by T. G. Ayer
He dug into his pockets and withdrew half a dozen of Drake’s mini-bombs.
When my eyebrows bobbed in question, he said, “When I left your house to look for you, I thought it best I was prepared.”
“Smart.”
“I know.”
“Get over yourself. Get me out of here first, then we can give you the Smartest Djinn in the Room award.”
“I see being confined to a cell does nothing for your sense of humor, Ms. Morgan.” He winked and moved away from the cell.
But before he could take a step, I said, “Wait.”
“Make up your mind, Mel. Wanna go free or not?”
“No, it’s not that.” I pointed down the row of cells. “There are kids in these cells.”
“They won’t get hurt.”
“They may not get hurt but they may get left behind when we make the headlong dash to leave.”
Saleem nodded. “You want me to take them away first?”
“Please. The blast will bring the guards. It’s probably better for the kids to be gone when they do get here.”
“Okay. Hang tight. I’ll be back.”
As he moved away, I called out, “Watch out for electrified bars.”
I went to the far end of the cell to give myself a better view of the passage and of Saleem. I could only see one cell from my position. Saleem moved toward it.
“How do I know if there aren’t any wards protecting the cells?” he asked.
“There probably aren’t any. Too many spells to cast and keep going. If they wanted to protect all the cells they would have set one large ward. I’m betting mine is the only one powered by dark magic.”
“Okay. It’s your head if I end up dead.”
“Mmmh,” was all I said as I leaned against the wall to watch. He hesitated only a moment before jumping into the cell. After a few long moments of pained silence, he called out. “One down.”
I couldn’t see what he was doing but I assumed he was teleporting all the kids to my house. I worried that it wasn’t protected enough. I hadn’t had the chance to get Natasha to come over and strengthen our wards. Just one more thing to do when I got back.
Five minutes later, Saleem strolled up to the bars of my cell, the smile on his face decidedly smug. “All done.”
“That fast?”
“Only takes a moment to flash in and flash out.” He brandished the little bomb. “Ready?”
“Yup. And remember, I will jump us to Samantha as soon as I’m out.” He didn’t look like he liked it but he had no choice. I was the only one who knew exactly where she was and we were in too much of a hurry for him to follow my thoughts and jump us.
I stepped back to the far wall and waited as Saleem set the timer and placed the small bomb beneath the bars of my cell. He moved away and five seconds went by.
Five seconds that felt like an eternity.
The ground shook when the explosives were detonated; metal pieces fell to the floor, some missing me by inches.
When I looked up, I made out the mangled mess of the bars lost in a cloud of dust. The dust did nothing to hide the shimmering dome that protected the cell.
The bomb had blasted a portion of the ward open and I ran straight through it and out of the cell to Saleem. I jumped him to Samantha’s room so fast he barely had time to look up.
The moment we landed in Samantha’s cell, I caught sight of the little girl, her arms tight around her brightly colored bear. She grinned when she saw me, clearly happy to see me.
I smiled back at her, then glanced at Saleem. “Hand me a bomb. There’s no time to be subtle. We’ll just have to take our chances if they follow us.” Saleem handed me one of the devices without question.
I hurried to the edge of the ward, using my senses to detect the perimeter of the magical barrier, and placed the bomb on the floor as close to it as I dared.
“Samantha, honey. Can you move back as far as possible?” The little girl nodded, her eyes wide. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to you. I just want you to be extra careful.”
The girl scurried to the furthest end of her cell and squeezed the bear harder.
I set the timer and moved back as far as I was able. Saleem slid in front of me, the breadth of his body enough protection from any kind of detonation.
I wasn’t sure if I felt annoyed or grateful for his gallantry. But I remained behind him nonetheless. A few seconds later, the bomb exploded, sending vibrations through the small room.
The full power of the explosion hit Saleem and me, slamming us into the wall. My head took the brunt of the blow and a moist warmth bloomed at the back of my skull.
I really had to stop smashing my head into walls.
My ears were ringing as the blast subsided. Saleem grasped my shoulders and helped me get back on my feet. My head was still spinning, and I needed a moment to get the room to stop turning.
I leaned on him, taking advantage of his strength and support. Steady at last, the first thing I wanted to know was if Samantha was okay.
I glanced over Saleem’s shoulder and sighed with relief. Samantha still stood with her back against the wall, watching the room in silence.
Happy she was safe, I scanned the ward to see if the bomb had worked. And it had. The explosion had ripped a small opening in the magical protection. There wasn’t much time before it closed, especially considering how powerful this particular ward was.
“Samantha, can you run to me quickly? Please.” I spoke with an urgency the child undoubtedly felt. She did as I asked and ran to me, slipping straight through the rip in the protective wall.
She clung to me and I stroked the top of her head. We really didn’t have time for hugs and kisses, but I let her have a moment, however short it was.
“Come now.” I patted her shoulder and she looked up at me, her eyes filled with trust. “We have to get going. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner you will be safe.”
But we didn’t get to do much more than blink. The iron door to the cell slammed open, bouncing against the wall, the harsh ringing echoing around the room.
Two men rushed into the cell: one a menacing-looking red-faced demon carrying an equally menacing-looking ax, and the other hooded, cowled and tall.
I pushed Samantha behind me, and whispered to Saleem, “Take her away but not to the house. Then get everyone out of my place to somewhere safe.” Saleem hesitated. “Go now. There’s no time. You have to trust me.”
I didn’t need to look at Saleem to know he would be frustrated and angry. But Samantha had to be saved. So he had to leave.
The air shifted behind me as Saleem jumped, taking our little mind-reader with him. A weight lifted off me.
Knowing that she was safe freed me to do what I needed. Behind me, Saleem’s jump signature let off a simmering energy.
I grabbed onto it, a mental lasso, tying myself tight to it. I let the feel of it sink into my mind while keeping an eye on the two men closing the distance between us.
“Don’t move,” growled the hideous demon.
I would have replied to him, but my attention was solely on the cowled figure.
For a moment, I thought it was Nathaniel coming to confront me. But something told me it wasn’t him.
And when the man moved his hands upward, my heart stuttered. He pushed the hood back off his head and met my eyes.
Samuel.
Chapter 30
Mel
I blinked, not trusting my eyes, not daring to believe who stood before me. Tears singed my eyes and I blinked them away.
I couldn’t allow myself to cry but somehow, that was the only reaction that made sense. Before me—solid, healthy, real—stood Samuel.
He turned to the guard next to him. “Leave us.”
The demon stared at him, shocked, “But the Master—”
“I know what the Master said. Give me five minutes and then you can return.” Samuel’s tone was hard.
The demon didn’t move. “The Master said she
must be taken alive.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to harm her. I just have a few questions for her.”
The demon looked at Samuel, then turned his glare to me. He seemed confused by the unusual request, torn between his master’s instructions and the more immediate danger of disobeying Samuel.
In the end, Samuel won.
The demon gave him a hard stare before turning on his heel and stalking out the room. He didn’t bother to close or lock the door.
A message to Samuel; he wasn’t going to get complete privacy for his questions. But Samuel wasn’t going to leave anything to chance.
He followed the demon toward the doorway, grasped the metal handle on the rusted door and slowly pushed it shut. The only concession he gave was to refrain from locking the door.
He returned to me, but I couldn’t wait. I had to know. “So this is where you’ve been all this time.” I was unable to hold back the hurt and the accusation from my tone.
“Yes, Mel.” His eyes held a world of pain all of his own. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell you where I’d gone, or even why. It happened so fast. And then I was here and I couldn’t leave without abandoning her.”
“How are you even here?” I asked, walking toward him.
I placed a hand on his chest and a bolt of shock ran through me. He was as solid as I was. Solid and real.
But I knew it was impossible. Samuel was still sitting in the chair in his room back home, barely sentient.
He smiled. The curve of his lips benevolent and slightly secretive. “Oh, don’t worry. When I get back, there is something interesting I have to teach you.”
“You figured out a way to project and still be solid?” I asked, still slightly weak with shock.
In all the time I’d been projecting, I’d never even imagined the possibility of being able to project and be solid. It meant you had to physically be in two places at the same time, solid and real in two places.
As far as I knew, that was unthinkable.
“Believe me when I say that it was not intentional. Like you, I never dreamed it would be possible, but I suppose if one is determined enough, then things become attainable that would have never been so before.”
I frowned. He was being so cryptic. “So what exactly are you doing here in Dastra? You do realize we’ve been worried about your health for so long. Dr. Harper was very concerned on his last visit. Your body isn’t in its best condition, you know.”
Samuel shook his head. “I have to admit it is a concern, but what I am doing here is far more important than the condition of my physical self.” He sounded so haughty I wanted to hit him.
Instead, I folded my arms and glared at him. “That’s a bit selfish, you know. People have been waiting and hoping you would come back for so long that very soon they will start giving up on you. Think about your family, Samuel.” His face remained rigid. “What’s so goddamned important that you need to be here anyway?” I asked, determined to get an answer.
But he just shook his head. “I can’t tell you. Not right now.” I opened my mouth to speak but he raised his hand. “Someday you will understand. In the meantime, you just have to trust me.”
I wanted to rail at him. Tell him he was being stupid. Stupid and reckless and irresponsible. But something in his tone made me stop.
He had a reason for being here. A reason he was not prepared to share with me. A bubble of anger rose within me.
But I knew that once Samuel said he wasn’t ready to share, he wouldn’t. I’d be wasting my time demanding an answer. And he was right. I would just have to trust him.
For now, I needed to know more about Nathaniel’s involvement.
“If you can’t tell me what you’re doing here, the least you can do is tell me what Nathaniel is up to. He’s the one behind all the abductions, isn’t he?” I tilted my chin, looking up at Samuel, daring him not to answer.
Samuel nodded. “Yes, the necromancer is the one responsible for the most recent abductions. He’s been handpicking young people with particular powers that he thinks he can hold to serve his own purposes.”
I frowned. “Samantha said that he had wanted her to attend a party, to listen to the thoughts of the guests. Do you know anything about it?”
“Yes, it’s a charity benefit with the mayor as the guest of honor. Nathaniel wants information he can use to coerce the mayor into doing what he wants.”
“So you’re telling me that Nathaniel has a political agenda.” I scoffed, unable to believe the sorcerer would want to play such a dangerous game.
Samuel nodded, his face dark. “Political agenda, and so much more.”
“So why aren’t you doing anything to stop him?” I asked, challenging him.
“Because that’s not the reason that I’m here. I do what I can to thwart his plans, but I can’t do anything that will jeopardize my position here.”
Before I could ask him any more questions, I was distracted by the sound of bootsteps filtering in from the passage outside.
The door swung open, and slammed against the wall for the second time. I winced, the noise hurting my ears as it echoed through the room.
Too late to ask Samuel any more questions.
I glanced at him to say goodbye, and the expression on his face stopped me. He whispered, “Don’t worry now. I will stay as long as she needs me.”
I frowned at Samuel. More cryptic. But I didn’t have any more time left to ask him what he meant. The guards were almost onto us and if I wanted to leave, I had to go now. I mouthed a silent goodbye to my old friend and jumped from the room.
I used Saleem’s jump signature and followed it, almost all the way to his destination. Before I ended up landing right where Saleem arrived, I turned and veered off, using my own power, my mind concentrating on the concrete high-rise that was more glass than any other substance.
I arrived at the entrance of Omega headquarters with the two demons close on my tail. The thought of their bright angry eyes and sharp flashing teeth sent shivers up and down my spine.
I bent forward slightly to regain my balance, my head spinning as if I’d lost a lot of blood. I frowned and pressed my temples.
What the hell was wrong with me? Pain spiked through my head, and I bent over, almost losing my balance when fat drops of blood splattered the bright white marble tiles.
I put a hand to my nose and gasped at the amount of blood that smeared it. Whatever was happening to me, I didn’t have the time to figure it out.
I gathered what energy I had left and ran to the armed guard at the reception desk. Tim Rogan knew me well enough that he hadn’t taken me out the moment I appeared.
Rogan opened his mouth, probably to ask me what was wrong but then he glanced up behind me. His eyes widened and his hands went to his gun.
I looked over my shoulder to see the pair of hideous demons appear and solidify a few feet from me. A heavy ax came zooming at me and I ducked, feeling my head spin again.
No time for weakness.
The guard beside me dodged a flying dagger and when I looked back at the demons, they seemed to be drawing more weapons out of thin air.
The thought that mere demons were now able to follow my jump signature was too terrifying to contemplate. Was Nathaniel teaching them? Or just lending his power to his guards?
I drew my gun, aimed, and fired. Rogan did the same. Bullets flew at the two demons and for a moment they seemed immune.
Our ammunition seemed to bounce off them. Damn. They must have had some kind of protective force around them. But protective fields like that never lasted very long. Not unless you were creating your own field.
And very few demons possessed the power of magic. I continued firing, and knew I would have to reload in a moment.
Just when I thought my luck was up, the taller, redder and grosser of the two made a sound like he was punched in the gut.
Good.
I hoped I’d hit him.
My demon gun was loaded with some
pretty powerful bullets. They were filled with poison that would fell even the biggest demons, bullets fashioned to explode once they entered the flesh, spewing out their poisons faster and more efficiently, delivering death on a silver platter.
The demon tilted forward and fell on his face so hard he smashed the tiles beneath him, the force sending ripples of cracks, and displaced tiles outward from his body.
My gun clicked, announcing the empty chamber, but I didn’t bother to reload. The second demon stiffened, the middle of his forehead blooming black where Rogan’s bullet had entered.
“Superb shot,” I said.
He grinned and holstered his weapon. A rush of footsteps around us announced the entry of Omega’s onsite operatives, but they’d missed the party.
Relieved, adrenaline dispersing from my veins, I felt my body weaken. The room spun and I sagged, and would have fallen had Rogan not caught me.
He laid me on the floor, shucking out of his jacket. He rolled it up and placed it under my head, for which I was extremely grateful. My head wound was still throbbing like hell.
“Are you hit?” His eyes and voice exuded concern as he scanned my body for bullet wounds or bloodstains.
I struggled to get a word out, then just shook my head. It hurt, but moving a body part was easier than speaking.
Around me, the noise level increased as agents shouted for assistance, cleanup, and whatever else was needed to fix the fact demons had entered Omega’s super-protected facility. Darkness encroached at the edges of my vision and I almost succumbed when I heard a familiar voice.
“Mel. Mel, are you okay?” Saleem’s sexy tones penetrated my haze and I blinked.
I wanted to just relax and give myself over to the pull of sleep, but I needed to see his face more.
I struggled to lift my lids, eventually managing to crack them open a little. He hovered close, his smile comforting, his dark hair grazing his cheek as he bent over me. I gave him a poor excuse for a smile.
“Hey.” I swallowed, the single word so hard to emit.
“Hey, yourself. Welcome back.”