by Arthur, Keri
Dozens; there were dozens of them.
I swallowed heavily and tried to ignore the psychic wash. I couldn’t save everyone… and it was very possible I might not be able to save the two people I loved most in the world.
The lane came out into a small parking area behind Émigré. Though bits of wood, concrete, and metal lay scattered all over the area, the flames and destruction hadn’t yet reached the back of the building or the loading bay. A metal grate barred entry into the latter; beyond it, at the top of the stairs, was a double-width door. Entry into the back of Émigré.
Given the state of the building and that door, there was a very good chance that Belle, Aiden, and others might still be alive… but only if they’d been in this portion of the building rather than the front.
I gathered the wild magic, blasted the metal shutter apart, and then raced up the steps and strode toward the door. The wild magic stirred around me even as Katie silently urged me to hurry.
“Do you know what lies behind the door?” I asked.
A hallway leading into the rear storage areas.
“How close to the destruction zone and the fire is it?”
Close enough.
“And Aiden?”
I warily pressed a hand against the door. It was warm to the touch, and there were thin threads of smoke leaching out from underneath it, but neither were an indication that the hall beyond was ablaze. I once again used the wild magic to punch the door open. Smoke billowed out, its stench a mix of wood, burning plastics, and who knew what else. The hallway beyond was dark, filled with the crackle of distant flames and the groaning of a building on the verge of collapse.
He’s trapped in the basement, Katie said. The roof has fallen onto the main stairs, and a beam blocks the secondary exit door that leads into this hall. You must hurry.
I knew that, but I nevertheless stalled. My heart raced a million miles an hour, and my fear was so thick it squeezed my throat and made breathing even more difficult.
It was stupid to go in there. Absolutely stupid. But if I didn’t—if I did the sensible thing and waited for emergency services to get here and do their job—there was every chance that no one in the basement would survive. It wasn’t only precognitive ability telling me that; it was also evident in the growing pulse of Katie’s fear.
My heart skipped several beats and then kicked up a gear. “What about Belle? Is she with him?”
She’s not in the basement. Nor is she outside or amongst those who lie in the rubble.
Her words only made the sick churning in my gut intensify. Either she’d escaped through that weird doorway she’d mentioned with Roger and Maelle, or she was now Clayton’s prisoner. While I’d definitely prefer the former rather than the latter option, it didn’t explain why I couldn’t sense her presence. As far as I knew, the only thing that could break the connection between us was death, and I had to believe she wasn’t yet dead. Surely, surely, I would have known if she was.
“And Maelle and Roger? Have you seen them?”
No.
Meaning it was possible Belle was with them. Maybe they were all safe in the accommodation quarters, wherever they were. It was a hope I clung to even as instinct said it was unlikely.
I cautiously stepped into the hallway. Between the smoke and the lack of lights, it was almost impossible to see, even with my enhanced eyesight. I wish I’d thought to bring a flashlight or even my damn phone, but clear and rational thinking hadn’t exactly been a priority… The thought had barely crossed my mind when the threads of wild magic came to life, giving the turbulent, smoke-filled air an eerie bluish-white glow. I picked my way through the rubble that was strewn everywhere, heading for barely visible stairs.
“The beam that blocks the basement’s exit—can you move it?”
I can’t interact directly with physical items.
“Why? You have before.”
Smaller items, yes, but I can only affect larger items—including both humans and the supernatural—through or with you. That may change, but for now, I remain restricted.
Her frustration sang through her mental tone, but that was absolutely understandable. If not for those restrictions, she could have rescued Aiden herself.
I paused at a distant whoomph. The walls around me shuddered, and dust rained down, thick and choking. My gaze jerked upward; the ceiling had cracked, and spiderlike veins were now crawling along its length. Another explosion, however minor, might just bring the lot down on top of me. I swallowed heavily and forced my feet on.
Up ahead, gleaming dully in the wild magic’s ghostly light, was the railing that lined one side of the stairs that led into the basement. The smoke and dust became a wall thick enough to carve, and the air burned. My eyes stung, my skin was on fire, and my throat felt raw. Breathing through the mask of my sweater wasn’t really doing much to keep the muck and the smoke out of every breath. And with every step, I drew closer to the destruction zone… and the possibility of death.
I briefly closed my eyes, fighting the panic, fighting to keep moving. I had to keep moving. I had no other choice. Not if I wanted to save Aiden and uncover where the hell Belle was.
Though I knew. Deep down inside, I knew.
I gripped the railing, then hesitated, eyeing the debris that covered the steps. The walls shuddered as another explosion ripped through the front of the building and a thick chunk of plaster came down, hitting the third step and then shattering into a myriad of pieces. I was running out of time…
I headed down the stairs, gripping the metal railing with one hand and brushing away the bits of wood and plaster still dangling from the ceiling with the other. The air was even hotter here, and sweat broke out across my body, stinging my eyes and dripping down my spine. Even my palm felt slick against the hot metal railing.
I paused again on the bottom step and studied the darkness ahead. Plaster had fallen in several places, and the faint glow of fire was now visible through the upper-level flooring, but this section of the basement was certainly far more intact than the hall above. How long that would last was another matter entirely.
I pushed on. Up ahead, lit by the faint glow cast by the wild magic, was a large pile of plaster and wood. But that wasn’t what was stopping them getting out—rather, it was the ceiling. It had partially collapsed, crushing one side of the doorframe. Even if we moved the pile of debris, there was no way we were going to get that door open—not without getting the ceiling’s weight off it.
I swallowed heavily and then called out, “Aiden? You there?”
“Lizzie?” came the immediate and somewhat incredulous reply. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“What the fuck do you think I’m doing? Rescuing your ass.”
“You shouldn’t be here—”
“On that, we agree. But here I am anyway. Step back—I’m going to open the door.”
“The SES boys are bringing in props to support the wall—”
“Aiden, half the building is gone and the rest is on the verge of collapse. We can’t afford to wait for them.”
As if to emphasize this point, another explosion ripped through the air and shook the walls. Large cracks appeared even as the broken ceiling dropped another couple of inches.
Aiden swore. “I had no idea it was that bad. Do what you have to.”
“Get well back, just in case this doesn’t go to plan.”
It will, came Katie’s comment.
I wished I shared her certainty. I took a deep breath and then reached out for the wild magic. A storm of power that was both familiar and yet alien flooded through me, seeming to stretch me, making me more even as it made me less. It had been damned scary the last time I’d done it, but this—this was something else. This suggested I could be something else.
But now was not the time to worry about it.
I flung one hand out, directing part of its power at the wall, forming a column of sheer energy that pulsed between the floor and the broken ceiling beam, fo
rcing its weight up and off the door. With my other hand, I made a sweeping motion. The rubble that blocked the door rose in the air, flung itself past me, and then settled on either side of the shaking walls behind, leaving a path wide enough to walk through. I redirected that energy back to the column, reinforcing it.
Pain began to pulse in the back of my head. I might be using wild magic to hold up the wall, but it was costing me personally.
“Aiden,” I growled, “force the door open and get everyone out.”
There were several thumps that echoed through the wall and tore through me via the wild magic, then the door burst open and Aiden appeared. He took one look at me, then turned and growled, “Everyone out—fast!”
Men and women streamed through the door—and there were far more than I’d expected. I pressed my back against the wall to give them room to pass; they stank of fear and smoke and blood; some were burned, some were cut and bleeding, but most looked unharmed. The main stairs into the basement might have collapsed, but that same collapse might also have protected them from subsequent explosions.
With what sounded like a gunshot, the plaster above me cracked and fell. I thrust a hand up, knocking the huge chunk away with wild magic. Pain lanced through my head, and moisture dropped over my eyelashes and slipped down my cheeks. I couldn’t hold for much longer…
“Hurry” was all I said.
Six more people came out, then Aiden was beside me. “Fuck, Lizzie, you’re bleeding—”
I was? “It doesn’t matter—go. Get everyone out of here—”
“Not without you—”
“I’m currently the only thing stopping this section of hall collapsing, so get your ass out of here. I’ll be right behind you.”
He made a low sound deep in his throat, then swung around, wrapped an arm around a limping young man, and disappeared into the smoke and dust haze that now filled the hall.
I waited, one arm still outstretched, feeding the wild magic into the column, keeping it strong. My limbs shook, and the ache in my head was now fierce enough that my vision was blurring.
Why?
I wasn’t really doing anything here that I hadn’t done before…
Magic is never without cost came the comment. It wasn’t Katie—it was too masculine in tone. Gabe, speaking through her. You may be one with the wild magic, and will therefore avoid the price most pay for its use, but you are still flesh and blood rather than energy. Using it in such a manner will always come at a personal cost.
Like eyes bleeding?
Yes. They will heal, but every time you use the wild magic in this manner, the worse the bleeding will become and the longer it will take you to recover.
Not something I wanted to hear… but right now, it didn’t really matter.
Aiden and the others had climbed the stairs and were now in the hall leading to the parking area. It was time for me to release the wall and get the hell out of here.
You will have to run came Katie’s comment. Fast.
I took a deep breath, then clenched my fingers and unleashed the wild magic. The thick column of blue-white light flickered and then broke apart, once again becoming tiny fragments of blue-white light. Without support, the wall immediately dropped. As the doorframe took its weight and began to splinter further, I spun and ran back along the hall. Threads of wild magic spun ahead of me, providing enough light to not only see through the gloom but to also see the ever-widening fissures appearing in the walls and the ceiling.
With a soft whoomph, the basement wall collapsed. A heartbeat later, a thick cloud of dust flowed over me, cutting what little visibility there was, throwing me into a deep, dangerous darkness.
Tiny filaments of wild magic encircled my wrist, and Katie’s energy—her being—flowed into me. My senses expanded—sharpened—and while the fog of dust and smoke remained as thick as ever, I could at least see shadows now. It was enough to keep running, to avoid tripping over anything. The stairs came into view. I was almost safe…
But that thought had barely even crossed my mind when what sounded like a freight train started up behind me.
The ceiling and walls were collapsing.
I swore, grabbed the railing, and bolted up the stairs two at a time.
Faster, faster, Katie urged, panic in her tone.
I tried to obey, but my strength was slipping away and I had nothing left in the tank. It was all I could do to remain upright.
As chunks of plaster rained all around me, a figure appeared out of the gloom at the top of the stairs. Though little more than a white-covered silhouette, scent told me it was Aiden. He grabbed me—lifted me—in one smooth motion, and then raced up the remaining stairs and pounded down the hallway. A huge cloud of dust and debris chased us as, section by section, the building began to collapse.
Aiden burst into the loading bay, jumped down the stairs, and then ran into the parking area where more than two dozen people had gathered.
With a sound that vaguely resembled the groan of a dying beast, the center of the building collapsed inward, leaving only the outer walls still standing.
We were safe. Against all the odds, we were safe. The shaking started, and I blinked fiercely against the tears stinging my eyes. It wasn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.
Aiden put me down, then gently caught my chin with his fingertips and lifted my face. “It looks like you’ve burst a blood vessel in your eyes.”
“It was the stress of using the wild magic to prop the wall. I’ll be fine.” The sudden sharpening of sirens had me glancing around; several ambulances and an SES truck were entering the parking area. “What’s happened to Belle?”
“Roger escorted her into a secure area. After that, I don’t know.” He frowned. “Can’t you contact her?”
“No, the line between us is dead.”
“I’m sure she’s fine, Liz.”
But his words fell flat. She might be alive, but it was very doubtful that she was fine. Not if Clayton had her.
I took a deep, steadying breath. “You need to concentrate on the mess here. I’ll head back home—” I held up a hand to silence his protest. “I’m fine. I just need to make myself a potion and grab some rest.”
“At least have your eyes looked at—”
“They can’t do anything for an eye bleed like this, Aiden. The only thing that can heal it is time.” I rose on my toes and brushed a kiss across his lips. “Do what you have to here, and don’t worry about me.”
He lightly cupped my cheek, his touch warm and his gaze worried. “Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
“I won’t.”
Which didn’t mean I wouldn’t do anything at all, and he was well aware of that. He shook his head, kissed me lightly, and then let me go.
I walked past the ambulances and SES vehicles, my head pounding in time with my footsteps and my body feeling like it had been run over by a truck. Which in many respects, it had—one driven by the wild magic.
The café’s door remained wide open. I stepped in, and then realized the place wasn’t empty.
And the person standing in the middle of the café was the one person I really didn’t want to confront right now.
Maelle.
She was deeply, furiously angry.
Even worse than her anger were the lightning-like cracks of her magic. Dark magic. It struck at my skin and, for a second or two, seemed to freeze my pulse and my heart. But there was no snapback from the magic protecting this place, so no matter what it felt like, neither the magic nor her anger was aimed specifically at me.
Which didn’t make me feel any safer.
I drew in a deep, steadying breath, then turned to face her. Her chestnut hair—usually swept up onto the top of her head—was in disarray, covered in plaster dust and ash. Her face was black and her clothes—what looked to be a deep red riding habit from the Regency era—were all but shredded, revealing multiple cuts and suggesting her escape had not come lightly.
But it was
her gaze that held me—scared me. Her eyes were usually a gray so pale there was only the slightest variation between her irises and the white. But here—now—they were black. All black. Ghoulish black.
She might not currently mean me harm but it wouldn’t take much to change that. One show of weakness and that would be the end of it. The end of me.
Like I needed another fucking problem right now.
I gripped the anger that rose with that thought and stepped closer. She’d hear my pulse and know the truth, but I nevertheless had to outwardly remain strong.
For Belle’s sake, if not my own.
“How the hell did Clayton get into Émigré, Maelle, let alone cause such damage? You had a multitude of magics protecting the place.”
“He didn’t set the bomb. I believe a woman did.”
Her voice was calm and collected, at total odds with the fierceness of her eyes and the utter darkness of her aura.
But if she was right—if it was a woman who’d caused this catastrophe—then it was more than likely the shooter who’d flown in and disappeared. “How did she get the thing in? It wouldn’t have been a small thing, given the damage it caused.”
“My people had to break up a fight that happened outside the entrance. I believe now it was a diversion, as it happened a few minutes after Belle and your ranger entered the building.”
“What happened to Belle?” I paused and looked around. “And where’s Roger?”
“Roger has been forced into a period of stasis.”
I frowned. “Meaning what?”
“He was so badly injured that he’s been forced into a period of inactivity in order for his body to heal and recover.” She paused, and though she didn’t move—didn’t even blink—it suddenly felt as if death had swept into the room.
The surrounding magic flickered but didn’t fully activate. For the moment, she wasn’t a direct threat.
For the moment.
I flexed my fingers and tried to remain calm.