Page 126 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

“Once we identify him-” He glances briefly at Ahren, then back to the map. “We won’t engage immediately. Let’s just hope he buys the bait and follows Ahren, who will then subtly guide him to where the spell is waiting to be triggered. The aim is to move without alerting him.”

“So, we basically wait until then,” Heaven says, leaning in slightly.

“Exactly,” Jayce replies. “We push him toward the nearest spell area and close off his exits without him realising it until it’s too late. Once he’s inside the spell’s perimeter, Allie will bind him using Leo’s binding machine moments before the spell is activated; that’s when we lock it down.”

My gaze flicks over the marked points, my mind already working through each point.

“And Katara?” I ask.

“Hopefully by then she’ll be back with Dad,” Jayce says, his jaw tightening slightly.

“I don’t know,” Heaven says, frowning faintly. “Katara’s not careless.”

“She is right now,” Allie cuts in, her tone thoughtful rather than harsh. “If you give someone enough freedom, they start thinking they’re invincible. And in Katara’s case, she will act out; she’s only fifteen.”

Jayce nods once. “And that’s what we’re counting on. She’ll want to meet him without interference, and that gives us the opportunity we need.”

We nod in unison. Ahren steps forward then, his attention on the map as he taps one of the marked spots.

“Once he’s inside the spell,” he begins, “Timing becomes critical. Allie, you’ll try to get the bar net on without fail. This is the hard part for you; make sure you stay safe,” Ahren says before he tosses her two of Leo’s metal containment nets.

She catches them easily, the weight not even fazing her as she slides them into her duffel bag. They expand upon release, but even now, they weigh quite a lot. Once deployed, it’ll restrict movement long enough for the spell to take effect and come to life. If there’s any werewolf element to him, Leo’s bar net will do the job.

“Understood,” Allie replies.

Ahren straightens, glancing between us.

“Jayce and I will be the ones guiding him,” he adds. “We’ll control his movement and keep his attention. The rest of you stay in position and do not engage unless the trap is active and I have given the signal allowing you to join in.”

His gaze turns to Allie.

“That includes you. No reckless moves.”

Jayce’s expression hardens slightly as he looks between the three of us.

“And one more thing,” he says, his tone dropping just enough to carry weight. “If there’s even the slightest risk of him getting close enough to cut you, you step back. No trying to be clever, no taking unnecessary risks. We keep a distance until we understand exactly what we’re dealing with.”

His eyes land on each of us in turn, making sure it sinks in.

“Understood?”

The room falls quiet for a second, the weight of it settling properly now.

It’s a gamble, and we all know it. None of us has dealt with a primordial before.

Jayce is waiting for an answer. I glance between the other two before I nod. “No, I get it - no heroics,” I say. But we can all define heroics differently…

“Understood, unless it’s an absolute necessity, and I feel that my intervening is needed for this mission to be a success,” Heaven answers, her face as emotionless as ever as she looks between Ahren and Jayce, flicking her hair.

Jayce shakes his head, looking at Allie. “Right. I don’t play hero, anyway. Trust me, I won’t let this bastard take my powers. He’ll pay for what he’s done to Mama.” Her eyes glimmer red, and Jayce looks at me.

“You’re in charge of them. If they disobey, that’s on you as their leader,” he says firmly. My eyes widen slightly, knowing he played the perfect card as Allie glowers and Heaven rolls her eyes, because when it comes to me, they won’t throw me under the bus. But Jayce made a mistake; I’m not that Si who can’t hold her ground, so if the three of us think we need to intervene, then we will.

Even though I know both Jayce and Ahren can fight long-range, they may need us against a primordial.

“Alright then, let’s pack and get going. We need to begin preparing the containment spells,” Jayce says, looking at the time.

It’s a public place; this isn’t going to be easy. We’re going to have to cast illusions and also make sure no humans are hurt. There are only five of us, and we have to succeed, because if we don’t, our cover will be blown, and he will know we’re onto him.