Part 113 (2/2)

I wasn't sure who was in charge of the operation. I just knew when he spoke that Apollo was going to take charge of the debriefing.

”You first,” he ordered, his voice curt, his eyes on Derrik.

”I infiltrated Specter Isle,” Derrik replied.

”I could guess that part,” Apollo returned.

Derrik turned more fully to Apollo and crossed his arms on his chest.

”It was not difficult to convince them there was a reason I was angry and would turn traitor,” Derrik stated confusingly.

”I can imagine not. The question is, did you turn traitor?” Apollo inquired.

Derrik's face got hard. ”Don't ask that, brother.”

”Uh...just to say,” I quickly put in to this baffling exchange. ”When the rescue mission commenced, Derrik was all over incapacitating Helda.”

Derrik's face got soft as his eyes turned to me.

”Your purpose in doing this?” Apollo queried and Derrik looked back to him.

”Being with them, I could not know your plan and I could not get away to share theirs. All I knew was that both of you would have them. And I would be in the position to do something when they played out. I couldn't do much. But in the end, I was able to do something.”

”This is true, mon loup,” Valentine put in. ”Our Noctorno of my world was sent there to dispatch Edith, as well as incapacitate Helda. This last was the difficult part that made it quite risky for him to go. However you wanted her alive. I daresay those three didn't consider firearms entering the picture, or our handsome other world Noctorno. But I suspected it would not take long for them to recover from the death of Edith. The elves had to focus on resurrecting Lavinia so they could use her as the conduit to Specter Isle and then drain Minerva. It was most fortunate your man was there. It made things easier on us all.”

Wow.

Lavinia had actually been dead.

And the elves resurrected her.

They were powerful.

Apollo turned his attention to Valentine. ”Right, then, as you've explained that, it's clear you had this plan in place, a plan you did not share, when we already had a plan in place.”

”You did, cheri, and it was a good one. I did not see it failing. And I did not wish to cause alarm by suggesting that it would. But you must admit, it is always wise to have a backup plan, no?”

I looked to Apollo's profile and saw a muscle jump in his cheek.

That meant it was wise, he just wasn't going to admit it out loud.

”Were you aware the witches could beat your enchantments and our women would be in danger?” Frey asked and Valentine looked to him.

”Was I aware they were that in danger?” She shook her head. ”No. Again, I did not see the protections on this palace beaten.” Her eyes went languid when she stated, ”I am rather good at what I do.” Her lips tipped up. ”But I did know they carried great power so I asked Noctorno to be on call, just in case.”

”Uh, just to say, no one calls me Noctorno,” Noc stated, sounding irritated.

Valentine's lips tipped up further and she glanced his way.

”How did you do it?” I asked and Valentine looked to me. ”They said you couldn't use your magic there. How did you?”

”You, ma colombe, and your sisters broke that enchantment,” she answered. ”This, I had hoped you would find your way to do. And you did.”

”But I don't have magic,” Cora remarked.

”I don't either,” I said.

”Neither do I,” Finnie added.

Valentine looked among us. ”We women all have the capacity to carry magic. We just need the motivation. And love is a powerful motivation, don't you agree?”

Well, that couldn't be argued.

”Regardless,” she went on, ”Circe has magic and she was the channel to pull up yours. It was, as I'd hoped, quite powerful. Alas, I could not send your men or battalions of soldiers there for even with their protections down, the triad was still at full strength and someone might have been harmed in the ensuing fray. The instant they saw any of us, they would pull up defenses, vickrants, toilroys, etcetera. Therefore, once I could transport someone there, I sent someone they would not see as a threat, Franka, instilled by a spell to open a line for the elves to get to Lavinia as well as to create a diversion for”-she glanced Noc's way-”Noc to arrive and finally make it safe for myself and the men to come, without the tedious bother of dealing with armies of creatures.”

Tedious bother.

This woman was something else.

”So Franka has magic?” Finnie asked, looking Franka's way.

”She is, of course, a woman. A woman with her own motivation,” Valentine murmured.

I was looking Franka's way too.

She was avoiding everyone's eyes.

Even so, I said, ”Thank you.”

Her head jerked and she looked to me.

”Thank you,” I repeated. ”That took a lot of courage and I...well, I appreciate it.”

”I didn't do it for you,” she stated coldly.

”Maybe not, but in the end, you still helped us and I'm still grateful,” I returned.

Apollo's arm around me gave me a squeeze.

Franka's mouth got tight as she held my eyes for long moments before she looked away.

”Are you okay, Lavinia?” Finnie asked and my gaze went to the witch.

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