by Chloe Neill
His gaze softened. “Are you worrying about me now?”
I let my gaze linger. “I know you can take care of yourself. But I might have heavy furniture that needs lifting. So it’s always good to have muscle around.”
He grunted a laugh. “Hilarious as always.”
“I’m trying,” I murmured as he walked away. Because I wasn’t sure what else to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The smell of rich coffee wafted upstairs. I came down in a robe, my hair pulled into a bun, to find Gunnar and Liam sitting at the store table. They held mismatched mugs, and there was a carafe in the middle of the table. I paused on the stairs, waiting until I’d composed myself.
“Bonjour, Claire,” Gunnar said. “Liam is teaching me some Cajun French.”
“Oh, good. Now both of you can mutter under your breath in a language I don’t speak.” I pointed at the carafe. “Is that coffee?”
“The real deal,” Gunnar said. “Courtesy of Mr. Quinn.”
“Thought we could all use it,” Liam said.
So he thought he could woo me with coffee. I poured coffee, held the warm mug in my hands, and closed my eyes to enjoy the steam that drifted up. I took a drink. It was hot, strong, black. I felt better almost immediately.
All right, it was a good play. “God, I miss coffee.”
“You sell coffee.” Gunnar pointed to it. “It’s over there.”
“Since we don’t get it very often, I didn’t want to get used to it. And besides—it’s never as good as when someone brings it to you.”
I looked at Gunnar. “You seem to be feeling better.”
“I did what I could,” he said. “I’m not going to sit around because they aren’t handling it well. I’ll give them time to investigate, and then I’ll make my case. I’ve got a friend, a colleague, who I’ve asked to keep me updated.”
“Good,” I said, and glanced at Liam. “How’s your grandmother?”
“Fine. No incidents.”
I looked at Gunnar. “And Tadji? Her mother?”
“Good. No incidents for them, either. Bigger picture, I don’t know what that means. Maybe that Rutledge is retooling. Hopefully, that he’ll give us a little time before he moves again.”
“Time to get Containment in line?”
“Exactly,” Gunnar said.
I nodded, sipped my coffee. “He’ll make a move. Rutledge, I mean. Why wouldn’t he, after all this planning?”
“Agreed,” Liam said, refilling his cup. “The only issue is—”
“Where, when, and how well you’re prepared for it,” I finished, rising from my chair.
Liam looked at me with surprise. “That’s twice in a row that you’ve listened to me.”
“Veil fluctuations,” I grumbled, and headed upstairs.
• • •
I got dressed and came downstairs again to find Gavin rushing in through the front door. Since he was on guard, it was quickly obvious that something was wrong.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Liam asked.
“Tadji’s mom. I left when the Containment guards relieved me half an hour ago. I verified their ID, then went to the store to grab a few things—food, water. When I got back, the guards were dead. They took Phaedra.”
Fear blossomed like a crimson rose. “Tadji?”
“My next-door neighbor’s a former marine. She and her aunt are with him for now. That was the safest place I could think of.”
“They didn’t take Zana,” I said, and looked at Liam. “They figured out Phaedra locked the Veil?”
“Or she told them to protect her sister.”
I hadn’t known Phaedra long, but that sounded like something she’d do.
Liam’s eyes narrowed at Gavin. “How’d they find out where you live?”
“I don’t know,” Gavin said, looking completely stricken. “I don’t know who could have told them.”
“Rutledge must have connections,” Gunnar said. “Which means he won’t have any doubts now that Containment is onto him.”
“He’ll try to open the Veil now,” Liam agreed with a nod. “Even if he doesn’t have all the Sensitives, he’ll know he only has one shot. Hell, the way the Veil’s been fluctuating, he could already be close.”
“We have to tell the others,” I said. “We have to go to the refinery. That’s the meeting spot.”
If I was really, really lucky, there’d be a pigeon outside my window, ready to take a message to the rest of our allies.
“How are we going to get there?” Gavin asked. “I’m guessing there are more people than us who need to go, and I’d really prefer not to ride in the backseat of that piece-of-shit truck again.”
“It’s not a piece of shit.”
“It’s piece of shit enough.”
“Children,” I said quietly, and looked at Gunnar. “There will be more of us. Can you get us a ride?”
He nodded, and there was a gleam in his eyes. “Give me ten minutes,” he said, and set off at a run toward the Cabildo.
• • •
I’d been prepared to raise the flag to signal Delta, but it wasn’t necessary. There was a gray pigeon, its feathers shimmering iridescent in the light, perched outside the window.
It had a note already, and it seemed our friends were thinking the same thing: DISCUSSION RE: BAYOU AND NEXT STEPS AT USUAL PLACE. NOON.
It was nearly noon. I gave the pigeon some feed. While it bobbed its head at the grains, I scribbled out a small reply, tucked it into its pouch. I kept it short and sweet: RUTLEDGE HAS PHAEDRA DUPRE. MEET ASAP.
By the time I made sure the pigeon was in the air and made my way to the first floor, tires were squealing outside. Gunnar pulled up in a white van with CONTAINMENT in black block letters along both sides and the back.
Liam, Gavin, and I rushed outside. I locked the door behind us, followed them into the van, which had plenty of windows and three long bench seats.
“She isn’t sexy,” Gunnar, “but she’ll get us where we’re going. Which is where?”
“King Sugar Company Refinery,” I said. “And step on it.”
• • •
That van could move. Like most postwar vehicles, it had been stripped of nearly everything electrical. No radio, no AC, but at least it moved. So we drove toward Chalmette like schoolkids on a field trip.
Gunnar’s eyebrows lifted when he drove over the broken fence to enter the property, but he followed us inside without comment.
Malachi, Burke, and Darby already stood inside the giant space. Malachi carried his immaculate golden bow, which seemed so out of place in this rusting hulk of a building.
Their eyebrows lifted when Gunnar and Gavin walked in behind us. I decided I’d head off any argument.
“Malachi, Darby, Burke, this is Gunnar Landreau. Formerly the Commandant’s senior civilian adviser, and my very good friend. He’s on our side. Well, NOLA’s side, anyway. And this is Gavin Quinn, Liam’s brother. He’s a tracker, and he was with the Dupres when Phaedra was taken.”
There was silence for a moment while they considered the rest of my crew. They must have decided they were okay.
“That’s good enough for me,” Malachi said.
Darby nodded. “Agreed. Let’s get to it.”
Gavin stepped forward. “The Dupres were at my condo. There were two guards with them—both experienced Containment agents. Both had IDs that I personally verified with Containment. I went downstairs to the market for water, food.”
I could hear the guilt in his voice, wanted to reach out and soothe him, but didn’t think this was the time for it.
“When I came back, the guards were dead, and the operatives were taking Phaedra. I gave chase but wasn’t able to catch up. I got Tadji and Zana out of the house, got them safe.”
Gunnar took over from there. “The Commandant’s been apprised, but he knows only what he needs to know about what happened yesterday and what Rutledge has done. Containment can scramble jets and prepare gro
und support once we know where to send them. But PCC first-response jets come in from Tyndall, which is in Florida. Even when we know where they’re going, it will take time to get the jets in the air, and then here. We’re on our own until then. We have to keep the Veil closed until the cavalry arrives.”
Liam looked at Darby. “Where will they go? Rutledge and his people?”
“Talisheek,” she said. That was the location of the war memorial.
“The Veil crosses at Talisheek,” Malachi said. “That’s where the majority of Paras came through.”
“Is there a way you can get a message to Containment?” Gunnar asked. “Some way to warn them where it might happen?”
“I can arrange it,” Malachi said. “It’s easiest for me to get in and out of the Quarter unseen.”
Wings notwithstanding.
“How does the encryption work?” Liam asked.
“Only Sensitives who worked the encryption have the full details,” Darby said. “But I understand there’s a box that holds the encryption; it’s stored in the base of the war memorial. Each Sensitive has to apply his or her magic to the box to unlock one of the seven locks. The locks are keyed to their magic.”
“We don’t know if Rutledge has all seven of the Sensitives,” I said, thinking of what Liam had said. “But this will be his one shot, so he’ll do what he can with what he’s got.”
Burke nodded. “He could have all the Sensitives now, or he could have had each of them at some time, and he’s been unlocking the encryption incrementally.”
“He’ll bring more people this time,” Gavin said, rubbing his chin with his thumb while he considered. “Not enough to beat back a first wave of Paras through the gate—he doesn’t have that many people—but enough to keep him and his people safe so they can get out of there and warn Containment more troops are needed.”
“Actually,” Burke said, “we don’t think Rutledge believes the Paras will be waiting to come through the Veil. We managed to grab one of the ComTac operatives. Rutledge operates from what’s called the ‘power loss allocation’ theory. It’s popular in military circles. Basically, it supposes Paras used all their available resources to get the Veil opened and send troops through the first time. And they sent all the good warriors through for the attack, so anyone left in the Beyond would be easy to battle. Not the types to be lined up at the door.”
“So,” Gunnar said, “he basically thinks he’ll open the door, and no one will be there?”
“Exactly,” Darby said.
“That matched what he told us in Chenal,” I agreed. “He thinks he’s being proactive.”
“That’s absolute nonsense,” Malachi said. “It doesn’t reflect what actually happened or the remaining population of Paras in the Beyond.”
“Which Rutledge would know,” Darby said, “if he or anyone else in PCC listened to anything a Paranormal had to say.”
“But since they didn’t, he’ll get the Veil open and be the first at the gate to bill the feds for all the defense services he can provide,” Liam said, obviously disgusted.
“So, what’s the plan?” I asked.
“Claire and I will take the Veil,” Burke said, glancing at me and making my heart chill. “We’ll do what we can as Sensitives to keep the locks closed. And if some of them are open, to close them up again.”
“Okay,” I said, and I could feel Liam’s worry blossoming beside me.
“Have you ever been near the Veil?” Burke asked. “Actually close to it?”
I shook my head.
“As we’ve discussed, it’s not just a line on a map. It’s energy and magic that moves like a ribbon; it undulates. You’re sensitive to magic. That means you’ll be sensitive to the Veil. You’ll be able to feel it if it gets too close.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s the doorway to all the magic,” he said. “Unless you want all that magic at once, stay away from it.”
Solid advice.
“The rest of us will take the operatives,” Malachi said, glancing around.
“You’ll be seen again,” I said, thinking of the consequences.
He looked at me, smiled gently. “There’s no help for it. We have to fight as long as we can. The Veil cannot open again.” He looked back at everyone else. “Is everyone prepared?”
Everyone nodded. I’d brought my gun, but as we’d seen when chasing Marla, I still wasn’t thrilled about using it. Not that magic was much better.
“In that case,” Burke said, “I suggest we move.”
• • •
It was an hour-long drive to Talisheek, although Gunnar’s driving like a maniac sped it up somewhat. Since Malachi could get around on his own, he promised to meet us there after he got the information to Containment about the location of Rutledge’s operation.
We were mostly silent during the drive, thinking about the battle, about Paranormals, about each other. I hadn’t talked to Tadji since the battle at Chenal. She’d been freaked out then, and I could only imagine she’d been even more freaked out now. Rutledge certainly wasn’t doing much to make her believe that magic was anything but a cancer. And after all this, I didn’t know where our friendship would stand.
There hadn’t been much to Talisheek before the war—just a grocery store and post office, a few houses. The landscape had been mostly trees, with parcels scraped down to earth to plant crops. Now spots of forest and the char of battle covered the ground like a checkerboard. No one lived in Talisheek now.
Gunnar parked a quarter mile away, down a long-abandoned gravel road, and we crept in silence toward what was left of the brick arch that marked the front gate. We reached it and slipped behind brick to watch the action on the other side.
Most of the lawn where the battle had raged was still black, although grass had grown through in small patches that magic hadn’t managed to kill. And in the middle of that parched earth, the monument to war—two angular, forty-foot-tall concrete wings that soared into the air. The statue’s shape had been controversial—wings weren’t exactly popular with humans. But they made for a perfectly haunting reminder of what had happened here.
There was about ten feet of space between the wings. That area was paved with bricks carved with the names of the units that had fought at Talisheek.
Two military vehicles were parked near it. And there were three dozen operatives on the ground and around the monument. Rutledge stood near the base of the wing on the left, with two other people in nonmilitary gear.
One was Phaedra Dupre. I didn’t recognize the other one—a shorter man with dark skin. If he was a Sensitive like Phaedra, did that mean there were only two locks left?
Wings fluttered, and Malachi landed behind us. “He has already unlocked some keys.”
“How do you know?” Liam asked.
“We are close to the Veil, and its fluctuations are obvious. It is wilder now, like a flag held by a single thread in a fierce wind. We must keep it closed.”
Rutledge opened a panel in the wing, pulled out a large gray box that glinted with gold. I guessed that was our prize.
There was a woman with Rutledge in green, but her back was to us. But when she turned, she looked much too familiar.
“Oh, damn,” Liam muttered.
It was Nix. Green dress, her magical mask thrown away to reveal her pointed ears, her faintly green skin, a golden staff in hand.
She stood beside Rutledge. He was telling her something. As though he was emphasizing his point, he turned, reached out, caressed her shoulder. She didn’t show any reaction to his touch. But longing was clear on his face.
“Double damn,” I murmured as the memory of her at the table in the store struck me. “She said she wanted to go home. He’s helping her open the Veil so she can do that.”
“Is she using him, or is he using her?” I wondered.
“Probably both,” Malachi said. “She has information and expertise, and wants to go through for personal reasons. He has personal feelings
for her, but wants to open the Veil for financial and professional reasons. It is mutually beneficial.”
“And mutually repugnant,” I said, thinking of the trust we’d all put in her. “She put Broussard onto me,” I realized, and felt fury light inside my gut.
“Probably so,” Gavin said morosely.
I looked at him. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s done,” he whispered fiercely, his features set and hard as ice. I’d seen Liam do the same thing—shut down his emotions. The Quinn boys were good at it.
“She is fallen,” Malachi said. “She is a traitor. Let it be heard and remembered.”
I reminded myself never to get on his bad side.
“The refinery isn’t safe,” Liam said. “She knew we were meeting there. We’ll need a new location.”
“We’ll discuss that after,” Malachi said. “For now, let’s focus on the task in front of us. He won’t know that Containment is on its way yet.” He walked forward, looked at me and Burke. “We have a few allies moving forward from Bogue Chitto, should the worst happen. But there are not many, and they may not be enough. We can’t wait.”
“So ‘hurry’ is what you’re saying,” Burke said.
Malachi nodded. “It would be best.”
“We’ve waited long enough,” Darby said. “Let’s do this,” and she pulled a handgun from a shoulder harness and held it like a pro.
“Gunnar, Gavin,” Malachi said. “Pull the outside guards right and away. Darby and I will take Rutledge and the operatives at the wing.”
“And Burke, Claire, and I will take the box,” Liam said.
Malachi nodded. “And may God have mercy on us all.”
• • •
Gavin and Gunnar began with a scream, a long and haunting yell as they emerged from the gate, immediately banked right, drawing off a couple of the guards. Darby and Malachi ran straight ahead toward Rutledge. He screamed out orders while Nix looked momentarily shocked, but then threw the male Sensitive to the ground toward the box, trying to get him to hurry.
I’d always thought there was something off about her.
“That’s our cue, kids,” Liam said. “Burke, you wanna work your magic?”
“On it,” he said, and his image fluttered and disappeared.