doesn't need to happen. You found a different option and I’m here. Andrei must know that," I protest.
Tobias massages his temples and I sense his exhaustion. “If Andrei gives the book to his mother, we're screwed. Gabriella will hand the grimoire over and create a new bond between the powerful witch and vampire anti-Confederacy families. She'll build a new trust between the vampire and witch element."
"Andrei wouldn't do that!" I'm seconds away from plunging into the trees but my common sense tugs me back. I lost against Anastasia; I'll have no chance against Gabriella. "What next?"
I reach out for Tobias's thoughts and find nothing.
"We need to do something before one or both of them die," I say urgently. "Show me where they are."
Tobias blinks. "No. We've only just escaped one mess."
I thin my lips. "I'm the reason they're here. We help. I'm not arguing about this."
Ash mumbles something while I lock my defiant gaze with Tobias's. He knows I'm right, but I know the reason for his hesitancy. "I'm strong enough to help, Tobias."
I catch a flash of a thought. I don't think I am.
"Tobias," I urge. "Now."
He blows air into his cheeks. "Okay. Ash, follow at a distance. Maeve and I will move forward."
I wait for him to reach out for my hand as he leads us into the shadows he blended into earlier, but Tobias buries them in his pockets. We pad through the trees and I pick up Gabriella's aura within a few metres. Anastasia and Nikolai's were a black cloud; this is thick and as I move forward, it suffocates as if I'm drowning in tar. I falter.
How can we take her on?
Tobias snatches my arm and pulls me towards him, placing his fingers to his lips then pointing ahead. I peer in the direction Tobias indicates. Gabriella has Andrei trapped between herself and a tree, and in her right hand she holds the grimoire. Her voice is angry; Andrei's responses are too quiet to hear.
I sweep my gaze around the surroundings. Two other people are here—Jamie, lying on the ground with a man standing beside him with his arms crossed, like an obedient servant as he watches Gabriella and Andrei. My veins fill with cold fear when Jamie doesn't move or fight back.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
MAEVE
”Jamie is alive," whispers Tobias.
"Are you sure?"
He nods.
The leaves in the branches above rustle and I look up to the tree canopies, ready for an attack. Nobody.
"Maeve? How delightful to see you again." My heart practically jumps out of my chest as Gabriella, in a fur-lined black coat, appears centimetres away from touching me. Her angry expression mars the beauty and pulls her closer to the monster she is.
Tobias seizes my hand and tugs me back, snapping me out of my reverie.
She tips her chin and looks at him. "Oh my, Tobias is here too. What an eventful evening." Gabriella snatches me from Tobias's hold and drags me from the trees into the open.
"Look, my sweet. Maeve is here." Gabriella shoves me towards Andrei. "I'll gain extra favour for bringing her back, with you and the book."
Andrei's strained face meets mine and he straightens, eyes filling with panic. I want to reach out to him. Tell him we'll be okay. But will we?
"I changed my mind. I'm not leaving with you," says Andrei in a low voice. "Drag me into the Blackwood estate if you want, but I won't ever help you."
With each word and each moment, my spirits drop further. We're out of the Blackwood estate, but we haven't escaped.
Gabriella's steady breath ruffles the side of my hair and I tense against her touching me again. "Tell my son what you saw in your vision, Maeve," she purrs. "Tell him what he'll do to you."
"That wasn't a vision," I say through gritted teeth. "You put those images in my head."
She scoffs and a metallic smell on her breath joins her cloying scent. "I didn’t need to. Andrei is my son. My image. Look at him. He isn’t a Tepes.”
“I am,” he snaps.
“My sweet, your emotions will never overthrow your true nature."
"What did you see in a vision, Maeve?" he asks hoarsely, ignoring her.
"Nothing. I didn’t have a vision. Gabriella planted the images."
She moves around to face me, blocking Andrei from view, and strokes my cheek, lips pursed. "Do you honestly believe that?"
My thumping heart grows louder, now a greater temptation to each vampire around us, and I struggle to calm myself.
"Don't fret, Maeve. I've fed. Didn’t you enjoy the gathering? You’re leaving so soon." She flashes me a smile and touches my temples with two fingers. Her hand flies to her mouth as she looks between Tobias and me. "Oh my."
Tobias remains still, keeping his distance from us and close to Jamie. I don't look around but hear his voice. What did she see?