Jegudiel (Deadly Virtues 2)

Tomorrow, she would right things for the man she loved. But right now, she would hold him in her arms and savor this time.

Chapter 25

Noa tightened the knife belt around her waist and looked up. She stared at herself in the mirror and took a deep, calming breath.

She closed her eyes and thought back to that morning. Sela had knocked on Diel’s door for him to go help Gabriel at the children’s new home. She thought back to the kiss Diel had given her, long and deep. It had left her breathless. She thought of his hand in hers as he reluctantly moved to the door, the tips of their fingers holding on tight as they refused to let go. And she thought of his smile as he told her he would see her later.

Noa opened her eyes at the sound of her sisters moving in the kitchen downstairs. After Diel had left, she had returned to the housekeeper’s residence that was now the Coven’s home. They had been planning all day, the daylight hours now fading. She had agreed with Dinah to scout out an outpost they knew the Witch Finders used, about thirty miles away.

But it was all lies. Noa was going nowhere near that location. And nobody would know until she returned, the Shunned’s ledger in hand.

Noa inhaled, then joined her sisters in the kitchen. They would operate as always. Dinah and Noa scouted alone. Jo and Candace would go together, as would Naomi and Beth.

Dinah cleared her throat. The Coven faced her. “Remember, you go unseen. Do not engage with them. There’ll be no confrontations.” Dinah’s dark eyes were hard as she reinforced that rule. Noa’s stomach flipped. “No going inside the buildings. We’re looking for numbers. The comings and goings. And most of all, signs of Auguste and his men. We know the ledger only goes with him.”

Noa’s sisters nodded at Dinah. Dinah nodded back sharply. “We’ll meet back here later tonight and share what we find. We’ll plan from there.”

There was a flurry of motion as the Coven made their way to the awaiting cars and vans. Noa slipped into her van, shut the door and let the silence calm her nerves. She rarely got nervous. But since Diel … She sighed. Now she had something bigger to lose.

So, she focused on the wind outside like her grandmother had taught her to do. She focused on the elements and let them calm her spirit. Her heart rate slowed to a steady beat. She believed one hundred percent in what she was about to do.

She wouldn’t see any of her family hurt if she could help it.

Noa opened her eyes, hands on the steering wheel, then suddenly, the passenger door to the van opened and Beth climbed in.

“The cook has cut open her hand. Gabriel just called and asked if Naomi could stay behind and help.” Beth shut the door. “Dinah said to ride with you as your location is bigger than hers. Two sets of eyes would be better than one.”

Noa’s heart fell, and a surge of panic swept through her veins. She shook her head. “Go with Dinah, Beth.” Beth frowned at Noa’s curtness. “I’m better scouting alone.”

Beth reared back as though she had been struck. Guilt assaulted Noa, but Beth couldn’t be there. Noa sighed. “Just … go with Dinah.” As the words left Noa’s mouth, she saw that Dinah’s car had already left, as had Candace and Jo’s. Noa hadn’t even noticed they had gone, too caught up in what she secretly planned to do.

“I’m just as capable at scouting as you,” Beth said, hurt lacing her quiet voice. Beth stared out of the front window, and Noa felt like shit. Beth opened the van door to get out.

“Beth, wait,” Noa said, instantly berating herself. Beth was always crippled with self-doubt, her horrific past trauma affecting her profoundly. She was arguably the most fucked up of them all. Most days Beth functioned well, which hid that harsh truth from everyone else.

Beth froze. Noa gritted her teeth. “You can come.” Noa would just have to persuade her to stay in the van. Not let her in on where they were going until it was too late to turn back.

Beth looked back at Noa with wide, hurt eyes, but then shut the door. Noa put the car into reverse. “I’m sorry,” she said and watched some tension leave Beth’s petite body. “I’m just not used to company when I scout. I … I worry about you, that’s all.”

Noa pulled out of the manor and onto the hidden, private road it was situated on. Beth didn’t speak the entire time it took them to get onto the more main roads, which was over an hour. Unable to stand the tension, Noa said, “Are you okay?”