“Fair enough. Return us to the abbey.”
“As you wish,” he said, with frost-filled, dangerous eyes.
Back at the abbey, Jada apprised Barrons and Fade of the agreement she’d struck with Cruce, stressing the necessity of working together quickly and without contention. “You can kill each other when this is over, but until that time we’re allies who’ve shelved animosity in the interest of rescuing Mac and fixing the black holes. If any of you have a problem with that—leave.”
No one moved.
She turned to Barrons. “I know the bookstore is heavily warded. Can the Sinsar Dubh enter it?”
“On its own, no. Rowena carried it in when she was possessed by it. I’d not warded the store against the old woman. Mac’s ability to enter remains to be seen.”
“Speculate.”
“The old bitch was human, possessed by a Book.”
“That’s exactly what Mac is,” Jada pointed out.
“I felt her and disagree.”
“What did you feel?” She wished she had his atavistic senses!
“Irrelevant. Move on.”
“It’s not ir—” she began hotly, but terminated it swiftly. Now was not the time. She glanced at Cruce. “Begin sifting the injured sidhe-seers to the alley behind the bookstore.”
Cruce hissed, “I will not sift sidhe-seers—”
Barrons made a rattling sound deep in his chest. “You are not filling my store—”
“What part of ‘quickly and without contention’ did I fail to make clear?” Jada said coolly. “Do you have a better idea, Barrons? Is Chester’s protected against the Sinsar Dubh? If so, take the sidhe-seers there. The Book has obviously been here and may still be. We must transport my women to safety.”
“Who put her in charge?” Fade growled at Barrons. “Did you agree to this?”
“I’m not in charge,” Jada said evenly. Their egos required delicate handling. “I’m doing damage control. We’re all in charge. The issue at hand happens to be the lives of my women.”
Barrons narrowed his eyes and stared at her a long moment in silence. Then he inclined his dark head. “You heard what Jada said. Move the sidhe-seers. But to Chester’s not my bookstore.”
“When she has informed her women of the truce,” Cruce stipulated. “One of them has the spear. Only when she no longer does will I move them.”
“I’ll tell Enyo you’re off limits,” Jada said. “She’ll obey me.”
“I place no faith in the faith you place in humans, human. Reclaim the spear.”
“Fade,” Barrons growled, “guard Cruce until Jada and I have prepared the sidhe-seers.” He turned and stalked off toward the entrance of the abbey.
Jada loped to catch up. “Thank you for supporting me.” Focusing on the abbey entry, she swiftly accessed the slipstream.
Only to be yanked violently back down by Barrons.
“I don’t,” he snarled. “Like everyone else’s, your objectives are emotional, flawed, and in the wrong fucking order.”
She snatched her arm from his steely grip. “My objectives are not—”
“Save the sidhe-seers?” he mocked. “If we pull out, we leave the abbey grounds unprotected. You must be willing to sacrifice anything no matter how it affects you emotionally to gain a single thing—the four stones that can contain the Sinsar Dubh. They’re in the rubble somewhere, aren’t they?”
She nodded tightly.
“Tell me where, and don’t bloody point because Cruce is standing right behind us.”
“I stored them in a safe in the sitting room off the Dragon Lady’s Library.” She told him the location as best she could without gesturing in the direction of the rubble to search.
“Only once we have them do we yield this place and attend the needs of the weaker. To be a protector, you can’t think like a protector. You must always think like a conqueror first. It costs. Blood and soul.”
Jada muttered a string of curses. He was right; the priority was the stones and she’d not given one thought to them. They were the only hope they had of containing the Sinsar Dubh and buying time to figure out how to get Mac back. Yet the first thing on her mind had been the survival of others. Perhaps the Book had come here to kill the princes, but most likely it had come to claim the only thing capable of containing it, yet had been unable to resist mowing down its enemies along the way. Its delay was their advantage. “Is Chester’s secure?”
“Enough. Parts. Occupy Cruce relocating the women. I’ll search for the stones and return to Dublin when I have them. Mention nothing of this to the fairy.”
“And if you run into Mac?”
He flashed her a savage smile. “I intend to.”
“Barrons, you don’t know what she’s like. You weren’t in the warehouse. You didn’t feel what she’s become.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“But—”
“Enough. Go. Now.”
Shaking her head, she turned to leave. He called after her, “Cruce doesn’t know the stones are here and is interested only in securing his own safety and protection—at the moment. What the Book did to him screwed with his head but it will clear. Keep him distracted, act fast and stay alert. The dogs of war don’t negotiate. They deceive, awaiting a more prime opportunity to attack. If he thought he could seize all four stones, he would. They could contain him, too. He’ll covet them every bit as much as the Book does.”