“You can’t think like that,” Persia said.
“What if Noah was in mortal danger and the only way to help him was to draw on power from Brimstone?” I asked.
“To save Noah’s life, I’d draw from the fires of hell if I had to.”
“What about the consequences?”
“Damn the consequences!”
In her expression was the fierceness that I had noticed before. I admired her love and loyalty toward Noah, but at the same time was scared by it. Perhaps Lowndes was right about fire sentinels bringing too much danger to the world.
“I better let you through,” I said, stepping to the side. “Nathan, Pete, Harriet, and Ally are out there. Watch out for flying magic, and even more dangerous, flying arrows.”
Leaving her behind, I went to seek out Jo. I first checked the room where she had given me a smartwatch, and there she was, hunched over her computer, working furiously. When I walked in, she looked up, then returned to her typing.
I leaned back against a wall, waiting, giving her a chance to finish whatever she was doing.
“What can you tell me about the firewall in the JC?” she asked when she finally paused working.
“Excuse me?”
“And what software do they have to track intruders? Is there an automatic shutdown protocol?”
It sounded like she was trying to access the JC security systems. “Why would you need to hack in?”
“You never know when it might be useful,” Jo said.
“This is to do with Alex’s plan, isn’t it? He still intends to break in.”
“It’s a backup plan,” Jo said.
“And does Harriet know about this? Did she give the okay?”
“Alex thinks it’s best to keep the idea low key for now.”
“I think it’s best not to undermine our chances of peacefully getting the JC. Lowndes didn’t have to agree to the mayor’s demands, but she did.” Although I had implemented much of the I.T. security in the JC, I no longer had passwords, so I couldn’t be that much help to Jo. “I won’t tell Harriet what you and Alex are doing,” I said. “But I’m not going to encourage the hair-brained scheme by helping you.”
“So you really trust Lowndes to hand over the prison?” Jo asked.
“I trust she’ll do what’s in her own self-interest. The press will be watching closely this evening, so I don’t see what else she can do but go through with it. The L-SED is still a government agency. Perhaps we have put too much trust in Harriet Ashley, and Noah and Persia Hastings.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know.” I gave a groan, remembering the torrent of questions I’d unloaded on Danny. “I don’t know anything anymore. Anyway, I didn’t come here talk about them. I came to tell you that I have to go.”
Jo lowered the lid on her laptop, clicking it shut. “What do you mean, you have to go?”
“First, I’d like to apologize for how I was on the phone to you earlier. It was unforgivable.”
“It’s fine. I understand how much pressure you are under.”
“Thank you. About leaving—you know how Tyler just disappeared one day, and we haven’t heard from him since. I almost did the same today. But I decided to come back to say goodbye first, then leave tomorrow instead. But my decision is final. Don’t try and change my mind.”
“Tomorrow,” Jo said. “Does that mean you intend to see the JC transferred first?”
“Yes. I believe that’s important enough to see through.”
“Good. I hate to think of something you and Alex helped build being used for evil purposes,” she said. “Not to mention that it’s built on the site of our old family home.”
“I hope once the JC is in Harriet’s control, the situation in Lusteer will calm down. For a while at least.”
“Are you sure you have to leave?” Jo asked. “The fight won’t end today. The world needs you.”
“No, it’s the opposite. The world needs me to disappear. Everything I do just makes things worse.”
“That’s not true. You’ve done amazing things. For one, you saved me a number of times. You also saved Alex and Ally. I know that everything you’ve done hasn’t always turned out the way you planned, but everything you’ve done has been for the right reasons.”
“I wish that was enough. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and brick by brick, I’m following…” My voice caught. “I’m going to miss you. I’m sorry it has to be this way.”
Jo stood up and opened her arms. “So do we say goodbye now?”
I leaned forward and hugged her.
“I’m not going to cry,” Jo said. “I’m not sure how, but things will work out.”
I clutched her tightly. My own tears threatened to fall, but I held them back. I had to be strong. I was doing what I had to. For Jo, and for everyone else.
Jo released me and stepped back. “So are you going to tell everyone else?”
“I guess so.” Saying goodbye to Jo had been easier than I’d thought, so I no longer feared telling the rest.
“How do you think it’ll go?”
“Nathan and Harriet will probably just shrug and tell me they don’t believe I’ll stay gone.”
“And Alex?” Jo asked.
“I don’t think Alex will care.”
“Go easy on him,” Jo said. “He tries to hide it, but he still hasn’t recovered from the kidnapping.”
“What do you expect me to do?” I asked. “We barely speak anymore.”
“And Pete?” Jo asked. “I know. He’ll say, ‘Dude.’”
I laughed. “Of course.”
“You’ll tell him you love him and will miss him, then try to give him a hug, right?”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“He’ll push you away, saying, ‘Dude, I’m not into dudes.’”
“That part I can imagine.” We both laughed.
Chapter 23
Thursday 18:10
Lowndes was late. The handover was supposed to happen at six o’clock, and with every additional minute that passed beyond the deadline, the tension doubled.
We were a sorry looking group. Nathan and Harriet had managed to collect just over a dozen shades to bring with us in addition to Persia, Noah, Pete, Ally, and myself. Jo had once again stayed away, making sure she was in contact via the phone and smartwatch. I was surprised she hadn’t objected to Ally coming along.
The other shades all looked like they would prefer to be anywhere else—most of them would have appeared more at home in a homeless shelter than in a battle. A single eagle shifter flew overhead, giving some confidence that Lowndes couldn’t try anything without us becoming aware of it. We had a forest to our backs, so it was possible Harriet had reinforcements hidden and ready to pounce. I doubted she did, but Lowndes didn’t necessarily know that.
We were positioned just outside the gates of the JC. No guards were in view. A tall wire fence, made of titanium of course, stretched away from us in both directions. At the far end of the road to the prison, the media scrum huddled. Vans, cameras, clicking cameras; they waited, expectant, and watching on TV screens throughout Lusteer, the rest of the city also waited. I couldn’t see Caroline Black, but I had no doubt she was prominently positioned back there. Beyond the media vans, several L-SED vans were parked on the side of the road, presumably to take Lowndes and her officers away from the prison, and hopefully away from Lusteer. I scowled through the wire fence at the prison buildings. What was keeping Lowndes and Sergeant Taylor and the rest?
“It’s not for us to choose the power we are given,” a voice beside me said. “All that is up to us is to decide what to do with it.”
I turned. “Pete, what nonsense are you spouting now.”
“Not nonsense. I’m paraphrasing what Gandalf said to Frodo.”
“What a wizard said to a hobbit. That’s the definition of nonsense.”
“Dude, take that back.” A pained expression appeared on Pete’s face. “It’s wi
zardly wisdom.”
“And you choose this moment to share it with me?”
“It’s about what you told me earlier. About how you have to leave because you are afraid of your power.”
“What I didn’t tell you earlier—or at least, didn’t stress enough—is that you shouldn’t be here. You should be back with Jo. It’s too dangerous. Every other person in this group is a shade or sentinel.”
“I didn’t receive a letter to Hogwarts when I was eleven. I didn’t receive the power of a slayer at eighteen. Unlike some others.” He glared at me. “I’m not going to wait and see if Gandalf knocks on my hobbit hole when I’m fifty. This is my time.”
“Hard to argue with that,” I said. “Not because it makes sense, rather because it’s so ridiculous.”
Pete slapped me on the back. “Dude, I knew you’d understand. We speak the same language.”
The strangest thing was that Pete didn’t look out of place. To go with his longbow, Nathan had given Pete a quiver of five or six titanium arrows—clearly modified L-SED bolts. His unkempt facial hair could pass as warrior-man beard rather than homeless-person beard. There was a small chance that this was the direction in Pete’s life that he had always needed.
With a creak, the prison gate opened, and I refocused on the JC. The thump-thump of marching feet preceded the appearance of the L-SED officers, who were in two abreast-drill formation, around fifty of them, in clean well-pressed tan uniforms. Sergeant Taylor—who sported the ultimate warrior-man beard—marched to one side, glowering at the marching officers as if daring them to put a foot out of place.
My smartwatch vibrated, and I looked down to see a text message on it. “Do you see the wooded area behind you?”
“Ok Google. Talk. Of course. What about it? EndTalk.” I whispered into the watch.
After a moment, another text message appeared.
“In the northwestern corner of that wood, fifty paces from the JC fence, you’ll find a small pump house. Alex is waiting there.” She didn’t have to specify why.
I glanced back toward the media vans where cameramen had spread out to capture the scene. I was almost certain I could pick out Caroline Black in front of one of those cameras, though she wasn’t going to be able to report on as much excitement as the last time. Apart from the slight delay, everything was unfolding as Lowndes had promised. The L-SED officers were unarmed. I wasn’t sure where Lowndes was, and I would feel happier if—there. I spotted her strolling out the gate fifty yards behind her men.
I lifted the smartwatch to my mouth. “Ok Google. Talk. Tell Alex to stand down. We won’t need any backup plan. EndTalk.”
For the first time, I felt really good about my decision to leave Lusteer. Nathan could train Pete to get better with the longbow while keeping him out of trouble. Jo wouldn’t back down from doing what she thought right, but she was clever enough to know that she was more useful far from direct danger. With the JC handed over, the firedrakes would have less reason to continue terrorizing the city. And Lowndes could leave to set up the Chicago Shade Enforcement Division as she had threatened. Then it would be a relatively calm Lusteer that I drove away from when I went to Danny’s cabin by the lake. On my own, maybe I would figure out what my dreams about Sash meant, maybe I wouldn’t, but at least I wouldn’t be able to bring harm down upon anyone else.
Beware, came a thought.
Is that you, Jerome? I thought back.
I didn’t wait for a reply. The L-SED officers were closer now, almost alongside us on the road, the thump thump of their marching feet beginning to sound ominous. Whether the thought came from Jerome or my own subconscious, I couldn’t ignore the warning. I grabbed the two closest arms, Nathan’s and Noah’s. “Be ready,” I told them. “Something’s not right.”
“What isn’t?” Noah asked.
Nathan looked around rapidly. “I don’t see anything. Sentinel, unless you see something definite, under no circumstances summon your multani. Provoking a reaction is the last thing we want.” Nevertheless, he moved to speak to Harriet in a low whisper, then began to move through the shades, warning them to be ready.
Harriet approached me. “What have you seen?”
“It’s just a feeling.”
She gave me a hard look, then nodded. She looked upward toward the eagle shifter. It continued in lazy circles, giving no indication of having seen anything untoward.
Despite not having the faintest idea what Lowndes could have planned, my unease deepened. I looked from the officers to Sergeant Taylor to Lowndes, then back to the officers before I figured out what had me so worried. It was the attitude of the men. They didn’t look disappointed or cowed. They marched with a triumphant step.
Sergeant Taylor came to a sudden stop. “About right!” he shouted. The L-SED officers turned as one. The first row of them stretched out their arms toward us.
I glanced behind me, and seeing Pete nearby, I threw myself in front of him, simultaneously summoning my fireswords.
“Fire!” Sergeant Taylor ordered.
The hand of each of the outstretched L-SED officers’ hands flared with flame. The flame joined together along the line, creating a thick beam.
The beam of fire came for us, swallowing us up into a world of red and yellow and orange.
Chapter 24
Thursday 18:35
Despite the protection of my fireswords, the blast of fire threw me backward several paces. I crashed against the ground, and stunned, my world changed from orange to black.
“Reverse positions!” Sergeant Taylor roared.
By the time I’d refocused my vision, the line of officers who’d fired at us had stepped back, replaced by a fresh row. These now stretched out their arms toward us.
“Fire!” Sergeant Taylor shouted.
Lying on the ground, half-stunned, I didn’t have time to react. I could only stare in horror as a second giant beam of fire shot toward me.
But instead of striking and tearing through me, the fire flared upward into a bowl-like shape that surrounded the whole group.
“Get up!” Harriet shouted. “Everyone who still can, get up. Seek out any wounded. We have to get out of here. Ally can’t hold on forever.”
I stumbled to my feet, looking around. Ally had done it, I realized; she had saved us. The beam of fire hadn’t formed into a bowl-like shape—Ally’s massive fire shield had deflected it. And still she stood, sweat pouring down her face, a ten year old kid holding off the combined force of over twenty men.
Bodies lay strewn all around us, and Noah and Persia moved quickly through them. “They’re dead,” Noah said. “There’re all dead.”
Harriet bent down and touched her palm to Nathan’s forehead, whispering something. All the shifters had died in that first blast, I realized. The only ones who could protect themselves were sentinels who could summon a multani, and sorcerers like Harriet and Ally who formed shields.
“Pete!” I shouted out suddenly, looking around. He was at my feet, eyes open, though his face was pale. I crouched down by his side. “Are you okay?”
His arm and the left side of his body was badly burned. “Dude,” he breathed. When he attempted a smile, I felt something inside me break.
“You’ll be okay,” I told him.
The orange light that had surrounded us disappeared as both Ally’s shield and the beam of fire disappeared. Ally slumped to the ground.
“We have to get out of here.” Harriet thrust her arms outward, and spikes of black smoke shot toward Sergeant Taylor and the L-SED officers who ducked, forming shields of fire to protect themselves. Harriet then ran over to Ally, lifted the girl into her arms, and raced for the woods. Noah and Persia took off after her.
I tucked my arms under Pete, hugged him close to my body and ran after the others. I held him as gently as I could, but I knew I couldn’t afford to move slowly. With every bounce, a reedy squeak of pain leaked from Pete’s mouth.
All four of us used our supernatural speed so we
reached the first line of trees within seconds. Harriet came to a stop and lowered Ally down, leaning her against the far side of one tree, and Noah and Persia sought shelter behind a wide trunk. I laid Pete on the ground.
It hurt to look at his injuries. All along his left arm, pieces of clothing melted against flesh. The sickening smell of burning flesh clung to him. I’d only protected his right side when I’d stood in front of him. He had to be in agony, but other than the squeaks of pain on the run, he wasn’t complaining. “How are you bearing this?” I asked.
He swallowed. “I don’t see…” He swallowed again. “Any other option.”
I took his right hand and held it tightly. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have let you come. I should have protected you better.”
He shut his eyes, seeming to need to gather some internal strength before reopening his eyes and replying. “I made my choice, and I don’t regret it. Even the smallest can make a difference.”
Even now, he was still thinking about hobbits and fantasy stories. Anger flashed inside me. “But you didn’t do anything. You made no difference.”
A painful grin spasmed across his face. “Thanks, dude.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I gripped his hand tighter, then looked to the others. “What can we do?”
Noah’s cheek rested against bark as he looked back toward the prison gates. “We can’t stay here. The officers have broken into small groups, and they are spreading out.”
“No more,” Pete said in breathy gasps. “When you carried me before, it hurt. No more.”
Persia came to stand beside me, a look of pained sympathy on her face. “Can I use magic to heal him?” I gripped Persia by the sleeve. “Damn the consequences, remember.”
“Our magic cannot heal others.”
“What use is it then?” I shouted at her, dragging her downward by her sleeve. “What use? All it does is cause damage, loss, and hurt to those around us.”
Fire Soldiers (The Sentinels Book 3) Page 14