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Everyone exchanged glances

"Well," my father said, "are we all ready?"

"As ready as we’ll ever be," htly as we piled into the portal My second tih it was just as unpleasant as the first The first ti as on the other end, and now, I had the fear of knowing I just prayed that all the ate

As we reached the end of the swirling, translucent tunnel, we hurtled out and landed on the daazed around the now fluorescent-streaked cohts had been turned on and were illu the area

"These are The Woodlands," Micah whispered We all gaped at hinize the air of my homeland," he added in an undertone

The Woodlands Why is the IBSI setting up here?

I glanced down at the receiver over Xavier’s shoulder as he knelt on the soil, trying to bring the device to life Still no signal froroups of hunters patrolling the boundaries with leashed mutants It was only a matter of time before they spotted us A matter of seconds

The witches worked together to quickly form a protective barrier around us, and then we all randfather fearlessly leading us forward

The hunters raised their guns and moved forward, too, until there were barely six feet between us The mutants screeched and threw their heads back But no fire was unleashed I guessed they aiting for the hunters’ orders

"You havearound the enclosure "What are you doing here? What is this?"

"You are trespassing on highly sensitive property," the foreh the portal"

"In case you are blind," Derek replied, clutching the badge on his unifor it to the hunters, "we are TSL We have special permission--"

"Not permission to trespass, vampire"

"You have taken my niece, who is also a member," Derek seethed "Give her up now"

"I ritted teeth "You must leave the vicinity now, or ill be forced to take measures to remove you Orders are--"

"Your orders are of no consequence to us," my father shot back "I’ ourselves from your mutants and whatever other weapons you have stashed away here You have one of our people A huirl Where is she?"