8: Opal

"You know? And yet you are risking your life to help her," she added. "You know he'll kill you too."

"I know that as well."

"Then why are you doing it?"

I sighed and reached for my bottle of wine, but Opal grabbed it before I could.

Oh, so now she wanted to be serious.

I leaned against the table and folded my arms. "Because she has a child, and because she's been living with that monster long enough. Mount Hecate agreed to grant them refuge, so I'm getting them there. That's all you need to know."

Opal's eyes shifted as though something had suddenly occurred to her.

"Then help me get someone out too."

"No."

"You don't even know who I'm talking about."

"I don't need to. The answer is no."

"Winnie, listen to me."

"I am listening. I'm just rejecting you very quickly."

Her jaw tightened. "I work for Alpha Roland. You know that."

Unfortunately, I did.

Opal had been working inside Roland's territory for years, mostly brewing simple healing tonics and doing whatever other little magical tasks his pack required. Her witch blood was stronger than a human's, but compared to mine, her powers were barely awake. The poor woman had spent twenty years practising telekinesis and still couldn't lift anything heavier than my favourite wine bottle.

There was a reason witches like Opal didn't involve themselves in the affairs of powerful Alphas.

There was also a reason witches like me could.

My blood came directly from the White Witches of Mount Hecate, the oldest coven in existence. Magic didn't merely visit my family every few generations. It ran through us like blood.

That didn't make me stupid enough to start rescuing every unfortunate soul in the supernatural world.

"What about Roland?" I asked.

"There's a woman who lives with him," Opal explained. "His daughter."

I rubbed my hand over my face.

"He's selling her to the Vampire King."

The humour left me completely. "What?"

"Some sort of agreement between them. I don't know all the details, but she's terrified, Winnie. She doesn't want to go, and Roland doesn't care. He already made the arrangement."

I stared at Opal while she continued.

"If you can get Ava and her daughter to Mount Hecate, maybe you could get her there too."

"No."

"Winnie."

"I said no."

"But you just said Mount Hecate agreed to take Ava."

"Mount Hecate agreed to take Ava," I reminded her. "I went through the proper channels. My sister took the request before the Elders. They discussed it, and they granted Ava and her child Safe Haven. I cannot arrive at the foot of the mountain with every woman in the country who wants to escape somebody."

"I'm not asking for every woman."

"You're asking me to steal an Alpha's daughter while I'm already helping another Alpha's Luna disappear."

Opal became quiet. "When you say it like that..."

"How the hell else should I say it?"

She placed my wine bottle on the table. "I still think you're doing the right thing."

"Doing the right thing gets people killed every day."

"But sometimes it saves them."

I looked at her.

For someone who could barely make a spoon levitate without getting a headache, she certainly had balls.

Opal stepped closer. "I think Ava's plan is dangerous as hell, but it's smart. Her mate will be gone for seven days, and by the time he realizes she's missing, she could already be somewhere he can't touch her. That woman deserves a chance, Winnie."

"I know she does."

"And so does Alpha Roland's daughter."

"Maybe she does, but I'm not helping her."

Opal opened her mouth, but I held up my hand.

"No. Don't ask me again. Ava came to me herself, and the Elders have already agreed to protect her. Roland's daughter is a completely different situation, especially if a Vampire King is involved. I don't know what agreement was made, what laws are involved, or what kind of shit we'd be walking into."

"But..."

"And you are going to keep your mouth shut."

Opal frowned.

"I'm serious." I stepped closer until there was barely any space between us. "You didn't see Ava. You didn't hear our conversation, and you don't know anything about three nights from now. If you breathe a word of this to Alpha Roland, his daughter, another witch, or even a fucking tree, you could get Ava and that little girl killed."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Then swear it."

Opal's expression became serious. "I swear on Hecate that I won't tell anyone about Ava or what you're planning."

I studied her for a moment before finally nodding. "Good."

"But I still think you should help Roland's daughter."

"And I still think you should learn how to lift something heavier than a fucking wine bottle before you start planning supernatural rescue missions."

Opal rolled her eyes, but I could tell she wasn't amused anymore.

Neither was I.

A few minutes ago, my biggest problem had been figuring out how to get Ava and Rachel safely to Mount Hecate in three days.

Now there was another woman somewhere out there being handed over to a Vampire King against her will.

I hated knowing things.

Knowing things always became my fucking problem.

I grabbed my wine bottle from the table before catching Opal by the wrist. "Come on."

She looked at me suspiciously. "Where are we going?"

"Back to bed. I have three days to perform a miracle, and I'd like to enjoy what's left of my morning before my life goes completely to shit."

A small smile finally returned to her face as she followed me towards the bedroom.

Three nights from now, I was going to help a Luna disappear from beneath the nose of the most evil son of a bitch on the planet.

That sounded like tomorrow's problem.

Right now, I had wine, a beautiful woman in my shirt, and several hours before I needed to start brewing Ava's serum.

Priorities.

I kicked the bedroom door shut behind us, determined to finish what Ava's unexpected visit had interrupted.