Chapter 407

“You are going to let me die here?” Megan let her words sound incredulous.

Rick walked to the bars. “I don’t want you to die. But I have no way of getting you out of here without being seen or found out. If I could save you and only lose my own life, I would do it. You don’t deserve to be here…”

“But?” Megan cut in.

“But I have a pup and a mate who would be executed if I went against Vince.” He grabbed the bar, and I heard the sizzle of his skin against the silver. “I can’t risk them. I hope you and Amy will understand that.” He pulled back and turned away.

“Wait!” Megan called after him.

He turned. “The guard is coming back in a minute. Be quick.”

“Will you come back to speak with me?” She tried to get close. “I have so many questions.”

Rick looked back to the door. “I can try. But Vince doesn’t like random people coming in here.”

“Then why did you come in now?” Megan pushed.

“Because…” His shoulders sagged. “Because I felt like a monster, and I felt like I needed to explain. If I could have let you go, I would have, but I can’t risk them.”

Megan sat back. “You came to ease your guilt?”

He shook his head. “Guilt had become my best friend. There is nothing I could do to make the guilt easy at this point. I just felt like I needed to explain myself to you, if that makes any sense.” He raised his shoulder. “I listen to where the goddess points me now. I stopped asking questions a while ago.”

Megan tilted her head. “The goddess?”

Rick bobbed his head. “The last time I felt a push, it was to get you out.” Then he walked to the door. He turned back to look at me one last time. “I truly am sorry, Amy, and now she might save my kid, so now I listen. You don’t deserve this. I’m hoping that if Amy gets back to me, we can…”

“If I can get out myself…when would be the best time?” Megan called after him.

He stayed looking at the door. “I would wait until Vince comes to see you on the day. He has a thing for you, girl, and he will become distracted. Allow it to happen for a little while. He will become angry, like you are taking his focus from his plans. But he will still come because you are his new drug, his fix. Once he leaves, he will be angry about wasting his time and ignore this place like a plague for a day or so. Go then.”

“How will I know it’s time?”

Rick looked over his shoulder. “Vince is like an addict when he finds a new girl to chase after. He has the same pattern. He will visit multiple times a day, then grow frustrated, and the visits will grow less. He’s quick to fall and quick to move on. Give it a week. By the end, he will leave you alone for a day, then you will know.” Then Rick pushed out of the door and left me alone with my thoughts.

“So we are here for at least a week?” Nix huffed out a sigh.

I raised a shoulder. “It will give us time to collect information.” Megan trotted over to the bed and laid down. “Getting comfortable?” I chuckled at her as she dug under the thin blanket.

“Might as well. I need to rest. My body has had less time outside, and I am weaker than you and Nix. And while I’d love for either of you to take over, or share power with me, I also realize we will need most of your power when we escape.”

“That’s days from now…” Nix offered, but Megan just settled deeper into the bed, curling up.

“Yeah, but we don’t know how many traps are around here. We rushed in, no plan last time, and look where that got us. Now we have to plan.” She turned to me. “Is there a way for you to keep us from being drained by the magic thrown around here?”

I settled on the ground next to Nix. “I don’t honestly know, but I can try to figure it out.”

“Good.” Megan nodded. I looked at Nix, and we both snorted, but Megan was already asleep. I looked to Nix.

“Sleep. I’ll take the first watch.”

Nix settled against my side. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. If anyone comes in to talk to us, I will wake everyone up.”

Nix curled up and put her head on my lap again. In minutes, she was asleep. Once again, I was alone with my own thoughts, surrounded by wolf snoring. I pulled magic to me; I tossed a light ball up in my mind to illuminate the book I had in my hands. I rubbed my fingers over my Book of Shadows, its words and form a figment of my imagination here, but it would mirror the real one at home.

Now…to find a solution.