Chapter 30
I wasn’t sure who was more relieved—me that I wasn’t going to die, or Pluck that he wouldn’t be responsible for it.
Our twined emotions buoyed us both as the crane lifted me past the jagged edges of the vault, over the broken room of the lung, and into the night sky.
It was dark, but enough dross and moonlight lit the area that I could see the extent of the damage that Pluck and I had wrought.
And I wouldn’t take credit for this alone. We had done it together.
The lung was completely destroyed, lying open on the sand like a storm-racked flower.
Chunks of glass-encrusted metal had flown a surprising distance, landing upright in the desert to look like art installations glittering in the moonlight.
Lights played over the trucks and camo-decked tents, and I spotted a news van about half a mile down the road.
You okay? I asked Pluck when the crane swung us under another heavy spotlight and toward the earth. His mood might be good, but his thoughts were troubled. We’d escaped, but doing so had told Thoth we were not helpless—or rather, I was not helpless. It would be harder to pin him down.
I’m fine, he simmered, buzzing with quiet vengeful thoughts.
My stomach hurt when my feet touched the parking lot pavement and three people rushed forward to help me unbuckle—only to hesitate when Pluck hazed to stand at my feet, re-forming as a smooth-skinned hound from hell.
Head shaking, he made his ears slap in a subtle warning for them to keep their distance.
“It’s okay. I’ve got it,” I said, my head going down to free the last buckle, and the harness hit the pavement.
“Hey, is there a bathroom nearby I can use?” My makeshift latrine had left much to be desired, and I’d been avoiding the worst.
“Holy shit, girl!” Lev shouted, and my head snapped up to see him striding forward in his militia fatigues. That is, until Pluck flicked an ear and a glob of dark matter splatted inches from his foot.
Rifles clicked from the darkness, and Lev’s smile faltered.
“Seriously? Stand down,” he said, his pace never shifting, but I couldn’t see anyone past the circle of light, and it was unnerving.
“Good God,” the man complained as he came closer and gave me a whack on my shoulder.
“You really want to shoot her? After we spent the last twenty-four hours trying to get her out? Someone inform Master Ranger Nodal. I’ll escort her up. ”
Up? Up where? I wondered, then stiffened when Lev leaned in, his gaze worried.
“You were down there an entire day,” he whispered as he drew me into the dark.
“Thank God you blew the roof.” He glanced at Pluck padding along beside me, his head in line with my hip.
“They were arguing over how to get to you without cracking the vault. Some fool welded the valve shut and coated it with glass. What took you so long? I had to bring Nodal in on this.”
“Sorry?” I said, relieved when we left the circle of bright light and I could see again. “Where are Marty and Aasta?”
“Safe.” He hardly breathed the words as his hand touched my elbow. “Still at the grotto. That shadow Aasta wouldn’t let me take them anywhere else.”
“Benedict and Herm?”
He winced, his grip on me falling away. “Ah, safe. Everyone is safe.”
Safe, he said, but I wasn’t sure his definition and mine were the same.
Pluck’s dog shift was turning everyone’s head, and whispers were growing in our wake.
It was obvious that they knew he was a shadow, and I draped a hand into his presence, remembering the feel of Pluck’s weave through the dark matter I had pulled into existence.
It was far more energy than I’d ever seen either of us handle on our own, and more malleable than anything I’d pulled from a Spinner lodestone.
Shadow magic on steroids. I’d only meant to break the lock, and I had blown a huge hole clear through six inches of glass and a thick plate of steel.
Not to mention demolished the building above.
Pluck? I questioned as Lev guided me through the trucks and past what looked like a mess tent.
It was unprecedented, but fulfilling, Pluck thought as he padded beside me. I suggest we downplay how we worked together lest Nodal become too interested. As far as he knows, you’re unable to create a field since Thoth attacked you in Cameron’s mind. Let’s keep it that way.
I am unable to create a field, I thought, wondering why Lev was staring at a Jeep in question.
I disagree, Pluck insisted.
“Hey, ah, you got any food and water here, or is it all guns and trucks?” I said, and Lev took his gaze off the vehicle.
“Yeah, we got water. Seriously, how the hell did you get out of there? It was supposed to be empty.” He leaned to look past me at Pluck. “Was there dross down there? Enough for Pluck to blow the vault?”
Pluck closed one green eye in a slow wink, a warning fizz bubbling through me. Give me the credit. Thoth will be easier to catch if he doesn’t know you can do magic.
Crap, he was right. Not only about Thoth, but I’d done magic. Sort of. Pluck had been a big factor in it. “Ah, yeah. Pluck figured it out.”
“Good job, Pluck.” Lev pointed to an aggressive-looking RV painted a flat tan.
Mobile command, probably. “But between you and Thoth, Nodal is more set than ever on recruiting shadows to work in the militia. He’s especially impressed with Thoth and is sure you can not only bring him in but bring him to heel. ”
Most military leaders are impressed with the psychotic, fizzed through me, and I snorted.
Lev waited a moment, then, “What did he say?”
I sidestepped a dross drift, missing my stick. “That Thoth is psychotic. Speaking of psychotic, where’s Dana?”
“Dana?” Lev questioned, and then his eyes widened. “Oh. Ah. Yeah. Benedict said Thoth was possessing her, but no one believed him because…you know.” He shrugged.
“Damn right he’s possessing her,” I said. “It’s Thoth’s special gift. So, Benedict and Herm are safe, you say? Where is safe?”
“Safe.” Head cocked, Lev scuffed to a halt just outside the military-looking RV, and the woman stationed there went in to let Nodal know we were here.
“Ben also said that Thoth used Dana’s airologist skills to devastating effect.
That’s unfortunate. It will be harder to convince everyone Thoth is responsible if he can borrow the skills of those he’s possessing. ”
Not to mention make it harder to capture him, Pluck thought, his worry for Benedict and Herm twining through mine.
“Lev, where’s Benedict? Is he here?” I asked again, and Lev shook his head.
“He’s fine,” the man said, but he wouldn’t look me in the eye, and I had my doubts. “Nodal has the latest intel.”
Nodal’s aide was still inside, and I cocked my hip, my urge to find the bathroom suddenly less important than getting a straight answer.
The militia had only been here for a day at the most, and dross was already drifting about, snagging on the cacti planted in the medians.
“Lev? Where,” I said firmly, “are Benedict and Herm?”
Lev turned his back on the military RV. “Your sticks are at the grotto,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. Dana still has your lodestone.”
“Where is Benedict?” I barked, and he leaned in, eyes narrowed in annoyance.
Lev ran a hand over his chin. He glanced cautiously at Pluck, but the shadow dog had sat back on his haunches, his sort-of-there tongue lolling.
Clearly, Pluck was content to let me handle it.
“I’m trying to help you,” Lev finally said.
“Look at it from Nodal’s point of view. Pluck busted you out of a facility we have been trying to break into for twelve hours. You destroyed the vault, Petra.”
“You’d rather I suffocated?” I muttered. “This wouldn’t have happened if the shadow release valves had been installed like the university promised.”
“In a vault that no one was using? Listen to me. You are in deep shit. Let me hand you a shovel. While you were down there, Thoth turned the university against you.”
My anger vanished and Pluck’s ears became sharp. “Is Benedict okay? Herm? What about Cameron?”
“Cameron is fine. Probably,” he added, and my worry returned. “I haven’t heard from her since Benedict and Herm were arrested. I’m pretty sure Ryan went underground with her and some of the sweepers.” Lev’s attention went to the RV’s narrow door when the woman came back out.
“What were the charges?” I said, but Lev wasn’t listening.
“Master Ranger Nodal will see Petra Grady and the, ah, shadow now,” Nodal’s aide said, clearly nervous as she inched away from the door so we wouldn’t have to get close to her.
“Please, Petra,” Lev said. “Be nice. I went out on a limb for you. Listen to him. Find out what he wants. Play your cards right, and you might get another lodestone.”
Pluck got to his feet and stretched, pretending to be a friendly, happy dog. It never hurts to listen.
It was a true enough thought, but I doubted that Nodal would let us walk out of here if I didn’t like what he said, much less give me a piece of moldavite. Still, Pluck was waiting, ears pricked in anticipation. “Fine,” I muttered. “I’ll listen.”
“Thank you.” Lev flashed me a nervous smile. “Can you maybe put a ‘sir’ in there? You could use his help and he’s got resources.”
Pluck padded forward, tail waving. Resources given can be taken away. Power earned through knowledge cannot.
Nodal’s aide stiffened as Lev passed her and went in. “Master Ranger, sir? I have Petra Grady and Pluck,” came his voice, and I rocked forward.
The steps were taller than I had expected, and I used the handrail to almost pull myself in, coming to a quick halt to keep from running into the two other men standing before the desk bolted to the floor.
It was a modified RV, and I shuddered when Pluck flowed around and between my legs before re-forming as a slightly smaller dog at my side.