Accidental Surrogate

Accidental Surrogate Chapter 369-Deeper In

Sinclair “We have to get to them,” Roger snarls, moving towards a window intending to bash it to pieces, I know – but I grab his arm as he goes, pulling him back.

“The priests are not that stupid,

Roger,” I say through clenched teeth. ” If they can make the door disappear, they can make the windows solid – ”

“So what do we do,” Roger growls, frantic, as our remaining healthy men take advantage of the momentary reprieve to attend to the men who are wounded. I glance around, doing a quick survey and finding that about eight of our men are down. I grimace when I realize that two are not moving at all, or making any noise. But I look away from them fast, not needing the distraction.

“We retreat, I say, holding Roger’s eye, “or we move further in. But there’s a reason why they’re not attacking here –they’re letting us stay in relative peace because they want us to stay here. Which means they don’t want us to leave, and they don’t want us to go further.”

“What?” Roger asks, frantic and a little baffled, looking around. “Why don’t they just kill us? Why don’t they just -”

“Because they can’t,” I say, nodding as I figure it out. If they had more priests to send – enough to take us out – they would do it. But the fact that they’re not sending them…

It means that we’ve got enough force on us that they can’t risk it. That we, somehow, outnumber or outmatch them. My wolf bares his fangs within me, eager now, on more secure ground now that we know more about what we’re facing.

“What?” Roger asks, his brows knitting together, still looking frantically for a way to get out, to get to her to his mate “Roger!” I shout, shaking his arm, making him turn to me. “If you think I have any less concern for Ella than you do Cora,

then you need to check yourself,” I hiss, bringing my face close to his so that only he hears me. “But you need to pull it together. You’re not going to help them by acting on impulse, all right? We need a plan.”

then he turns back to

crossing my arms and glancing up towards the staircase and the second level where I suspect

here, but they can’t hold us forever. So the only question is – do we fight to leave?

see the word “leave” on Roger’s tongue, can see Cora on his mind. And

they knew we were coming. And if they knew that we were

are alone now. Even Even the location of the

hesitates, glancing up the stairs with me, putting the pieces together. “If

meeting my eves, “it means we’re

ask, steeling myself

nods his head.

before us, two of our healthy men falling back – as is part of their protocol – to continue tending to our wounded. I give brisk orders for the men to press forward no matter what.

and I turn towards

a door through which we can pass. When I get to the top, I press a hand against the barrier, which feels as real as any other wall

sniffing it.” It’s off,” he

say, crossing my arms over my chest and looking it up

speaks again, his voice low and considering. “We know, from our research, that the priest’s power comes from binding their wolves. Which means that…whatever they’ve accessed to create this kind of illusion…we have access to it

mean?” I ask, turning to him,

at me askance. “That…I mean, we forget it –or we think that only Cora and Ella have it, but our wolves too are gifts from the goddess. They’re magic, as much as we don’t generally describe them that way. That the priests are able to do this because they’ve denied

say slowly, “we can conclude that…we have the tools