“This better be important,” he said.
Devlen’s voice replied, too low for me to discern his words.
Galen glanced at me. “Get dressed.”
More than happy to oblige, I pulled my clothes on in record time. Galen swung the door wide and returned to his desk.
Devlen entered, leading a dozen guards.
“Show Opal what you caught on your fishing trip,” Galen said.
The guards parted, revealing two figures wrapped in null shield jackets.
29
MY LEGS REFUSED TO SUPPORT MY WEIGHT ANY longer. I dropped into a chair. This nightmare would never end.
“Heli has returned and she brought a friend,” Galen said. “Is he your Stormdancer, Opal?”
I met Kade’s gaze. “Yes.”
“He came to rescue you. How sweet.” Galen rubbed his chin as if considering. “And despite Devlen’s assurances that the Bloodroses have meekly accepted me, I’ve been picking up an undercurrent of unrest from them. Which is concerning. Opal, has Devlen been lying to me?”
“Yes.” The word burned my throat.
“Is he planning on helping you?”
“Yes.” I tried to catch Devlen’s eye, but he kept his attention fixed on Galen.
Galen said to him, “You were worried Opal would endanger her own rescue so you kept her out of the loop. But all this time, you’ve been a wonderful source of information. Your blood magic isn’t strong enough to block me from your emotions.” He gestured to the guards. “You believe they are loyal to you, when in fact they are still mine. And I know all about the fog. How many people have you sneaked into the compound?” He didn’t wait for Devlen to reply. “I counted six—the Minister and his wife, two disguised as guards and the Stormdancers.”
The small bit of hope clinging to me kissed me goodbye. Listening to Galen gloat was like watching someone burn to death and not being able to throw water on the poor soul.
Drawing power, Galen concentrated on Kade and Heli. “The jackets aren’t tied. They’re supposed to rip them off and cause problems when given the signal,” Galen explained to me. “Go ahead, Stormdancers, take them off.”
Kade and Heli shrugged free of the jackets. They exchanged a look.
“I’m more than capable of producing a null shield. Everyone was so worried about Opal’s power, you disregarded mine.” He tsked. “And is she really worth six lives? If she’s so devoted to her Stormdancer, then why did she sleep with Devlen?”
Dead silence. No one said a word. Beyond horrified, I stared at the floor.
Finally, Galen ordered his guards to wrap up Kade and Heli in the jackets and to secure Devlen.
As if on cue, Kade, Devlen and Heli fought the guards. But they were outnumbered, and Heli didn’t know how to defend herself. She was the first to be subdued and tied into a jacket, followed by Kade and then Devlen.
“Announce a mandatory clan meeting to start in one hour,” Galen ordered his guards. “Escort the three of them to the dining room. I’ll join you there after I finish.”
I returned my gaze to the rug until the rustling sounds of movement faded.
Galen crouched in front of me. “Feel terrible?”
“Of course.”
“You’re going to feel worse after you kill your friends.”
Before we left, I used the washroom near Penny’s area and was alone for a few precious minutes. Opening the drawer, I took out the syringes Walsh had left me. I shoved them deep into my pocket as Galen stepped from his office.
He grabbed my hand and we walked to the dining room. All the clan members sat around the tables. Armed guards ringed the large space and lined up along the front wall were Nic, Eve, Kade, Heli, Ari and Janco. My friends. My family. My reasons to stop Galen.
Unfortunately having reasons gave me no power. I couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze.
Their disguises had been ripped off and they were either manacled or wrapped in null shields. All had been secured to the wall. At least Valek wasn’t among them. I’d like to think he remained off-site to call in reinforcements. A valiant gesture, but they wouldn’t arrive in time.
Galen stood with his back to the prisoners and made a speech to the Bloodroses. I scanned their faces. Quinn sat next to Penny, but his attention was on Galen. I opened my mind to them. Anger and resistance simmered, but worry and fear also churned. And if I dipped deeper… No. I wouldn’t invade their privacy.
“…the outside world has forgotten you,” Galen said. “Do you think these people are here to help you?” He swept an arm out, indicating the prisoners. “They came to rescue Opal. They’re professionals and powerful magicians and they failed. Now you can witness what I do to those who try to upset my plans.” He handed me my switchblade. “Kill Devlen,” he ordered.
I triggered the weapon and the blade shot out. The Ixian battle symbols Devlen chose for me marked the steel. I ran my fingertip along the flat side of the blade, feeling the ridges of the etchings. I offer my heart, entrust my soul and give my life to you.
“Now, Opal.”
I turned toward Devlen, but stopped. He had given me his heart, soul and life. Therefore, in order to kill him, I would have to kill myself. Without hesitating I put the blade to my own throat, and pulled.
“Stop!” Galen ordered.
Too late! Warmth gushed down my neck, soaking into my shirt. I smiled until he ordered me to heal the wound. As I used magic to seal the skin, I realized the cut hadn’t been deep enough to finish the job anyway.
“What the hell was that?” Galen asked.
“Magic is very literal. Devlen had given me his life. I was following orders.”
“I take it back,” Devlen called, trying to protect me.
No! Unable to speak, I appealed to Devlen. He remained stubborn, but his eyes were wide as if he had been scared. “Opal, don’t—”
Before Galen could finish, a puff sounded. A strange clear dart struck my bicep. I teetered and Galen caught me as I collapsed.
“Heal yourself,” he said. “Push the drug from your arm. Now.”
I envisioned a little butterfly sucking the drug as if it were nectar. Liquid trickled down my arm. The Bloodroses didn’t wait to see if I was successful. They surged to their feet and chaos erupted as they attacked the guards.
Galen yanked me down as he crouched low. “Protect us from objects.”
I covered us with a glass barrier. Darts ricocheted off it and from within, I watched the fighting. Bloodroses wielded glass knives, glass darts and bamboo spears tipped with glass. The weapons might not be as strong as steel, but they were razor sharp and a slash across an unprotected neck did the job as well as a sword through the heart. I silently cheered them on.
Quinn threw glass balls that seemed ineffective at first, but must have been charged with heat. They ignited clothing and tablecloths.
“Idiots,” Galen said. He pulled me through the melee and we exited. “Secure the doors,” he ordered.
They slammed shut, trapping everyone inside. I looked away as black smoke poured from the chimney. The flames spread. Horrified, sick and disgusted weren’t strong enough to describe my torment. I huddled on the ground in misery. The black clouds overhead matched my mood until I realized they were thickening.
An explosion rocked the ground as the roof of the dining room blew apart. Then rain teemed from the sky. The incredible deluge soaked me in an instant and I choked on water, but I didn’t care as the fire sputtered and died.
“Damn Stormdancers,” Galen said.
He would soon have another problem. I spotted Valek approaching us. The clan members streamed from another hole in the dining room, but they kept their distance from us.
“Can you sense the Stormdancers?” Galen asked me.
“Yes.”
Kade and Heli worked to free the others.
“Stop them from helping the Bloodroses. Now.”
I projected my magic. As slow as possible, I smoothed it over Heli and then Kade, erecting a null shi
eld around them. The rain lessened into a drizzle and ceased. But by this time, Valek had arrived.
Galen appraised the assassin with a critical eye. “Am I supposed to be scared of you?”
“With my reputation, you should be terrified,” Valek said.
“Because of your immunity? Didn’t Opal tell you about the null shields?”
“She did.” He flung a succession of darts at us.
Galen easily batted them away. His magic was strong enough for a few missiles. Then Valek withdrew glass balls from his pockets and lobbed them. They crashed around us, but the breeze carried the sleeping gas away. Valek stopped moving when Galen encased him in a null shield. Valek looked furious. But by then, Devlen, Ari and Janco had joined the Bloodroses outside, which, I suspected, had been Valek’s intent.
Before Galen reacted, a battle cry rose. As one they rushed us, screaming loudly. Galen shouted my name, but the noise from their attack drowned out the rest of his words.
Pushed and shoved, I was hustled along and up a slight dune of sand. I bumped into Quinn. He gave me a wild grin and thrust glass into my hands. An orb.
“We’re doing it, Opal,” he shouted. “Fighting together!”
Even outnumbered, Galen had magic and the skills to defend himself. He had cleared a space around him. From my position, I had a good view despite being boxed in by Bloodroses.
The mob shifted and I stumbled. A strong arm encircled my waist, steadying me.
Devlen pointed to the orb in my hands. “Can you drain him?”
I shook my head no.
“How about a null shield?”
Frustrated, I grabbed Quinn’s arm. Can you hear me?
He blinked in surprise. “Yes.”
Tell Devlen I can’t erect a null shield, but you can.
“I can’t. I don’t know how!”
I’ll help you. We can only do this together. All of us.
“But my magic is weak and it only sticks to glass.”
Stick it to that glass ball you made and use the black diamonds for a power boost.
“Oh. Okay.” He plowed through the crowd.
“Where is he going?” Devlen asked.
I waved him off, too tired to explain with gestures. Exhaustion tugged and I sagged against Devlen. Galen must be tapping my power to protect against the Bloodroses, and to keep Valek trapped.
“He’s big and bad, but don’t get me mad,” Janco sang out.
I glanced over at Galen. He fought Janco. The Ixian had donned a null shield jacket and had found a sword. Their swords clashed with a clang and I noticed Janco held his weapon with two hands. It was Valek’s broadsword. Why hadn’t Ari taken it? He could wield it one-handed.
But then Janco attacked with a flurry of strikes. Even with the heavy sword, his speed was impressive. Too bad Galen was the better swordsman. The match wouldn’t last long. I willed Quinn to hurry.
The young magician’s feet pounded on the sand. He wasn’t even out of breath. We found a quiet spot away from the crowd. I sat cross-legged in the sand and Quinn plopped next to me. Loophole number one—Galen never told me not to help Quinn.
Touching his arm, I said, Hold the glass in one hand and the diamonds in the other. Since he had worked with glass, I used his experience to explain how to build a shield. It had worked for me. I hoped it would for him.
Using the power in the diamonds, expand the bubble so it’s big enough to fit a man and attach it to the ball like you had applied the heat earlier.
“And almost fried the entire clan.”
You didn’t. Focus!
Quinn was quick to catch on and after a couple heart-stopping mistakes, he erected a shield.
Do you have good aim? I asked Quinn.
“How far?”
No closer than that dune we stood on. Any nearer and he would feel you coming.
“No.”
Ask Devlen.
Quinn relayed my question.
“I’m not accurate at that distance,” Devlen said.
We returned to the dune and I searched the crowd. Unable to get to Galen, the Bloodroses watched the match and kept the noise level high. Valek could do it if he wasn’t trapped. Ari and Janco exchanged places in one sweet move that they had to have practiced before. Ari had also donned a null shield jacket. He slashed and cut with one hand, trying to get close enough to use his strength to his advantage. Nic and Janco stood together, encouraging Ari. Janco’s arms and torso sported multiple cuts and he breathed heavily.
Kade and Heli watched the fight, staying out of the way. I still couldn’t break the null shield around them. Eve hovered nearby.
Eve! She could kill a fly on the wall with her knife.
Tell Devlen to send Eve over to us, and then stay there. He’ll only have a second to knock Galen out. Does he have Curare?
“No Curare,” Devlen said after Quinn explained. “Our weapons and supplies were confiscated by Galen’s men.”
Devlen lifted my chin and kissed me before releasing his hold. I hung on to Quinn as Devlen weaved his way toward Eve. Ari kept Galen busy, but blood streaked down his face from a cut above his eye. Janco gave Nic his jacket and I would have laughed at the way the fabric strained over Nic’s broad chest if the circumstances were different.
Nic stepped next to Ari and grabbed the sword, freeing Ari to retreat. Nic wasn’t as strong as Ari nor as fast as Janco, but he had a certain finesse and he wasn’t tired from fighting two other opponents. Teamwork at its best.
Galen sucked more of my energy. If it wasn’t for Quinn’s support, I would have buckled. By this time, Devlen had reached Eve. She didn’t hesitate, plunging into the crowd.
When she joined us on the dune, she asked, “What do you need?”
Quinn handed her the ball, filling her in on the plan.
She hefted it, testing its weight. “One chance, right? Near his feet? Do or die?”
“Yes.”
Eve smiled. “I like a challenge.” She lobbed the glass. Sunlight glinted off its surface as it sailed through the air. It landed a foot short.
I felt the thud in my chest. Out of ideas, I watched the fight with numb dread. Devlen donned Ari’s jacket and switched places with Nic. I had forgotten how adept he was with a sword. His smooth and sure movements flowed with dead precision. I could appreciate his skill now that he fought on my team. Devlen used an effective combination of speed, strength and tactics, forcing Galen to take one step back. And into range of the null shield!
But Galen still had his weapon and needed to be unarmed. Using a last resort move, Devlen blocked Galen’s sword with his body and trapped it against his torso with an arm. He yelled, “Now!”
Nic, Ari and Janco moved, rushing Galen together. Ari and Janco seized his arms and Nic punched him in the face. Galen crumpled. If I had any energy I would have jumped for joy. The crowd cheered.
Eve and Quinn helped me down to my friends. Even though Galen was unconscious, his orders to me still applied and I couldn’t speak. But the null shield around Valek had dissipated. I could drop the one around the Stormdancers. The Bloodroses no longer needed help.
We gathered near Galen. Nic, Janco and Ari slapped each other on the back and discussed the fight in an excited play-by-play. Boys.
But Devlen remained on the sand, gasping for air. Galen’s sword wedged between his arm and side. I knelt next to him. Color leaked from his face as fast as the blood gushed from his torso. The blade had sliced deep into his ribs and had pierced a lung.
He reached for me. “Opal…love…you.” Devlen passed out.
30
I GRABBED THE SWORD, INTENT ON PULLING IT FROM Devlen’s torso, but Valek stopped me. The joviality died as the others realized one of our teammates was injured.
“Can you heal him?” Valek asked me.
I shook my head. My energy had been depleted. I cast about for a solution. Come on, Opal, use your brain!
Quinn! I latched onto his ankle. I need charged diamonds.
&
nbsp; He opened his hand. “These are the only ones and they’re spent.”
The super messengers?
“If there’re any here, they’d be in Walsh’s office. Locked in the safe, but I don’t know the combination.”
Take Janco. He’ll open it.
“Which one is Janco?” Quinn asked.
“The handsome gent with the superior safecracking skills,” Janco said.
Quinn turned to Valek. I would have laughed at Janco’s outraged expression, but Devlen’s blood soaked the sand, making a puddle.
I shook my hands in impatience.
“Lead on, Puppy Dog,” Janco said. “I fear time is an issue.”
They bolted for the office building. Valek studied the darkening sky and began organizing the Bloodroses, setting watches for the night. They dispersed. Nic and Ari carried Galen into the half-burned dining room. I motioned, making sure they understood that he had to be kept unconscious.
Eve followed them, bringing the glass ball, but she soon returned with a wad of towels. We packed them around Devlen’s wound. I held his hand, willing him to live.
What would I do if they couldn’t find a messenger? Quinn’s power wasn’t enough to even seal a cut. Would Kade and Heli be willing to help? They had kept their distance. I met Kade’s gaze. Anger and pain flared and he looked away. Did I have the gall to ask him? To save Devlen’s life, I would do anything.
Valek returned. He sat next to me and said, “Since you can’t talk, let me tell you a story.”
Eve seemed a bit awed by Valek. She asked, “Should I go?”
“No need. You already know most of this.” He squirmed into a more comfortable position. “Devlen was well aware of Galen’s eavesdropping on our plans to rescue you. In fact, he purposely kept them on the surface of his thoughts. We had another way to free you. Easier by far. Quicker. We would have been gone from this horrid place days ago. I liked that one very much. But it included only you and Galen, and would have kept the status quo. The Bloodroses would have continued to be passive sheep.” Valek shrugged. “If they give him the power, they’re equally at fault.”
I would have argued the point, but Valek continued. “Devlen wished to guide them. To help them help themselves. He claimed it was what you would do. He understood the risks were significantly higher and reduced the chance of success. Counting on people who have been repressed for decades isn’t a sound tactic. But he convinced everyone it was the right thing to do. Even me. Don’t tell anyone.” He pushed his sleeves up, showing me his forearms. Tiny cuts crisscrossed his skin. “I never thought I would be sick of teaching knife fighting.” He paused. “Is it a knife if it’s made of glass?”
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