Penny's Choice by Annette Archer Page B

on his face.
    “Yea, can you not be?” Thomas asked. He sat Penny on his lap, ignoring his brother and continuing on with his plan. “Most of the plan revolves around the chaos that will ensue from the Brotherhood attacking. So, Charles?”
    “Right, I was sent in to cause some initial chaos...” Charles said, pausing briefly to rub his hands together in glee, “before the Brotherhood mounts its assault at 5:04 pm tomorrow. So we have about 13 hours to get ourselves ready.”
    “Great! Charli , your main job is to provide false information to the Matriarch that you tortured out of Chuck,” Thomas said. “The twins will provide most of the chaos. Charles, I've given Charlotte a list of prime chaos targets around the stronghold.” He produced two lists from his pants pocket and handed one to Charles and the other to Charli . “Dad, your job is to distract the Matriarch and be our eyes and ears.” Thomas pulled out some ear pieces from underneath the table. “I've been collecting things for a while now,” he said smiling, “You'd be surprised where you can hide things.” He passed them around the room. “I was even prepared for Penny!”
    “You've been anticipating me helping for a while,” Penny said, taking her listening devices.
    “Yep, since you were able to kill a werewolf captain with one shot,” Thomas said, then smacked Charles on the back. “Ole Chuck, here, couldn't e ven hit him after three shots!”
    “Well at least I didn't burn down a library,” Charles replied, trying to save his masculinity. He placed the ear buds in and stepped back into the cell. “Can I have a backup key?”
    “On top of the light fixture,” Thomas said pointing at single light bulb with a pan like covering suspended from the middle of the cell. “I have some help from the outside. A clan of shape shifters, as well as one djinn , has agreed to help wipe out this coven. Penny and I are going to get word to them about the timing.”
    “You got a djinn to help us?” Charli said looking rather worried. “Are you sure? They can be a little...unreliable.”
    “It's okay, he's Marid ,” Thomas replied. Penny had no idea what any of them were talking about in regard to djinn . She had only found out the previous day that they even existed. Why were djinn unreliable and what was a Marid ? She was about to ask, but Charles cut her off before she could speak.
    “Wow, you must be more persuasive than I thought,” Charles said from his cell. He looked visibly impressed.
    “ Djinn like senses of humor,” Thomas said, turning his back on his brother. “Pull a few practical jokes to get their attention and make them laugh their way through negotiations and you have yourself a new ally. Plus, the Matriarch hasn't exactly had good re lations with any of the races.”
    “Truer words have never been spoken,” Mr. Wolf said. Penny thought he looked much happier now with all of his family together again. But she knew that he would always have a hole in his heart from the death of his wife.
    “And neither has the High Warden,” Charles said. He was sprawled out on Penny's bed like he was on vacation.
    “When the time comes, Penny and I will lead the offensive,” Thomas said, “but until then we're going to get some revenge and kill Priscilla.” He handed Penny a set of beautifully carved wooden daggers that he pulled out from behind a stone in the wall.
    “Uh, won't that cause problems,” Penny asked. It didn't seem like a good idea to her to be killing vampires before the fight started. It would give away their plans.
    “No,” Charli responded. Her long curly hair waived every time she moved her head. She was just as beautiful as her brothers, if not even more. Penny was a little envious of Charli's curvy body. Penny's body was still slightly boyish. “Priscilla has made too many mistakes lately, especially when she tried to usurp the Matriarch! Killing her would be seen as a strategic move by the coven. Removing