Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I felt a knot tightening in my chest. I didn’t want to argue, but the thought of him being in danger again was tearing me apart. “Blake, it’s not just about you being there for me. It’s about keeping you safe. If something were to happen—”
Blake cut me off, his voice firm. “I’m not just your boyfriend—I’m your partner. That means I stand by your side, no matter how dangerous it gets. You can’t just ask me to step back because you’re scared of what might happen.”
I stared at him, torn between wanting to shield him from harm and respecting his determination. “But this mission… it’s going to be dangerous, more dangerous than anything we’ve faced so far.”
“And that’s exactly why I need to be there,” Blake insisted. “We’ve been through so much together. We’ve faced death and come out on the other side. I’m not going to back down now, and I don’t want you to try and make me.”
I could see the resolve in his eyes, the same strength that had drawn me to him in the first place. But the fear of losing him gnawed at me, making me second-guess everything. “I just… I don’t know if I can handle it if something happens to you.”
Blake softened, reaching out to take my hand. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. We’ve got each other’s backs, remember? We’re stronger together.”
I sighed, knowing deep down that he was right. “I don’t want to make a mistake that could cost us everything.”
He squeezed my hand, his touch grounding me. “We won’t make a mistake. We’ll go in with a plan, and we’ll come out together.”
Before I could respond, there was a knock on the door. Claire’s voice called from the hallway. “Hey, you two, we need to talk.”
Blake gave me a reassuring look before we got dressed and joined the rest of the family in the living room. The atmosphere was tense, everyone aware of the gravity of what we were about to undertake. The sunlight streamed in through the large windows, casting long shadows across the room.
Claire’s voice was steady. She wore a teal robe, the hood down, the logo of her magic shop stitched onto her chest. “I’ve verified the location of the lab,” she began, her eyes sweeping over each of us. “It’s in a heavily fortified area, deep within the mountains. The entrance is concealed, likely protected by powerful wards and traps. We’ll need to be smart about how we approach this.”
Warrick leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Do we have any idea what kind of defenses we’re up against? Besides the wards?”
Claire nodded. “From what I’ve gathered, it’s not just magical defenses. They’ve got physical security as well—Shades for sure, and who knows what else. This isn’t going to be easy.”
Dawn crossed her arms, her expression hardening. “We’ve faced worse. What’s the plan to get past all that?”
Claire pulled out a map, laying it on the coffee table. “Good question, babe. We’re going to need to divide and conquer. The lab itself is located at the base of a mountain, but the entrance is through a series of tunnels that wind down from the top. We’ll split into teams. One group will create a diversion at the base, drawing out their forces, while the other team infiltrates from above. We need to move quickly and efficiently. And you guys would need to wear your dragon-scale armor.”
I nodded, feeling a dash of excitement at the thought of putting on the armor. It had been a while. The last time I wore it was for our attack on the rogue vampire queen. It was armor that had been made from scales shed in our dragon forms, giving us the same defensive power in our squishy human skins.
Caleb, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up. “What about the wards? If they’ve got anti-dragon measures in place, we’ll be sitting ducks if we go in unprepared.”
Claire nodded. “That’s where the dragon-scale armor comes in. I’ve been working on enhancing it with additional protection spells. It should help neutralize the effects of the Dragonsbane, at least long enough for us to get inside. But we’ll need to be careful—there’s no guarantee it’ll hold against everything they’ve got.”
Damien, who had been pacing near the window, stopped and turned to face us. “We’ll need to be ready for anything. This is their stronghold. They’re not going to let us waltz in and take what we want,” he said.
“And what about once we’re inside? What’s the plan for retrieving the dagger?” Blake asked.
Claire’s gaze softened as she looked at Blake. “We’ll need to locate the central chamber, where they’re likely keeping the starlight dagger. It’s going to be heavily guarded, so we’ll have to time our attack perfectly. If we can get in, retrieve the dagger, and get out before they know what hit them, we’ll have the upper hand.”