our heads together weâll find something that can save Raphael. Maybe we shouldâve tried harder before shipping you off, but it seemed like the easiest way to save himâ¦â Although that was sounding more and more like wishful thinking.
âNo. Muracoâs right. Iâve never learned a thing about fighting demons and I grew up with la Aquelarre. Itâs been my life forever. Maybe Luciana has something in her spell room, butââ
Chills ran down my spine. âNo one is going in there. Never ever.â
âIâd never ask that of you. But I couldââ
Was she out of her mind? âNo! We both know sheâs after your powers. She managed to strip me of mine, and now that youâve left, she wants yours just as bad. You canât go anywhere near her.â The problem was, we didnât have a ton of options. It wasnât just the fight with Luciana. Raphaelâs life was on the line. As crazy as it might be, this quest was still her best option. âI donât like the sound of this douchebag being in Peru with you.â
âI know. But we all agreed. This is the best chance we have to save Raphael and stop Luciana.â
âRight. Well, stay away from him.â
âThanks. Iâll be okay. Iâve protected myself from Matt for years, but his being here isnât a good sign. I wanted to warn you. Iâm not sure who is spying on us, but⦠Maybe look into Beth, Tiffany, and Yvonne.â
âYeah, I had the same thought. Thereâs something about Yvonne.â Maybe I wanted it to be her or any of the coven members, but my instincts said the pack could just as easily be the problem. âI donât know. And there are a few wolves who arenât acting right. They should be following Mr. Dawsonâs orders, but theyâre being shifty.â
âThey are shifters.â
âYeah. Yeah. Bad use of the word.â I sighed. âI donât want you to worry, but Raphaelââ
âHe didnât⦠Heâs notâ¦â She could barely say the words.
âNo. Heâs still alive,â I said quickly.
âThank God.â Relief was thick in her voice.
âHeâs hanging in, but heâs in worse shape tonight than he was this morning. You just do your best, and then come home fast. Iâve got a feeling if youâre not back soon, wellâ¦â I tried to pick my next words carefully, but the fact was Raphael wasnât doing well. âIâm not sure what youâll come back to.â
âI know. Iâm going to move as fast as I can.â
âThe thing is⦠Heâs fading faster than Dr. Gonzales expected. Iâm wondering if it might make sense to get him to you. That way by the time you find his cure, heâs there. She says we canât put him on a planeâheâs not stable enough for thatââ Dr. Gonzales was right. If he got loose in a confined space, he could kill everyone and crash the plane. ââbut I can get a few wolves and maybe a couple of your brujos to drive him down to Peru. Itâll take a few days, but could work out timing-wise. Then, once heâs okay, you all fly back together.â Raphael was running out of time, and if something happened on the road, they could pull over. Maybe it wasnât the best plan, but it was better than nothing.
âWho would drive him down?â
âAdrian and Shane for sure. And then I was thinking maybe Beth, and one or two more wolves. I have to see who else might be up for it. Who we can spare right now.â
âOkay. I agree. Drive him down and Iâll move as quickly as I can.â
I hated to put more pressure on her, but if it were my brother, Iâd want to know. âJust stay safe, Claudia. You can do this. I know you can. Call me if you need anything.â
âSame to you. Iâll be in touch as soon as I have more information. Call me if