Chapter 241 - Allies, Disband!

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Cornellio—and the people he had around to run his errands—turned the breakfast room into something much more appropriate for a briefing, with paper for notes in front of everyone and a big whiteboard where he wrote what we knew or planned.

This guy certainly liked his organising.

It wasn't without benefits, though. There's certainly was a lot to discuss. This wasn't a situation where the immediate course of action was clear, and not even a situation where immediate action was possible. We didn't know where our enemy was, or when he would strike again, nor where.

"He can teleport. How can we catch someone who can teleport?" I asked, addressing no one in particular.

"I don't think this is exactly teleporting. In my opinion, Staghead uses Other Roads, a well-documented in myths and legends ability. This is a transportation method that uses the connection between our dimension and fey sub-dimension and the difference in their sizes for transportation.. In short, Staghead slips into fey sub-dimension, walks through it to the point that corresponds to where he wants to be in our dimension, then slips back." Eve frowned and tapped her chin. "I don't know the details of it, though. How does Staghead know which point corresponds to which? Can he peek from the fey sub-dimension into ours? How can he travel between them without a stable entrance point? This all requires additional research."

"I see little difference between teleporting and Other Roads if we can't stop the guy from doing it," Bob said. "Isn't there a way? I thought witches could do anything."

"There're limits even to our immeasurable power, believe me." The sourness in Eve's words was enough to make ten barrels of lemonade. "Unlike other supernaturals who are born or made into their abilities, we get nothing without effort spent on studying, training, and research. It will be the same this time."

Cornellio wrote "teleportation—Other Roads?" under "STAGHEAD" on the whiteboard, and then added below, "find how to prevent". The questions about Staghead's other powers, his identity, goals and location were written there already in his neat handwriting.

On the Staghead, there wasn't much more to add. The next point of question was the coordination of our team. We all lived in different places, and while thanks to modern technology that wouldn't stop us from contacting each other, some things were possible only close together.

For now, though, we didn't have plans for these.

"I'd really love to inspect the piece of the seal you have, Diana, but the detailed research of it is something that can take weeks or even months. With Staghead on the prowl, I know I have to put it on hold for now, less he steals it and leaves me with nothing again." Eve scowled. "So I will just have to ask you to keep it until we deal with him."

"It's a gift from my teacher. I don't want to sell it either way, but I will gladly loan it out to you."

Eve hummed with lips curved into a half smile. "Does your teacher have any more of these, by chance?"

I chuckled. "Not that he remembers."

Eve didn't catch my joke, of course, but I caught a flash of a smile from JJ, so at least it landed on someone else in this room besides me… and that was more than enough. Jokes were more necessary than ever now, when the overall mood was still grim with yesterday's events.

After this, our council moved to its conclusion. Everyone expressed their immediate plans. Since it was clear that for some reason Staghead was interested in the Seal of Absolute Knowledge, Cornellio was going to search for other pieces and get them, with the help of Bob. Eve took on herself to ask her contacts about fey, since she lived in the area with the few stable entrances to the Under Hills (another name for the fey sub-dimension).

I was left with finding what I could on how to prevent Staghead from teleporting, while JJ would guard me and my piece of seal from him. Not the most active role… but very important, too.

"We've made some powerful friends today, ma chèrie, which is just what we will need to deal with the powerful enemy that looms over us," JJ said to me later, after we thanked Cornellio for his hospitality, but moved on our way home. There was a plane we could board today, and we took a cab to get to the airport.

"What a wicked luck that is." I shook my head, remembering with vivid clarity the moments of helplessness when a man was dying before me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. "If not for you and Eve, we'd all been doomed. In comparison, I did very little."

"Don't say such things." JJ gently ran his hand over my hair, and I leaned into his touch. "And don't say them with these eyes. You did all your could and more. Even if I wasn't there, I know you would've escaped the most dangerous place, found Eve and reached the array. You have some protection of your own, after all. And if I wasn't with you in the first place, Bob would've been a help to you, too."

I reached for my clutch, where I carried the amulet JJ spoke about a small leather pouch. Ghost upgraded it once again to let JJ and move inside its bubble without triggering it. Ironic it was that I never needed it before that—or when I needed, I didn't have it around. Still, it was better to have than to have not…

I raised my eyes at him and smiled with gratitude. "You are right, I suppose… If I think about it logically. Still, it's hard to believe these things sometimes, and this day, I believe, is one of these times."

"It will pass. A new sunrise will come and wash away the night's terrors. Maybe not this one, and not the next, but one of them."