“I agree,” Trent said in placation, “but fear will convince the coven and the dewar to follow him. Our number one priority is to find Landon.” Trent smiled at me, and finally my shoulders started to ease. “We have until tomorrow at sunset.”

Jenks made a burst of dust in worry. “What’s to stop him from doing it tonight?”

“It’s the equinox,” I said, only now remembering it. “Tomorrow, about an hour before sunset. If he’s going to break the lines, that’s when he’s going to do it. All things will be equal.”

Trent was nodding, and Ivy exhaled as she slumped back. “At least we have some time to plan this one,” she said sarcastically. “Tomorrow?”

Hell, I didn’t need a plan, just a direction.

“The thing about a collective curse is that it can be broken if the person orchestrating it is, ah ...” Trent’s voice trailed off as he searched for a word.

“Killed?” Jenks suggested, striking a pose and stabbing the sugar packets.

“I was going to say distracted,” Trent said, and Jenks held his cup under the tiny stream of sugar spilling out.

“Killed works for me,” David said. “I’m all for live and let live, but this guy is knowingly hurting too many people.”

“Take Landon out and they’ll just find someone else to do it,” Ivy said glumly.

“Perhaps, but they will have to wait an entire six months. And if we can’t convince Landon to cease, we might be able to work a clause into the curse that will shift it to our liking, but we have to find him first.”

My eyebrows rose. “You can do that?”

Trent shifted uncomfortably. “With some planning. It’s how the elves originally turned the curse around and trapped the demons in the ever-after instead of us. Landon won’t be looking for such subterfuge, but we have to physically be involved in the casting of the curse to break the lines, and for that, we need to find him.”

“Ivy, I can use your help with that,” David said, and the despairing look Ivy had been wearing since I walked in finally eased.

“Jenks can keep us clean,” Trent said, and the pixy’s sparkles turned a bright silver. “Which will leave you and me, Rachel, to twist the curse to our liking.”

“And maybe Mark to make us a couple more coffees while we figure out how to do all that,” Jenks said.

I couldn’t help my smile. That totally worked for me.

Chapter 24

Chapter 24