A pause.
“And you’re asking me to take them.”
Another pause, longer.
“You’re serious about refusing them.”
She walks to the window with her back to us, the phone cord stretched. I can feel Garrett — his voice on the other end, the importance of what he’s saying, the absence of fear or hesitation. A man doing a thing he’s committed to.
“You understand what that means.” Brenna shifts her weight, listening. “All right. We’ll take the family. I’ll have a team at a rendezvous point tomorrow. I’ll text you the location.”
Conner is half out of his chair. Willow has her hand on his arm.
“Garrett.” Brenna’s voice softens by a fraction. “If you’re serious about this, you’re going to need help you don’t have.”
A long pause.
“We can talk about that when the family is safe.”
She’s quiet for several seconds. Then: “One more thing. Briar was there today. She came back quiet. Quieter than usual. I’m not asking for details. But whatever is between the two of you is likely to affect what we’re about to do. So I need to know where it stands.”
I don’t breathe. The tension in me vibrates. Brenna listens. Her expression shifts, not quite a frown. He’s answered something without answering it.
“That’ll have to do for now. But there are questions that will eventually need answers.”
Pause.
“All right. I’ll handle my end. You handle yours. Stay alive long enough for the rest of it to matter.”
She hangs up.
The kitchen is silent. Brenna turns. Her eyes find mine first, then move to the others.
“The Syndicate delivered a family to the Forrester gate this afternoon. Two adults, two children. Magic-blood. Beaten but alive. A note demanding Garrett resume the corridor.”
Conner closes his eyes.
Brenna continues. “Garrett opened the cage. He’s sending them to us. He’s also drawing the Syndicate off the compound. We’re not clear on how, but he knows they’ll come for him when they come, and he’s going to make sure they find him somewhere other than home.”
Merric stands. “Rendezvous?”
“Tomorrow morning. I’ll send him the location once we pin it down.”
“I’ll take a team.”
“I’ll go,” I say.
Everyone looks at me. Conner’s expression is now openly strange.
“You just drove eleven hours,” Brenna says.
“I know the area. I know the approaches to the Forrester territory better than anyone here. If the Syndicate has eyes on the roads — and they will — I can read a tail better than Merric’s fighters can. I’m going.”
Brenna studies me. I watch her decide not to argue.
“Fine. You, Merric, Conner, Sienna. Leave at midnight. That should put you at the rendezvous by dawn.”
“I want Willow,” Conner says.