The Epilogues: Part I: Badge of Honor (The Potentate of Atlanta Book 6) - Hailey Edwards (the best novels to read .TXT) 📗

or the other. She left to get medical attention, and I headed for the lake to help the coven.” I would rather do that than sit on my hands. “Who all knows we’ve exited the gauntlet?”

“No one can see in, except the Grande Dame, but she’s informed the faction heads.”

“Ask Linus to hold his mother off for as long as he can. We need every spare minute we can get.”

If anyone could sway her, it would be her son. Though I hated forcing him to play the mom card.

“I’ll fill in the others. We need a plan in case the Grande Dame isn’t moved by Linus’s argument.”

I loved that he trusted the Grande Dame almost as much as me.

I would marry him for that alone.

“Can you let Addie and Boaz know I’m okay? I would call, but you know how Boaz is. He’s a wheedler.”

This situation was complicated enough without involving my brother, however useful an Elite might be.

“Consider it done.” He called out to Ford. “I need to start rallying the troops.”

“Sir, yes, sir.”

The best medicine was to shut my eyes and let Ambrose work on me until we arrived.

For once, I took my medicine without complaint.

Abbott would be proud.

A bony hand on my shoulder woke me out of a sound sleep that I hoped wasn’t trauma induced.

“We’re here, wimp.”

Hissing through my teeth, I sat up straight. “It feels like we’re still moving.”

“I bet you’re loads of fun on a boat.”

The idea of sloshing around on water just now soured my stomach. “We’re about to find out.”

The car had indeed stopped, and I exited the vehicle on shaky legs.

Probably head wounds and swimming didn’t mix, but I was willing to risk it, given the coven presence.

“Hadley?”

I searched out the voice and identified the coven leader, Meredith Argent.

“Hey.” I put one foot in front of the other. “Nice to see you again.”

“Nice to charge you again.” She flashed an impish grin. “You guys always pay invoices same day.”

“We do what we can to keep everyone happy.” I cut to the chase. “Are you guys ready to do this?”

“As ready as we can be.”

A wave of her hand led us down the manmade beach to where a long dock protruded into the water.

“I want to go in with the team assigned to Neely.” I drew myself taller. “How do I get down there?”

“We’ve been using diving equipment to avoid potential interaction between the spells we’re casting and the magic fueling the constructs. It’s safer for everyone that way, and it lets us reserve our power. I have a different method in mind for you.”

“That’s probably wise,” I admitted, second-guessing myself, “since I’ve never gone diving.”

“Oh, you’ll love this.” A laugh brightened her expression. “We’ll magic you an air bubble helmet.”

Picturing the fishbowl-style glass helmets used in some old movies, I grinned. “Very science fiction-y.”

“I thought you would approve, given the marathon we watched while on lockdown at the Faraday.”

The coven had required sleep, food, and entertainment while they recharged their magical batteries after their contribution to the battle against the witchborn fae.

Lucky for them, I had an extensive library of films eager for new fans to discover their awesomeness.

“Before we get started, I need to ask.” I crossed my fingers. “Are there any necromancers here?”

“One.” She pointed at a man pacing a cruiser on the water. “That’s Higgins. High Society. He’s married to one of our witches. His wife is pregnant and refused to sit this one out. He’s here for the long haul.”

Rude as it was to ask, I had to know. “He any good?”

“He was the best in Detroit before moving here, but he’s not in Linus’s league, if that’s what you mean.”

“Who is?” I hoped my smile conveyed I meant no offense. “There’s no one like him.”

“Except Grier,” she countered. “I met her last year. She’s cool. A power too.”

Their magics weren’t the same, exactly, but I could agree their talent ranked on a similar scale.

“Let me make a call right quick.” I stepped away from Meredith. “How long until our ride’s here?”

“About a minute.” She pointed out a speedboat heading our way. “You’ve got time if you make it fast.”

The phone rang in the infirmary, and I asked to speak to the last man who wanted to hear from me.

Our conversation was short, to the point, and left me filled with dread that I had already failed Neely.

Meredith and Remy were halfway down the dock when I caught up to them.

“Here’s our lift.” Meredith waited until the boat nudged the dock before jumping in. “This is Shea.”

“Hi, Shea.” Not trusting my wonky balance, I sat on the pier then slid in the boat. “Nice to meet you.”

“Don’t throw up, girl.” She frowned down her nose at me. “You’ve that look about you.”

With a growl, Remy joined me, sizing up the driver like she was competition.

“Hold on to your butts,” Shea called as she stomped on a foot throttle. “Away we go.”

For whatever reason, the water fascinated Ambrose. Without a care in the world, he mimed dipping his fingers in the current then grinned over his shoulder at me. The sudden interest made me question, again, who he had been during his life, but that was a mystery I might never solve.

In watching Ambrose, I missed the bulk of the short trip to the cruiser, but I tuned in when Shea cut the engine. We floated until we bumped the other vessel then tied ours to its side.

Higgins, a curious light in his eyes, threw a flimsy ladder over the edge.

“Higs, we have guests.” Meredith climbed up first. “Hadley and her friend Remy.”

“The ceremony is over already?” He checked his fancy watch. “I expected more pomp from the Society.”

“There would have been pomp. Even some circumstance. But I had to see a man about a lake.”

The ramifications of my actions tallied in his eyes, and respect shone back at me. “I see.”

“Scooch over.” A hard shove knocked me to one side. “I’m blowing this popsicle stand