by Jenna Moreci
wanttodisguise themselves,butwhatelsearetheytryingtoconceal?”
Eve’seyessuddenlywidened.“Thelair.Itcouldbehiddeninplainsight.”
Armaannodded.“Mythoughtsexactly.”
Evesigheddisappointedly.“Forallweknow,we’vewalkedrightpastitand
didn’tevenknowit.”
“So we don’t know who Fairon is or where he’s hiding,” Jason grumbled, anxiouslyrunninghishandthroughhishair.“God,whatamess.”
“Whataboutthetorq?”EveturnedtoJJ.“Haveyoufoundanything?”
JJshrugged.“I’mstillconvertingtheinformation.It’sincrediblycomplex.
ButIfinishedcodingthevirus,andit’sreadytoupload.”
“So,we’rereadytodestroythemainframe.Wejusthavetofinditfirst.”
“Anduntilthen,what?”Sanchoasked.“Keepkillingaliens?”
“Howaboutuntilthen,nomorenosebleeds,”Percyadded,shootinga
criticalglareinJason’sdirection.“Keepthosefaceperiodsundercontrol.We
don’tneedanymorealienssuddenly attractedtous.”
“Itwasn’tintentional,”Jasonsaiddefensively.“Icanonlymeltonethingata
time.”
“There’sonlysomuchourgiftcanhandle,”Eveexplained.“Ifyouexhaust
yourgift,youbleed.Andifyoukeepbleeding,you—”
“Die.”
Evestoppedshort—sheturnedtoArmaan,whosatcasuallyontheleather
armrest,fiddlingwithhisscratchpadandoblivioustohersuddensilence.
“What?”
“Exhaustingyourgift—it’llkillyou,”herepeated.
“Wheredidyouhearthat?”
“FromDr.Dzarnoski.”
Jason’seyesdartedbetweenthetwo.“Caretoelaborate?”
“Yourgiftisapowersource.Whenyoupushitpastitscapacity,theenergy
is depleted,” Armaan recited. “The more you drain it, the weaker it becomes, untileventuallyitcompletelyburnsout.”
“Andthenwhat?”Jasonasked.“You’rejustgiftless?”
Armanshookhishead.“Iwishitwerethatsimple.Ifyourgiftkicksthebucket,
ittriggersachainreaction.Everyotherfunctioninyourbrainbegins
toshutdown,oneafterthenext,untilnothingisleft.”
“Thatcan’tberight,”Eveinterrupted.“Itdoesn’tmakeanysense—”
“Sureitdoes,”Armaanmaintained.“Look,thinkofyourgiftasacar
battery.Ifthebatterydies,thewholecarstopsworking.Exceptthat,unlikewith acar,youcan’tjustreplaceyourgiftwithanewone.”Heturnedtofaceboth
EveandJason.“Basically,whenyourgiftdies,sodoyou.”
Ahushfellovertheroom.EveandJasonstaredatoneanother,theirtension
seepingthroughthespacebetweenthem.Armaanglancedbackandforthatthe
coupleandcoweredinhisseat.
“Um,Itakeityoudidn’tknowthis,”hemumbled.“I’msorry,Iwasn’ttrying
toworryanyone.”
Anoiseeruptedinthecorneroftheroom—aringingthatcamefromJJ’s
triadofscratchpads.EveturnedtoJJ.
“Isthat—”
“Anotherabduction,”JJanswered,dartingtowardhercomputers.“This
one’sinBrentwood.”
Jasonfurrowedhisbrow.“Sosoon?”
“Andoffcampus?”Eveasked.“Why Brentwood? ”
“Gee,Idon’tknow,whydon’tyouaskthemwhenyougetthere?”JJscoffed.
“Look, the attack is going down in less than twenty-five minutes, and that’s barelyenoughtimetogettoBrentwood.”JJturnedtotheothers.“Youneedto
leave now.”
Andsotheydid,sparingonlyaminuteforEvetochangeherclothes—“You
can’tpossiblyexpectmetofightinaskirt,” shescoffedwhentheyprotested—
andassoonastheywereable,theydashedtoPercy’scaranddrovestraightto
Brentwood.JJremainedinPercy’ssuite,naggingtheothersviatheir
communicaps, but despite her irritability, the car ride was calm and almost dull.TheyhadkilledInterlopersbefore—countlessofthematthispoint—and
thoughEvequestionedthelocation,shehadfaithinherselfandhercomrades.
SheglancedatJason,whowassittingwithhisaxeinhislap.Whenhe
noticedherstaring,hewinkedatherandsmiled.Shesmiledback,andinthat
moment,anyremainingshredofnervousenergyshemayhavefeltdrifted
away.
Theyarrived,albeitabitlaterthanJJhadhoped,andquicklyfiledoutofthe
car. Night had fallen, painting the sky with a haze of black that made their unfamiliarsurroundingsevengloomier.JJdirectedthemtoanalley,andfora
moment,itremindedEveofthealleywaytotheMeltdown—buttheywerefar
fromCalabasas,thePierLorenthotel,ortheneighboringchimeraclub.
Onebyone,Eveandtheotherstiptoeddownthealleyuntiltheyfinally
reacheditscenter—theexactlocationoftheabduction,accordingtothebeacon
—andwiththeirweaponsraised,theywaited.
Nothinghappened.
Evescannedhersurroundings.Theywerecompletelyalone,theirsoldierly
stances almost silly given the situation. Jason, too, began to stir, his eyes flittingbackandforth,perplexedbytheglaringlyobviouslackofaction.After
several minutes of silence, Percy let out an aggravated sigh and dropped his handstohissides.
“Doyouseeanyone?” JJasked.
“No,”Jasonmuttered.“We’retheonlyoneshere.”
Sanchofidgetedinplace.“Giveitacoupleofminutes.Maybethey’relate.”
“You’retheoneswhoarelate.Theyprobablyfinishedandfledthescene.”
“Please.Youreallythinktheycompletedtheentireabductionin”—Percy
lookedathiswatch—“fourminutes?Givemeabreak.”
“Look,noone’sevenwalkedbysincewegothere,”Jasongroused.
“Areyousurewe’reattherightlocation?”Sanchoasked.
“Theylistedthelongitudeandlatitude.Itdoesn’tgetmorespecificthan that.”
Percyshrugged.“Didyoureaditwrong?”
“EXCUSEme?”
“Shutup,”Eveblurted.“Everyonejustbequiet.They’renotcoming.”
Sanchosighed.“Buttheysaid—”
“Theychangedtheirminds,”sheinterrupted.“Ortheychoseadifferent
location.Whateveritis,they’renothere.”Shescowled,failingtoconcealher
disappointment.“Let’sgobacktoBillington.”
PercyandSanchopiledtheirgunsintothecar,grumblingundertheirbreath.
JasonmadehiswaytoEve’ssideandrestedhishandsonhiships.
“Idon’tunderstand,”hemumbled.“Whywouldtheystageanattackandthen
bowoutatthelastminute?Didtheyknowwewerecoming?”
“Idon’tknow.”Evestareddowntheemptyalleyway,andasenseofdread
begantofesterinherstomach.“Let’sjustgetoutofhere.”
ThegroupdrovebacktoBillingtoninsilence.Acloudofchagrinsettled
over the car—Percy muttered about the traffic, Sancho pouted childishly, and Jasonblanklystaredoutthewindow—butwhiletheboyswerepreoccupied
with thoughts of loss and inadequacy, Eve instead tried to ignore the grim feelingthatgnawedathergut.
TheypartedwaysintheRutherfordTower.Percycontinueduptohissuite,
agreeingtomanageJJ’swrat
h,whileSancho,Jason,andEvesulkedthrough
thehallwayofthetwelfthfloor,idlymaneuveringtowardtheirprospective
rooms.AsSanchoshuffledintohisroom,JasonlingeredbyEve’ssidefora
momentlonger.
“We’llget’emnexttime,”hewhispered,hisfingerslightlygrazingherarm
beforehepulledaway,followingSancho’sleadintotheirroom.
Evecontinuedontoherdorm,trompingpastthepajama-clad
Rutherfordians and trying to stifle her persistent anxiety. With a growl, she thrust the door open, so consumed with worry that she failed to notice that it wasunlocked.
Asshesteppedintotheroom,shefroze,herfeetfixedinplaceasif cementedtothefloor.Herroomhadbeenransacked.BothMadison’s
abandoned mattress and her own were ripped to shreds and tossed across the space. Her end table was in pieces, its paneling scattered along the floor in splinters,andherwardrobewastippedonitsside,itscontentsspillingfromthe openeddoors.Butitwasn’tthemessthatconcernedher—shehardlyeven
noticedthedamagedwalls,thescuffedfloororhertornclothes.What
concerned her were the three Interlopers who were still digging through her things.
Theystoppedtheirrummagingandgazedbackatherwithglassyeyes.One
ofthemsnarledandkickedattheground,scratchingthefloorwithhis
sharpenedtalons.Anotheronepointedather,oratleastheattemptedto,ashis
handwasnothingmorethanascabbingstump.Everecognizedthatone—she
hadfoughthimonlydaysago,andhehadflownoutofsightandoutofmind—
but she paid him no attention. It was the third Interloper that made her blood runcold.
He was huge: ten, maybe eleven feet tall, so tall that he had to hunch his shoulders just to fit inside her room. His wings were massive, easily large enoughtobreakthrougheitherwall,buthekeptthemrestinggentlyagainsthis
back,bobbingoccasionallywithhissubtlemovements.Liketheother
Interlopers,hehaddeepblackeyes,buthisskinwasunique—acloudy,milky
white that absorbed the light of the moon. His sharp teeth and talons were a gleaminggold,andtwothick,goldenhornsjuttedfromhisforeheadand
curledoverthetopofhisskull.Thoughhisbodylookedgaunt,hisshoulders
werebroad,hislegsweresturdy,andhispresencealonecommandedapower andfearthatkeptEverootedwhereshestood.
Afterwhatfeltlikeaneternity,Evefinallypartedherlipsandletouttheonly wordshecouldmanagetoutter.
“Fairon?”
“WHEREISIT? ”heroared.“THEBEACON—TELLMEWHEREITIS!”
Finally,thespellwasbroken,andEvewasabletomoveagain,tofeelherbody
—theheavingofherlungs,thepoundingofherheart,thetensioninher
muscles.Shebracedherselfandletoutapiercingscream.
“IT’SATRAP!”
Withabalefulglare,FairondraggedEve’swardrobefromthefloorand
hurled it in her direction. Eve threw herself to the side, barely dodging the woodenmonstrosityasitsmashedintothewallbesideher.Shepulledherself
to her knees, her eyes wide and panicked. She knew without a doubt that her situationwasdire.
TheothertwoInterloperschargedtowardher,theirmouthsspreadinginto
sickening smiles. The first one swung at her with his single clawed hand and hisuselessstump,butEvequicklypluckedhergunfromherjeansandfiredat
the creature, blasting the teeth from his mouth and sending his lifeless body collapsingtothefloor.
EveturnedtoaimatthesecondInterloper,butshewastoolate—heswatted
thefirearmfromherhands,sendingitskiddingacrossthefloor.Heswunghis
talonsatherthroat,butEvedodgedhisadvances,andshepoundedherfistinto
his face over and over again until he, too, toppled to the ground. As the Interloperpausedtoregainhisbalance,Eveforcefullymeltedhimacrossthe
roomandslammedhimagainsttheoppositewall.Againsherammedhiminto
thesheetrock,andthenoncemore,thewallnowcoveredwithyellowblood.
Hermeltgrewinintensity,andthistimeshesentthealienflyingrightthrough
herglassbalconydoorsandplummetingtotheterracebelow,wherehisbody
splatteredontothecampusgrounds.
AndthenonlyFaironremained.HestaredatEve,hiseyesvacantandhis
bodyunmoving,andeventhoughhewassilent,heexudedaformidable
strengththatsentawaveofterrordownEve’sspine.
Suddenlyandwithnoexpression,hestompedtowardher,snappingthe
floorboardsbeneathhisfeet,andEveinstantlylungedforthegunthatnowlay
inthecornerofherroom.Withtremblinghands,shesnatchedthefirearm
from the floor and launched all of her remaining bullets at Fairon’s face, knockingaflurryofgoldenteethfromhismouthandboringdeep,bloody
holesintohiscloudyskinandblackenedeye.
Shewaited—herhandswerestillraised,hergunstillsmoking—andhoped
toGodthatFaironwoulddroptothefloor,dead,justliketheothers.
Buthedidn’tfall,orevenmove.Hesimplystoodinfrontofher,hisbody
perfectlystill,andthenEvenoticedthatsomethingabouthimwasdifferent:his
facewasquivering,theskinrollinglikeboilingwater.Hisfleshpinched
togetherateachentrywound,pushingthebulletsfromhisskin,spittingthem
onto the floor at his feet. His oozing eye glossed over, repairing itself so rapidly,itsoonlookedasiftherehadneverbeenanycontusiontobeginwith,
andhisbloodiedskindidthesame,regeneratingwithsuchprecisionthatnota
singleblemishremained.ThenEvenoticedhisteeth:they,too,grewback,
sproutingfromhisgumstoreplacetheoneshehadlost.
Inseconds,itwasover.Faironwasfullyhealed,hisentirebeinginperfect
condition,andhesmiledatthelookofhorrorinEve’seyes.
“Killingmewillnotcomeeasilyforyou,”heexplained,hisvoicechilling.
“Killing you,however—itwillbehardtoavoid.Imustbedelicatewithyou.”
EvemeltedFaironacrosstheroom,sendinghiscolossalbodycrashinginto
the back wall with enough force to shatter the sheetrock behind him. Still, Faironwasunfazed.Hejumpedtohisfeet,casuallyshakingthedebrisfromhis
shoulders,thenchargedatEveyetagain.Justasshebegantochannelhergifta
secondtime,hestruckheracrossherfacewithsuchpowerthatshespunina
fullcircleandtoppledtothefloor.Hercheekscreamedinagony,andthepain
seemed to pulse through her entire body, yet she launched Fairon across the roomyetagain,slamminghimagainsttheframeofthebalconydoor.
Evegroanedandwinced—everyinchofherbodyached,butstillshe
dragged herself to her feet just in time to watch Fairon’s broken arm snap miraculouslyintoplace.Heturnedtofaceher,hissinistergrinstillintact,and hebarreledinherdirection.
Beforeshecouldevenmovefromhispath,hewhippedhisclawsforward,
sinking his talons deep into the flesh of her arm. Eve shrieked in pain and clutchedattheopenwound.Shestareddownatthebloodrunningbetweenher
fingersandthengazedbackatFairon.
“Itisonlythebeginning,”hedeclared.
Evedodgedhisnextadvance,dippingbeneathhissha
rpjabswhiletryingto
ignore the stinging of her arm. With as much strength as she could summon, she threw her fist into the creature’s jaw—only to immediately pull back and cryoutinagony.Theimpactwasexcruciating,asifherhandhadcollidedwith
abrickwall,andshedoubledover,strugglingtobreathethroughtheshooting
pain.
Sheforcedherselfupright,buttherewasnotimetorecover—Fairon
grabbedherbytheshouldersandtossedheragainstthewall,sendingher
collapsingtothefloor.
Evetookinashort,shallowbreath.Hermindfeltdulled,amuddledhazethat
matchedthethickblanketoffogconsuminghervision.Inthatmoment,all
shecouldfeelwastheunbearableachingofherbody—thethrobbingofher
skull,ofherbloodiedarmandhershatteredhand—andthroughthepain,she
faintlysensedthesinisterpresenceofFaironloomingoverher.
Abovetheringinginherearsshecouldbarelyhearthecommotionbehind
herdoor.Therewasfrenziedrunning,panickedscreaming,andthroughitall,
afamiliarvoiceshouting,“MOVE!FORGOD’SSAKE,GETOUTOFTHE
WAY!”
And then she felt a gust of air as the door swung open behind her, and the feelingofone—no,twobodiesstandinginthedoorway.Sheglancedupand
saw Jason and Sancho, their eyes wide with shock as they stared directly at Fairon.
“HOLYSHIT,”Jasongasped.
ThewordshadhardlyleftJason’slipsbeforeFaironwaschargingtoward
him,fueledbyaheightenedaggression.Inonefluidmotion,heseizedthefront
of Jason’s shirt, pulled him high into the air, and slammed his back into the floor. Again, Fairon lifted Jason and hurled him to the floor, this time hard enoughtocrackthefloorboardsaswellashisbones.
Jasonwinced;hestruggledinFairon’sgrip,tryingtofreehimself,thoughhis
attemptswerefutile.Andthenhenoticedhisaxelyingonlyafewfeetaway
fromhim.Withgreateffort,hepulledhisarmfromFairon’sgrasp,seizedthe
axe,andploweditdeepintothecenterofFairon’sface.
Jasonyankedtheaxefromthecreature’sskullandbreathedasighofrelief
