Chapter 10

The air in the building had grown thick with an unspoken tension as she led us down corridor after corridor. It was like a storm gathering on the horizon. And I was completely lost. Being at this woman's mercy was grating on everyone. Our new friends seemed to be fraying at the edges as they hesitated to follow along. I wanted to tell them to go back, but I couldn't. There was no door.

The woman stopped walking, turned around, and winked at Aidon. "She'll be happy to see you." With that enigmatic statement, she vanished into thin air like the Dark Fae. The room was bathed in the soft glow of candles.

"What now?" My voice was like a thunderclap in the silent room.

Stella was panting with her hand over her chest. "I have no idea. It smells like incense and spell work in here, and there is no way out."

Tseki and Murtagh both made a noise and held up their hands. "Quiet," Tseki hissed.

I shot Aidon a questioning look. He shrugged and conjured his sword. His wings expanded next, making him look even more imposing. I wanted to scream at myself for walking us right into this trap. We'd known to be wary, and I was. I just hadn't sensed the trap before they sprung it on us. Neither did the others. That soothed some of the sting. Aidon and Tseki should have been able to pick something up.

Tseki cocked his head to the side. "There's a distant murmur of conversations."

"And the occasional burst of magic," Murtagh added.

Aidon dipped his chin and narrowed his eyes on the walls. "That means one of these is not real. We need you to find it, Phoebe. It's beyond a simple illusion."

"I'll give it a try," I said as I opened my senses. I picked up the magic before anything else. But it seemed to be surrounding us. I tried for several tense seconds before turning to my best friend.

"I feel like I'm juggling magical grenades, and I'm not sure which ones are about to explode!" I quipped, attempting to infuse levity into the situation, but my unease lingered beneath the surface. "I need some help."

Stella"s eyes were pools of earnest concern. "I"m not sure what I can do, but you know I'm always here with you." Her expression turned serious. "It seems like we"re walking a tightrope. Trying anything is a gamble, but it"s one we have to take. Otherwise, we're stuck here."

Aidon caught my gaze and held it. "Stella"s right. We have to do something. I know things have been confusing since you got pregnant, but you're the same capable witch I fell in love with."

Warmth filled my chest, grounding me. My hesitation wasn't from a lack of confidence. It was the feeling of being untethered that had overcome me when I'd crossed into the pocket realm. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

"Stella, what if this is all an illusion? We already know we"re dancing to someone else"s magical tune. I'm betting these walls are all part of that," I said.

Stella"s eyes reflected a mix of determination and uncertainty. "I think we can bet on that. Nothing a little reveal spell can't handle. You're the most powerful witch alive, and you made me. We've got this."

As if her words eliminated the strength of the illusion, a woman wearing a red cloak strode through one of the walls in front of me, and it vanished. Aidon's power blasted out of him, and I reacted instinctually. The wind swirled like a tornado around us, tearing my hair out of the ponytail I'd put it in. My magic was wild and unfocused until I channeled it into a magical cage.

The poor woman in red looked like she"d stumbled into a magical maelstrom and forgotten to pack a life vest. She recovered quickly and snapped her fingers. You could have knocked me over with a feather with what happened next. Stella"s husband, the unsuspecting mortal caught in our mystical chaos, appeared next to the woman.

He wore an expression that oscillated between bewildered and downright petrified. Stella ran for him, sending my heart into my throat. Turning to Aidon, I screamed, "Get him away from her."

Aidon moved faster than my eyes could follow. Todd vanished from next to the woman between one rapid heartbeat and the next. Stella's arms pinwheeled at her sides as she stopped herself. I was busy cursing myself for not giving the girls instructions sooner. I knew Todd needed to be protected.

The woman sneered at us. "You only have yourself to blame for putting him in danger."

"No. We aren't to blame," I snarled and started building power for a magical bomb. "And you're going to pay first." I didn't need words for my magical bombs anymore and tossed the thing at the woman.

She shrieked but wasn't able to vanish before it hit her and she vaporized. Todd gaped at me and backed away. Stella held up her hands. "It's okay. We couldn't allow her to continue hurting you."

Todd nodded. "I know. It's just not every day that I see your magic at work. While I would have liked to punish her in the justice system, we can't hold her." He stopped talking and looked around. "What the hell is going on? And where are we?"

Stella gave him a brief rundown while we all headed toward the wall where the woman had walked through. Todd mustered a weak smile, the kind you"d give a man-eating unicorn if you had to. "This is way beyond anything I signed up for. Why did they bring me here? It makes no sense."

Stella twined her fingers with Todd's. "They're showing us they have the upper hand. They want us off our game."

"And vulnerable," Murtagh added. "We can't do as much if we are all busy protecting you."

Aidon shook his head. "That might be part of it, but there's more. Who were you talking to? I bet you got close to something in your investigation. You have an inside look where other mundies don't."

"I was talking to some of Olive's neighbors and asking more pointed questions. I couldn't say anything incriminating because I had a detective in my office."

I patted Todd's shoulder with faux comfort. "Speaking of, how are you keeping all these supernatural shenanigans from your unsuspecting colleagues?"

His eyes darted around the space, scanning the eclectic gathering of magical beings. "By keeping my mouth shut. I used to be jealous of Stella, but it turns out being one of your supernatural secret agents isn't as cool as it sounds."

Stella smiled up at him. "I"m glad you"re involved. We need you."

He let out a nervous laugh, running a hand through his hair. "You need me? I barely understand the difference between a warlock and a mage."

Aidon gave him a look. "Don't underestimate what you can do. Your role is crucial. You possess a perspective untouched by magic, and you have a long history of investigating crimes. Both are invaluable. You can pick up on shit we might ignore."

The poor guy"s eyes widened. "Invaluable? I'm more of a walking target. My bullets will have no effect on these creatures."

"Yeah, they will. Swords and daggers hurt supernaturals. You just need to be faster than your opponent," I said and was distracted by the energy around us. It continued battering me from every direction. I slowed my steps before we reached the wall and whispered to Stella. "We need to cast a lure spell to draw out the sorceress behind this mess. We could be walking around here all day and never find her. She created this realm which puts us at a disadvantage."

Stella nodded, and our group stopped just short of the portal the woman walked through. Candles flickered, casting dancing shadows that made me jumpy as hell. Stella started gathering her power as she suggested, "What if we cast a spell that will sink a hook into the witch behind this? We could drag her to us."

"Brilliant. I like not giving her a choice. She has it coming to her," I said as the Pleiades powers surged within me. The fabric of reality vibrated in response.

I closed my eyes and tethered my thoughts to the core of the conspiracy. Amidst the celestial chaos, I honed in on the intricate threads in Salem that wove together to create the enigmatic puppeteer"s design. Symbols materialized as if they were burned into the backs of my lids. They glowed in my mind's eye. I chanted under my breath and continued funneling power into the enchantment. In the center of the constellation in my mind stood the shadowy figure. This was the woman orchestrating her evil plan and pulling the strings.

"Phoebe," Stella"s voice cut through the magical haze. Her voice anchored me back to the physical realm. I hadn't realized that the floating sensation had gotten worse before then.

My eyes snapped open and landed on my best friend. Her eyes reflected a mix of awe and concern. It was a silent acknowledgment of the immense power coursing through me and how something had been pulling me away.

"Thanks, Stells," I whispered.

"You sure we should continue?" She asked. I nodded and was about to close my eyes when she grabbed my hand and shook her head. "Keep your eyes on me. I felt like we were losing you."

"Got it," I said, and we resumed our spell.

Our magic intertwined and flowed out of us. A few seconds later, it felt like someone was yanking me away. Stella grunted, and Aidon's arms came around my waist. We doubled down and the next thing I knew, I was the one doing the pulling.

The enchantress appeared in front of us, but she was shrouded in shadows. The room pulsated with an otherworldly energy. "Who are you?" I demanded. "You might as well reveal yourself. You're not going anywhere."

The sorceress's eyes narrowed on me. "You think you have me? You're the one that needs to be prepared. You've taken what's not yours, and it is going to be taken back."

I rolled my eyes. "Not this again. I was given the Pleiades powers. They're mine now."

The woman laughed, her form blurring around the edges, making it impossible to focus and get a good image of her. "You think this is about your pathetic powers?"

I let out a weary chuckle. "Is this where you go into a monologue about why you want to eliminate us?"

The woman leaned forward, giving me a glimpse of the power surrounding her. It shimmered like pavement on a hot summer day. "It'll be more fun to see the shock on your face before you lose everything you love. My goddess has been cultivating her followers for longer than you've been alive and has countless to back her position. She's more powerful than you. More beautiful. And more loved."

"Well, isn"t this a lovely bedtime story? Ancient cults, malevolent forces, and a leader who"s practically immortal. I bet she throws fantastic dinner parties," I quipped. It might not be the right moment for my sarcasm, but in my experience, snark usually unnerves your opponent.

Stella shot me a sidelong glance. And Aidon flared his wings. "In case you didn't notice, Phoebe isn't alone. She's got powerful people on her side, too." The woman merely smiled at him and then vanished into thin air. That fit with how this day was going.

I conjured a bubble around our group to keep what we said private. The woman might have vanished but she could still be nearby, spying for her ‘goddess.' "I was hoping for a straightforward, uncomplicated supernatural crisis." The words came out in a whine.

Stella raised an eyebrow. "When have our adventures ever been straightforward?"

"Good point," I conceded. "But can"t a witch catch a break? Maybe a vacation to a non-apocalyptic destination?"

Stella shook her head at me and asked, "What"s our next move?"

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Oh, you know, just your typical "confront the ancient force, save the town, and maybe grab some coffee afterward" plan."

Aidon"s gaze was steady. "We need more information and a strategy. The leader is cunning and one step ahead of us. We can"t afford to make a move without understanding their motives. We should conceal our presence so we can explore this realm more. According to the oracle, the key is here."

"But we can't find it if we are being stalked the entire time," I finished for him.

In hushed whispers, Stella and I quickly devised a plan to hide our presence entirely. We cast the spell and instructed everyone to remain close. It would be harder to maintain the more spread out we were.

As we walked out of the room, my senses were on alert. Despite being able to, no one spoke a word as we found our way out of the structure. With the concealment cloaking us, it was easier for me to see the waver of the illusions. Before long, we ventured into the night, guided by determination and a touch of sarcasm. We would find the bitch calling herself a goddess and put her in her place.