The Magic of Hecate
Chapter 25 Chapter 25

Two hours later,

"That place is infiltrated with guards,” I said to Max from behind a largerock. "How on earth are we meant to get even anywhere near theentrance?”

"You got your thingy majig sword?" he questioned.

"Yeah."

Why is it so difficult for everyone to say 'Praesidium Deae Astra’. He canspeak fluent Latin for God's sake.

"Then what's the problem? Let's go," he replied looking as if he wasabout to exit the cover of the rock.

"Wait," I said pulling him back down. "When does the moon come outtonight?"

"Who gives a fuck?"

"It's a full moon tonight,” I replied and he looked at me still puzzled."They are all werewolves too. That will give us no advantage.”

"I'm pregnant remember. Everything is heightened. Weaker on a newmoon, stronger on a full moon. A lot stronger,” I explained.

"But there's a blizzard on its way. We need to get the amulet and backdown the mountain before then."

"We won't be getting down the mountain at all if we don't wait. Theyhave guns. We need all the strength, agility and healing power we canget.”

"Okay. It is 5:04. It will be dark in less than an hour," he said.

"I suppose the blizzard will reduce visibility and give us more cover," Iadded.

"You aren't as dumb as I thought,” He muttered.

"Fuck off,” I snapped. "That's not a compliment.”

"Grouchy pants.”

"Leave me alone. I'm cold, tired, jetlagged and hungry.”

"Oh poor baby," Max cooed pinching my cheek. "Do you need a hug?""Once again, fuck off," I snapped pushing him away from me. "You andyour brothers are literally the most annoying people in this world. Icould remorselessly strangle all four of you.”

"Now that is not a very nice thing to say about your only cousins.”"Not my only cousins anymore. Tobias and Maddison have two littlegirls," I replied looking back over to the four men guarding theentrance to the building.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Max's jaw tense and his face harden."I don't care,” Max snapped sending me a cold glare.

"They're your cousins too. Their names are-" I began.

"If they are Tobias Jones's children, I don't want anything to do withthem. And that includes knowing their names,” Max interrupted.

“I'm Nicolos Jones's daughter. The troublesome brother's daughter yetyou don't seem to have a problem with me anymore,” I grumbled."Keyword: anymore. I tried to get you murdered remember, hun?" Maxsaid placing his hand on my knee. "And don't think for a second that inhis younger years Tobias didn't bring the pack any grief. He was almostas bad as your father.”

"Whatever. I just thought you should know that you actually have fourfirst cousins rather than two."

"You haven't said a word about your brother in all these months we'vebeen together. What's he up to? Found his mate yet?" Max questioned."I don't know," I replied after a pause. "I haven't seen him in threeyears."

"Why not?"

"He was organising an uprising, Leo found out, banished him and saidthat if he is found on pack territory again, he would kill him."

"Well shit,” Max said bluntly. "What did he do that for?"

"He hates Leo with a passion. I don't know what made him think thathe'd ever succeed or that I'd ever forgive him for assassinating my mateeven if he did."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No."

"Do you miss him?"

es:

"In a weird way I kind of miss my brothers too," he said with a sigh."Milly more than them all combined though.”

"Miles says you stopped writing. Why?"

"It's better that way. She can't see me and my letters are stopping herfrom moving on.”

"You're her brother. Her favourite brother. She keeps all your letters in abundle in the drawer by your bed and reads them over and over againbecause they mean so much to her. And it's not like you're dead. Whenshe has the amulet, she can come and visit you so you should keep herup to date,” I replied. "I just wish that my brother wrote to me.”

"This is getting weirdly deep,” he said looking up at me for the firsttime in a while.

"Makes a nice change from our usual bickering and insulting.”

"Ella?"

es:

"Do you have any photos of your kids?" he asked with a genuineexpression.

I smiled before taking out my phone and entering my camera roll whichwas pretty much filled entirely with pictures of my children.

"On the right is Cato, the eldest," I said showing Max a picture of Cato,Mathias and Silas playing by a lake with Leo. "He can be a real pain inthe ass but Rosa says that Leo was just the same at his age.”

"He looks just like the Alpha,” Max said taking my phone for a closerlook.

"The one in the water is Mathias, the second eldest. And in Leo's arms isSilas, my third, who is turning two this weekend."

"They're so sweet."

He then swiped across to replace a photo of Cato between the twins onthe sofa.

"They're my twins: Marie and Francesca,” I said. "That's quite an oldphoto. They're one now."

"They look more like you. Same cute little baby faces, short limbs andtufts of blonde hair," he said.

"Compliments aren't your strong point, are they?" I said as he swipedacross again to a picture of Lili in her crib smiling widely.

"That's adorable. Is that your youngest?”

"Yeah, her name is Lili."

"Great. Now I want one," he said giving my phone back to me."Maximus Megestanis!" I exclaimed. "I didn't know you were so soft!"He smiled and nudged me in a friendly manner before resting his handback on my knee.

"Shut up,” he added blushing.

"You never know. Leo might let you come home and then you can meetthem.”

"Fat chance. He hates me for what I did to you back then and heprobably hates me for this too,” Max replied with a sigh.

"If he let Luciano back into the pack, he should let anyone.”

"Did Luciano try to get you killed?"

"No, but have you ever actually killed someone?" I asked.

"No."

"Have you ever raped someone?"

"No."

"Have you ever hurt me?"

"No."

"Have you ever sexually assaulted me?"

"No."

"You're an angel compared to Luciano a.k.a the sickest person in thisentire world," I replied

"The fucking devil is an angel compared with Luciano,” Max mumbled."He was evil even when we were kids."

"I can imagine him being like Sid from Toy Story," I said.

"Not far off actually,” Max replied with a laugh.

We sat chatting for another half hour as we waited for the sun to godown and the moon, along with the power it holds, to come out.

As expected, the blizzard was beginning to come in. I could hardly see ametre ahead of me which would work in our favour. If the guardscouldn't see us coming, we had the element of surprise.

"It's pretty much dark," I said my teeth chattering with cold.

"Do you feel stronger?" Max asked.

"Yes. Much stronger," I said. "Although we can't see it through theblizzard, the moon is definitely out.”

"Then let's go," he replied getting to his feet.