Chapter 433
Lanie
My heart ached at the way weâd had to treat Xanderâs mother, but there was no other way for it to
go. Weâd had to dance a careful ballet of the truth interwoven with half-truths and semi-truths. Our
choreography skirted outright lies, but just barely.
She had to know where we were going so the High Council would follow, and she had to be
convinced that staying was the best protection for the twins. We also had to convince her that we
couldnât tell Malachi or anyone else.
âHe wouldnât let us go,â I told her. âNot alone. And Stella was very clear. It has to be the five of us
only. Nobody else.â
Gabriela had put the twins to bed while we finished quickly packing. Stella had not returned, and
although I suspected Gabriela didnât really believe she was paying homage to the Moon Goddess in
her temple, she also didnât keep pressing us for more details. Now, Xanderâs mother finished
spreading peanut butter and jelly on some bread to make sandwiches we could take with us. I
hadnât had the heart to tell her we didnât need them.
âIf he doesnât stop you from leaving before you get out the front gates, heâll figure out youâve gone
before you make it to the portal town,â she said.
Her knife moved over the bread, adding more layers. Her hands were steady. Theyâd been shaking
a few minutes ago.
âWe have a safe route through Standard,â I told her carefully. âThrough the maintenance tunnels.â
There was no way for us to know if she was transmitting our words to the High Council through the
scrying device. Every word we said and every item we chose to take with us had to be specific and
purposeful. We wanted them to know where we were going, what route we were taking, and what
time we planned to leave. Like everything else, some of what we said was true. The rest of itâ¦we
didnât even fully know.
The Moon Goddess had convinced me to place my trust in Stella and also my own instincts, and so
thatâs what I was determined to do. It wasnât easy. I had to keep taking slow, deep breaths while at
the same time keep my expression from giving away my anxiety to Gabriela. I also had to show
some nervousness, because there was no way Iâd be able to convince her that I wasnât worried at
all.
This dance had so many steps, and I hadnât practiced them nearly enough. I felt way too clumsy to
be performing it. All I could do was keep stepping, even if it was over an abyss.
âHow will you stop the enclaveâs security systems from alerting your grandfather that youâre
leaving?â Gabriela asked. She folded waxed paper around the stack of sandwiches and tucked
them into a tote bag. She lifted it, hefting its weight, and put it on the table with a laugh. âI havenât
made this many PB&Js since Xander was going through puberty. He and Zane ate me out of house
and home. My two boys.â
Her voice cracked, and I went to her. I didnât think sheâd let me hug her, but she did. I held her
tightly, hoping we were doing the right thing.
Gabriela extricated herself from me. She cleared her throat and wiped at her eyes. âThe twins will
be safe here. Iâll take care of them.â
âI know you will. And when we come backââ
âDonât,â she said firmly around a tremor in her voice. âJust donât, Lanie. I canât bear to hear a
promise you canât make. Not in good conscience. Accepting that promise means Iâm letting you lie
to me, and I canât have that.â
I nodded after a moment. She was right. We both hated it, but looking into her eyes, I saw that she
also understood it.
âLanie,â Xander said from the doorway. âMom. We have to get going. Stella will be waiting.â
We hadnât told his mother that Stella could speak to us through a new mind link. That was one piece
of information we didnât want the High Council to suspect. We did, however, want them to be on
alert that we were heading out.
âTake these,â Gabriela said, handing him the tote.
When he peeked inside, surprise and pleasure wreathed themselves across his face in a broad
smile. Iâd never seen my Alpha smile that way before. It lifted my heart and broke it at the same
time. It was the grin of a boy whose mother had made sure he had everything he could possibly
want or need.
It faded quickly, replaced with a sterner expression. He hugged his mother and kissed her cheek.
âThanks, Ma.â
Mason and Zane bustled through the doorway. Each had a backpack slung over one shoulder. That
was all we were taking with usâone small bag each. According to Stella, we would find whatever
else we needed along the way.
According to Gabriela, it might be all we needed for the rest of our lives.