Steel for 5 (Mags & Nats Book 3)

by Stephanie Fazio

  “I’m not sure you’re aware, but there are children being used as slaves in that mine,” I said through gritted teeth. “There are a few more important things at work than your personal crusade.”

  “I disagree.” Diego turned to look at me, his profile shadowed in the eerie pre-dawn light. “And I’m not saying you can’t rescue your niece and the other children. I’m just saying you need to get my Agent S first.”

  I opened my mouth. Instead of the curses and accusations turning over in my mind, I asked, “Are you really going to inject yourself with a permanent dose of the MRP?”

  “Yes,” Diego said without a moment’s hesitation. “I need my magic to get to the other Super Mags, but once all of their magic is gone, I’ll lose mine, too. And I’ll be glad for it.”

  “Won’t you miss your magic?”

  I couldn’t fathom no longer being a Steel. I wouldn’t know who I was without my magic.

  Diego’s laugh was dark and without any humor. “My whole life, my magic has been a prison for me.”

  The sun was just starting to peep up over the horizon, but I barely noticed.

  “You think the MRP is a weapon,” Diego continued, “but to me, it’s a gift.”

  I shook my head, completely unable to wrap my head around what he was saying.

  When Diego spoke again, his voice had lost its sharp edge.

  “My parents loved me and gave me everything they could, but that didn’t make up for the fact that I was in a prison of their own making.”

  “Where are your parents now?” I asked.

  A muscle flexed in Diego’s jaw. There was raw pain in his eyes, and for a second, I realized I was glimpsing the real Diego…the man behind the sass and sarcasm.

  “They’re dead.”

  He didn’t explain how they died, and I didn’t ask.

  “I’m sorry, Diego.” I put my hand over his. When he didn’t pull away, I laced our fingers together.

  “Things are different now, though,” I said, my voice scratchy. “Graysen and Kaira are the Directors. They’ve already passed laws to protect Super Mags, and things are only going to get better. Our Directors’ children are going to be like you.”

  Diego nodded slowly. “That just makes my kind an even greater danger. You’ve seen just a little of what we’re capable of with that Pyrokinetic.” His expression darkened. “I’m going to end it, Bri. And when I’ve lost my magic, I’ll share the formula with someone else up to the task.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to think.

  Diego was wrong. It wasn’t okay to punish innocent people just based on the possibility that they might one day commit a crime. And if I helped Diego, and his Magical Reduction Potion got into the wrong hands, everyone with magic would be at risk.

  The sun was cresting the horizon, and its pink and orange rays were blinding. When I looked at Diego, tiny sunrises reflected in each of his irises.

  “I need to get back,” I said, letting go of Diego’s hand. “My friends are going to notice I’m missing.”

  Diego didn’t say anything. He just watched me, waiting for an answer to an unspoken question.

  The words I can’t help you were on the tip of my tongue when another thought occurred to me. With my magic weakened down in the mine, I needed all the help I could get. I might need Diego’s magic to find Lilly.

  “Alright,” I said, getting to my feet. I didn’t want to be near Diego anymore. “I’ll do it. The next time we go down to the mine, I’ll get you the Agent S.” I turned to face him. “But after we get back to Boston, all bets are off. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you never inject anyone else with the MRP.”

  When my friends discovered what I’d done, they might never forgive me. And if Diego managed to inject any more of the Super Mags before I found a way to stop him, I would never forgive myself.

  CHAPTER 29

  Islipped into the living room, fiddling with my scarf as I picked up on my friends’ conversation.

  “Morning, sleepy,” A.J. said, giving me a strange look before turning back to Graysen.

  My cheeks heated. With the exception of Ma, who didn’t seem like she ever slept, I was always the first one awake. I picked at the fringes of my scarf and tried not to look guilty.

  “Here’s the situation,” Kaira said. “Graysen got us a meeting with the California ruler who’s in charge of the territory above the mine. We’re going to try—”

  “No.” A.J. stood up so fast Sir Zachary, who’d been asleep on his lap, let out a surprised woof. “No no no no nooooo. Did I mention no?!”

  We all stared at A.J.

  “It’s our best—really, our only option,” Graysen said. “I’ve been through all the laws, and we have no right to do anything in her territory without her say-so. If we’re going to get the slaves out and destroy the mine, we’re going to need her help.”

  “Not to mention,” Kaira added. “She’s got a huge army—”

  “Of cannibals!” A.J. shrieked, flapping his arms in agitation.

  All of the books on our floor-to-ceiling shelves were fluttering around the room, snapping their pages like teeth as A.J.’s emotions made them swarm around us. The loveseat A.J. and I were sitting on started to lift off the ground.

  “Isn’t that just a rumor?” Smith asked A.J. “I couldn’t find any accounts of her people actually eating…well, people.”

  “Cannibalism is one of the least heinous crimes Blade and her people have committed,” A.J. replied with a shudder. “Trust me.”

  “Don’t tell me the California territory ruler’s name is actually Blade,” Yutika said, smacking her palm to her forehead.

  “Her given name was Leslie,” Smith said.

  I snorted.

  A.J. snapped his fingers in Smith’s direction. “Look up the Leslie Massacre of 2062.”

  The computer screen flickered. Smith raised his eyebrow at whatever he was reading.

  “Care to share with the crowd?” I asked, sliding a worried glance at A.J., whose face was pale as a ghost. Flowers were arranging and rearranging themselves in a mad frenzy in their vase on the end table. Petals were flying through the air, which Sir Zachary was attempting to catch.

  Smith waved his hand, and an image appeared on the wall we kept free of artwork or windows for this reason. There was a picture of an arid landscape. It looked much like what we’d seen when we stepped off the plane in California…except for the bodies.

  Actually, there weren’t even bodies. The picture taking up the entirety of our wall showed people’s heads staked on the ends of spears. Bloody holes had replaced eye sockets, and purple tongues drooped out of open mouths. In the far corner of the picture, a crow was clutching the bloody sinews of an eyeball in its beak.

  “That massacre started because one of her soldiers called her Leslie instead of Blade,” A.J. said into our stunned silence. “I cannot emphasize how much we do not want to go near her.”

  A.J. flicked his hand, and the books replaced themselves on the shelves. Two brooms and dustpans came into the room, alone with dust rags, furniture polish, and about fifteen sponges.

  When he was stressed, A.J. cleaned. Judging by how vigorously the cleaning supplies were working, A.J. was really stressed.

  “Blade’s also a Level 9 Telepath,” A.J. continued. “And I really don’t like people helping themselves to my thoughts. Those babies are worth more than just a penny.”

  “I’m with you, bro,” Smith said, looking as sullen as A.J.

  Lower-level Telepaths could speak directly into other people’s minds, but the most powerful ones could also read thoughts and see into a person’s past. One of my wrestling friends was a Level 5 Telepath, and he could see what a person had been thinking up to a week earlier. A Level 9 would probably be able to see all the way back to our childhoods.

  “We’re not planning to lie to her,” Graysen said. “And there’s one thing you’re not taking into account. Blade isn’t going to be happy
when she finds out a whole organization is operating beneath her land. She’ll want to destroy the mine as much as we do.”

  “Here’s what you aren’t taking into account,” A.J. fired back. “Blade’s unpredictable and downright certifiable. You can’t reason with someone like that.”

  Graysen nodded thoughtfully. “Does anyone have any other ideas?”

  No one spoke.

  “What does everyone else think?” Kaira asked.

  Kaira and Graysen might be the Directors, but they were still part of the Seven. They wouldn’t make a decision that affected all of us without our input.

  “If she tries anything, I can Whisper to her,” Michael offered. “Telepaths don’t interfere with my magic.”

  “We have to meet with her,” I said, wilting under the look A.J. gave me. I mouthed sorry to him before continuing. “There’s no way we can get all of those slaves out of the mine without Blade getting wise, and we may need her army’s support.”

  “Besides,” Yutika added. “She might be a nut case serial murder, but we’re the Seven. Dealing with her kind is practically old hat for us at this point.”

  “Fine.” A.J. made a violent gesture with his hand, and a broom snapped in half. “But when our heads are on stakes and crows are feasting on our eyeballs, I’m going to say I told you so.”

  ✽✽✽

  We didn’t have any time to spare if we wanted to be on time for our meeting with Blade. Conveniently, we had Yutika’s plane parked on the front lawn.

  As we boarded the plane, A.J. regaled us with a totally non-embellished story about the last time someone arrived late to a meeting with Blade. I wasn’t sure if any of us really believed him, but A.J. and Smith got us off the ground in record time.

  We had wasted valuable time trying—unsuccessfully—to convince Kaira and Graysen to stay behind. I once again considered firing myself for being such a horrible security chief.

  We congregated around the circular table in the center of the plane, where an extravagant breakfast was already waiting for us. There were eggs benedict and hot chocolate, with vegan alternatives for A.J. and me. We dug in while we discussed our upcoming negotiation with Blade.

  I didn’t think A.J. could get any more morose, but he pushed aside his avocado toast and stared at everyone else’s eggs. He muttered, “Free range is still murder” under his breath.

  To which Yutika replied, “My plane, my rules.”

  After we’d finished preparing as much as we could, we dispersed throughout the plane. Kaira and Graysen went to catch a few hours of sleep in the full bedroom Yutika had created onboard. Yutika and Michael were channel surfing on one of the giant flat-screen TVs. Sir Zachary, wearing a doggie pilot’s cap, goggles, and blue tie, was asleep between them.

  A.J. had expended enormous energy on getting the plane into the air, but he was still fidgeting and muttering to himself. Usually, Smith was the twitchy one in our group.

  Even though the plane was spotless, A.J. had ordered Yutika to make him a vacuum, which was zooming back and forth across the carpet.

  “Hey.” I sat next to A.J. and gave him a nudge. “You okay?”

  When A.J. looked at me, I saw the dark shadows beneath his eyes.

  “’Course, butterscotch.” He gave me a falsely-wide smile. Just as quickly, the smile turned to a frown. “Love bug, you’re going to fry in that scarf. Not to mention, that shade of yellow doesn’t do your complexion any favors.”

  “Don’t—” I began, realizing too late what A.J. was doing.

  My scarf unwound itself from my neck and folded itself up on the seat beside A.J. in a single motion.

  A.J.’s mouth fell open.

  “Bri Hammond, is that a hickey on your neck?!”

  “Shhh!” I pressed my hand over his mouth, looking around to see if anyone else had heard. Luckily, the vacuum was loud enough that I didn’t think they had.

  “Mrrb wrrrb mrrrr!” A.J. said from behind my hand.

  To which I replied, “Only if you keep your voice down.”

  I waited for A.J.’s nod before removing my hand. I hurriedly replaced the scarf, tying it tightly in case anyone else thought about trying to remove it.

  “I thought you and Adam were done,” A.J. whispered.

  My confusion must have shown on my face. I didn’t think I could blush any harder than I already was.

  “Not Adam?” A.J. cocked his head at me.

  Adam was my last hook-up before Diego, and the only other guy I’d been with in the last year. I chewed on my lip, unable to meet A.J.’s gaze.

  “The coxswain is gay, so I really hope it wasn’t him,” A.J. said. He started going through all of Graysen’s crew friends and discussing the likelihood that each one was the hickey-giver when I cut him off.

  “It’s Diego,” I said, needing to put us both out of our misery.

  “What’s Diego?” A.J. replied. “Is he here?” A.J. looked around the plane, his suspicious gaze in place.

  “No.” I shook my head. “I made out with him.”

  “You made out with who?”

  I groaned. “You can’t possibly be this dense.”

  A.J. got right in my face and peered into my eyes. He touched the back of his hand to my forehead. His jaw dropped.

  I hurriedly covered his mouth again as a torrent of exclamations hit my palm.

  I waited until his tirade was over before removing my hand.

  “Diego Agramonte? Our sworn enemy?” A.J. hissed.

  “The one and only,” I said, feeling like I was admitting to treason. “It’s nothing serious,” I added hurriedly. And then, because it looked like A.J. was in shock, I told him about our kiss in the graveyard, and then his visit at my window.

  I wasn’t ready to fess up to the promise I’d made Diego, and I left out the part about how we’d gone flying. A hotter-than-fire kiss was one thing, but flying and cuddling together during a sunrise was something more. A.J. might get the wrong impression that something was going on.

  “Don’t give me that look,” I ordered A.J. “It was just a one-time—well, okay, two-time—thing.” I thought again about the favor I owed Diego, and what my friends would say when they found out. No matter how attracted to Diego I might be, his request had reminded me that we were adversaries. Last night was never going to happen again.

  I immediately squashed the quick stab of regret that accompanied that realization.

  “Well, he does have very nice eyelashes,” A.J. conceded.

  He didn’t say anything else on the matter. Whatever he was thinking, he kept it to himself.

  “Get ready, people,” Smith’s tired voice called from the cockpit. “We’ll be there in ten. A.J., look alive.”

  “Aye aye, Captain.” A.J. saluted Smith, even though Smith’s back was to us.

  A.J. spread his arms out to the side like wings and dipped them gently. I felt the plane start to descend in time with the motion.

  I blew on my fists and shook my head, clearing my thoughts of everything except our upcoming meeting with Blade.

  The plane hit the ground with a gentle bump. Dust swirled around the windows outside. I whistled for Sir Zachary, who leapt off Michael’s lap and joined me by the front of the plane.

  I peered through the swirling dust outside the window.

  “How many people did you say were coming to this meeting?” I asked Graysen, who had emerged from the bedroom and was straightening his tie.

  “Blade and maybe a couple of her guards,” Graysen said. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because.” I turned back to face my friends. “There’s an army outside this plane.”

  CHAPTER 30

  The 7.5 of us stayed close together as we crossed the stretch of desert that separated us from Blade. A few hundred people stood behind her, their eyes tracking our every move.

  I glimpsed every weapon imaginable. Blade’s soldiers carried everything from rusted knives, to crossbows, to machine guns. And that was in addition to whatever
magic they were packing.

  “I told you,” A.J. whispered. “Didn’t I tell you?”

  “I’m making us bullet-proof vests,” Yutika announced, drawing as we walked.

  “Works for me,” A.J. muttered.

  “Blade,” Graysen called when we were within earshot. “We’re unarmed.” He raised his hands, indicating for the rest of us to do the same. “Please tell your people to lower their weapons.”

  The California territory ruler let out a high-pitched, tittering laugh. She stalked toward us, leaving her army behind. Graysen moved protectively in front of Kaira, who poked him and pulled him back until they were side-by-side. Michael and I flanked them. A.J., Yutika, Smith, and Sir Zachary followed just behind us.

  Blade wasn’t much taller than me, although she looked bigger with all the weapons—and were those dead squirrels?—hanging off her belt. She held a leather riding crop, which she was tapping against her thigh.

  I gave A.J. a warning look, but for once, he didn’t go off on some animal rights diatribe. His face was deathly pale.

  From the information Smith had gathered, I knew that Blade was forty-one. A combination of bad hygiene and the harsh California desert had turned her into a weathered thing that appeared decades older.

  Blade’s skin was sunburned and scaly, and her blonde hair was matted together into one clump. She had tattoos on her face that made it appear as though blood was oozing from her eyes and the corners of her lips. Her milky-gray eyes might have been her most disturbing feature.

  “Well, well, well.” Blade’s voice was like honey mixed with cyanide. “Aren’t you all adorable.”

  Sir Zachary let out a low growl. I moved to the front of our group, using my titanium body as a shield between us and Blade.

  The territory ruler’s milky gaze lasered in on me. I sucked in a small breath as I felt…claws inside my mind.

  She wasn’t controlling my mind the way Subject 6 had, but it felt just as intrusive…just as wrong. She was sifting through my thoughts and memories the way a child might flip through a picture book. Memories from my childhood flashed through my mind. I saw my dad pushing me on a swing, and my mom walking me to the bus on my first day of preschool.