Crushed (City of Eldrich Book 2) (26 page)

CHAPTER FIFTY

W
ith her last
shred of conscious awareness, Meaghan heard a sizzling sound and felt Marnie roll off her. Small hands touched her face, then shook her.

“Meg, Meaghan. Come on, come back.”

Meaghan’s head felt like it was about to explode. Swallowing was even worse. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes.

Owen was leaning over here. “There you are. C’mon. On your feet. Natalie can’t keep the misdirection spell going much longer. They’ll figure it out in a second.”

With his help, Meaghan sat up and then made it to her feet. She almost fell, but Owen propped her up. She leaned her elbow on his head.

“This one time you get to use me as an armrest, Meg. Move.” He tugged at her.

“Where were you?” she rasped.

“Hiding in plain sight.” He smiled. “Where did you think I’d be?”

“Did you hex her?”

Owen shook his head. “Nope. Used a Taser.
Move.
”

Meaghan heard Cooper shouting. “Uh oh,” she said. “He sees you.”

“He sees
you
, messing up the magic again.”

Hands reached out of the doorway and pulled her forward.

Annie and Brian wrapped their arms around her and carried her through the file room into the copy room, then out into the hall.

Meaghan looked at Brian. “You were on the roof,” she said, her voice small and squeaky. “Nice shootin’, Tex.”

Brian grinned. “Saved your ass.”

“You sure did. Thanks.” Meaghan took a few deep breaths. “Oh God, my head hurts.” She thought about it a moment as she took another deep breath. “More than everything else.” She looked down at Owen. “I’m too old for this shit.”

“So you keep saying. Come on. We have to get you out of here.”

Meaghan’s head cleared more with each breath. “No. I can’t leave them back there. Natalie’s the only one still fighting. We can’t leave her on her own.”

Annie grabbed Meaghan’s hand. “She’s not alone. There are about twenty witches right under her feet in Tony’s office backing her up. The bad guys are outnumbered. Your job is to pull back and set up a second front out here.”

“But those things . . .”

“Break it into smaller problems,” Annie said, smiling. “Right? Sweet memory, by the way. I tried not to peek, but you took me along for the ride.”

The doorway from the attic to the file room exploded.

“Oh, shit,” Brian said. “Time to move.”

Meaghan looked around. Where Jamie’s office used to be, the hallway opened to empty sky. A similar view greeted her from her office, but part of the circular room was still there, like a pie with big slice cut from it.

“Front office,” she said.

They clambered over the wreckage and debris that filled the hallway to the front area. With the return of the natural light, Meaghan could see the full extent of the damage. The plaster ceiling was gone, leaving a grid of pipes, wires, and exposed iron girders. Puddles of water on the floor confirmed what her feet had told her earlier. The fire sprinklers had gone off.

“Nobody move,” Meaghan said. Now that she could see the standing water on the floor, she realized the risk. “There aren’t enough outlets out here so we use a lot of extension cords, which might be live.”

Brian shook his head. “Power’s off.”

“How do you know?”

“I shut it off, then monkey-wrenched the backup generator and the transformer box outside so nobody can turn it back on.” He smiled. “That’s where I ran into Annie. And how she ended up on the roof telling me which wizards were bad and which were possessed kids.”

“Sid,” Meaghan said. “Annie, is Sid with you?”

Annie shook her head. “No. He’s not with you?”

Meaghan shook her head. “He slipped away the same time you did. Did he come in with the witches?”

“I didn’t see him.” Annie took a close look at Meaghan. “Don’t worry. Sid’s tough.”

Meaghan nodded. She’d spent much of the last twenty-four hours angry with him, but right now she’d give anything to see his little blue face. “Where are Russ and Emily?”

“None of the witches trust Emily,” Annie said. “She’s outside with Russ handing out juice boxes and Chex-Mix from the stash he found in that ghastly pink truck parked in the lobby. All those Order kids were adamant that they had to have a juice box and a snack or the golden lady would get mad.”

In spite of everything, Meaghan managed a small laugh. “Patrice. Long story.” She looked down at Owen. “You’re the only magical operator here. What’s the plan?”

“Get you out of the attic,” he said. “We didn’t really think much past that. We figured you’d tell us.”

“Of course you did. Because I was doing such a good job.” She sighed. Every inch of her body hurt. Marnie had really kicked her ass.

Marnie. They still had to get Marnie and Jamie away from Cooper. “Marnie’s in bad shape, the Power has her, and they’re going to kill her first and then activate the sigils on Jamie to let whatever those things are into our world. They scare Cooper’s pet witch, and she’s pretty powerful in her own right, so I think it’s safe to say we don’t want them getting loose.”

“Natalie and the coven will hang onto Marnie for now,” Annie said. “The Taser broke that thing’s concentration enough for Natalie to get a foot in the door. Plus, whatever they did to Marnie broke the love spell. I can’t feel it anymore.” She shrugged. “At least not that love spell.”

“There’s more than one?” Brian asked.

“Yes,” Meaghan, Annie, and Owen said at the same moment.

“What is it with him?” Brian shook his head. “They do know he’s gay right?”

“No time to worry about it now,” Owen said. “Meg, what do we do?”

Meaghan stood silent. This felt wrong. Standing in the front office was not where she belonged. Patrice had told Meaghan she had a role to play before the end, and she’d know what to do when the time came.

She had to get back in there.

“I’m not leaving them,” Meaghan said. “If those things get through, we won’t need a second front.”

“But,” Annie said, “the witches—”

“Are better equipped than I am to fight these things if they get through,” Meaghan answered.

“What the hell are you gonna do in there?” Owen glared up at her. “Besides get killed?”

“If we don’t keep Cooper from getting this door of his open, we’re all dead anyway. Let me think a second.”

She’d been hearing it all day. How being able to see things the way they really were gave her power. How she had the gift of plain sight. How she could see these things’ true faces.

Meaghan began to laugh. She looked down at Owen. “You were the first to say it.”

“What?”

“When you told me about the fair folk and why they hated Matthew so much—he could see their true faces. Eliot said the same thing. He said I’m the only one whose head they can’t screw with. Cooper said they were magic itself and that’s why everyone was afraid of them.”

Owen stared at her a moment. “And magic doesn’t work on you.”

“Bingo. Why do the fair folk hate showing their true faces? Because they aren’t very imposing. If people could see them as they really are, if they could see through the trick, then the trick wouldn’t work anymore, right?”

Owen nodded. “Go on.”

“So, what if these things are like that, too? They use magic to make themselves appear terrifying. What if they aren’t? How would we know unless we could see them as they really are?”

“And you’re the only one who can do that.”

“Exactly. If we don’t stop them here, it won’t matter whether I know what they really look like because we’ll all be dead anyway. But even if we do stop them this time, they’re going to keep trying. Think of the advantage we’d have if I knew what we were really dealing with.”

“But they’ll kill you,” Annie said, her eyes shiny with tears.

“Maybe. But they can’t do it with magic. And if they’re like the rest of these jerks, they won’t believe it at first. Which gives me an advantage. Every magical bad actor I’ve encountered has tried to take a shot at me because they’re all egotistical enough to believe the rules don’t apply to them.”

Owen was nodding.

“But they can still kill you,” Annie said, looking panicked. “Marnie was doing a pretty good job before Owen saved you.”

Meaghan nodded. “Yeah, she was. But she wasn’t doing it with magic. And Owen got her off me with a Taser. A human-engineered, completely non-magical weapon.”

Annie glared at Owen. “You can’t possibly believe this is a good idea.”

Owen shrugged.

“Maybe I can hurt them,” Meaghan said. “Maybe without magic, they’re as fragile as any of us.”

“Aren’t you scared?” Annie was crying now.

“Terrified,” Meaghan said. “It doesn’t matter. I have to do this.”

Owen gave her a hard, appraising look. “And you know about the prophecy.”

Meaghan nodded. “Yeah. I do. And I still don’t believe in it.”

Owen grinned. “Of course you don’t. Where do you want us to be?”

“You won’t be smiling in a minute. I want you in there with me.”

“I kind of figured. To do what?”

“Sneak people out, interfere, whatever you can do to keep Cooper and the witch off balance.”

Owen nodded. “I can do that.”

“And us?” Brian put a comforting arm around Annie’s shoulder.

“Downstairs with the witches.”

Brian sighed. “Yeah, I kind of figured, too. They won’t be happy.”

“Too bad,” Meaghan said. “I’m in charge. And you can tell them I said that.”

Annie sobbed.

Meaghan hugged her. “Don’t wuss out on me, lady. We’ve been kicking ass together since this thing started. We need to finish strong.”

Annie nodded, wiping her eyes with a grubby hand. “That’s what Welland says. He says Cooper is evil to the core, but vain and petty.”

“You found him. What else does he say?”

“He says the witch is Cooper’s weak spot.” Annie pulled away. “And if you don’t make it, he and the other ghosts will be honored to have you join them.”

Meaghan shook her head. “Tell them thanks, but not today.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

M
eaghan smiled and
waved as Annie and Brian headed downstairs. When they were out of sight, she sagged against the remains of Natalie’s desk.

“The whole second front thing is a load of crap, isn’t it?” she asked Owen.

He nodded. “Yeah. If we don’t stop these things here, we’re done.”

“I’m tired,” Meaghan said. “And out of ideas.”

“Then make up some shit,” a voice said from behind her. “Like you did last time.”

Meaghan, her heart pounding, spun around.

Sid stood in the remains of the doorway. He smiled at them. “What? You think I’d miss the big finale? I’m way too much of a diva for that.” He gave Owen an appraising look. “You know, you are awfully cute despite your many sins. Which, if we survive, you will be disclosing to Meaghan.” Now he looked at her. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough to tell you everything. It doesn’t matter what I promised Matthew. He’s gone and you’re the one who has to do the job.”

“Where the hell did you come from?” Meaghan finally managed to squeak.

“Emergency stairs.”

Owen shook his head. “No, you didn’t. I was the last one up those stairs. They were collapsing as I climbed.”

Sid rolled his eyes. “No.” He pointed across the landing. “The emergency stairs.”

Meaghan shook her head blankly.

“On the other side of the building? Don’t you people ever do fire drills? There’s a big red exit sign—” He craned his head to look. “Well, there would be one if the lights were on.”

“I don’t care how you got in,” Meaghan said. “I’m just happy you’re here. Come on. We have to go back into the lion’s den.”

Sid nodded. “Yeah. I thought as much. Any ideas on what we’re going to do?”

Meaghan smiled. “Get our people back. Kick everybody’s ass.”

Sid smiled back. “It worked last time. Maybe lightning will strike twice.” He smirked at Owen. “And if we fail, I won’t have to be the shortest one to die.”

Owen rolled his eyes. “
Troon
.”

“Do I have to separate the two of you?” Meaghan asked. “Come on. Bad guys, ultimate evil, end of the world.” She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “This way.”

They climbed back over the wreckage in the hallway to the file room.

“You got any weapons?” Sid asked, his voice an octave higher than it had been in the front office.

Owen held his Taser out to Meaghan. “Take it.”

She shook her head. “You can do more damage with it. They won’t see you coming. Or Sid. Hide him with you.”

“But—”

She held up her index finger. “Not one word, Sid. I’m in charge. Do what I say. That Taser’s not impervious, and I don’t want them to know we have it until they’re flopping around like electrocuted fish.”

Meaghan looked around the remains of the file room. “I need something made out of steel. Something heavy, but small enough to handle.”

“Like your saucepan,” Sid said morosely.

Meaghan shifted a pile of sodden paper aside and smiled. “Or this.”

On the floor sat the large stapler Kady referred to as the Mangler. It was the one they used for court filings, the budget, and other huge documents. Anything less than about forty pages and the thing jammed, leaving no choice but to pry the offending pages loose with a screw driver. The Mangler had inspired some truly creative swearing from both Kady and Natalie in the short time Meaghan had worked with them.

Meaghan examined it. The Mangler had a lever handle that she could easily grip. It was heavy, but not so heavy that she couldn’t swing it or throw it if she had to. But was it made out of steel?

She grabbed the handle and pulled it from the debris. She flipped it over. There was some printing on the bottom, but too tiny for Meaghan to see clearly. “Can either of you read this? Does it say anything about steel construction?”

Owen and Sid leaned in from either side.

“No,” Sid said.

“Let me try something.” Owen took the stapler from Meaghan, closed his eyes, and stood there. Nothing happened.

Sid gasped. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?” Meaghan asked. “He’s just standing there.”

“No, he isn’t. I see a stapler, floating in the air.”

Meaghan grinned. “Sweet. That means it’s steel right? It’s impervious?”

Owen opened his eyes. “Yeah, like you. You really could see me?”

“Plain as day.”

“Damn.” He thought about it a moment. “Because the spell doesn’t actually change me. It changes your perception of me.” He nodded. “Which is why it doesn’t work on you.”

Meaghan took the stapler from him. “See? Even you don’t quite believe your magic won’t affect me, and you know better.”

“What are you going to do with that thing?” Sid asked.

“Probably not stapling, but you never know. I’ll probably chuck it at somebody. And miss. It’s been that kind of day. But at least I don’t feel so helpless.”

She smiled down at her companions. “Gentlemen, shall we?”

They stepped into the attic.

Meaghan surveyed the room.

Natalie still stood, her eyes shut, concentrating. Meaghan could see her lips moving as she muttered incantations.

Patrice, next to her, was on all fours, head down. The golden light had shrunk again to a small circle, but Meaghan feared it wasn’t a trick this time. Patrice was fighting against the power being thrown at her and losing.

Marnie now kneeled in front of Cooper, eyes shut, an ecstatic look on her face, as he waved his hands in an intricate pattern over her. Jamie lay in a heap nearby, convulsing.

Jhoro, no longer faking, curled in a ball in the center of the floor. He gasped in pain as Orinda flicked spells at him. With each moan, she laughed. Her face was flushed, her eyes bright with malice.

A hand grasped Meaghan’s ankle. Her heart lurched as she looked down.

John, his face bloody, looked up at her. He reached for her wrist and pulled her down on the floor before Cooper or Orinda noticed her. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving you,” Meaghan said, pulling him into a rough hug.

He winced.

She let go. “What did they do?”

“Threw me around a little,” he rasped. “Broke a rib, I think. What do we do now?”

Meaghan looked for Sid and Owen. They were creeping toward Jhoro. Patrice had said something about thinning out parts of the floor to reinforce others. If they weren’t careful, they’d go right through.

She glanced over at Patrice and Natalie. “What’s happening to Patrice?”

I’m working on the floor.
Patrice’s voice sounded clear in Meaghan’s mind.
Let’s get Jhoro out of here first. He can help from downstairs. I’m not as helpless as I
look.

Meaghan nodded, relieved to find out she’d been wrong.

“I don’t know,” John said. “She’s been kneeling like that since you left.”

Orinda threw another spell at Jhoro. He cried out and tried to crawl away.

“Oh, no you don’t, pet,” Orinda said, a leer on her face. “You’ll never get away from me.”

Jhoro looked up at her and gave her a bloody grin. He rolled to his left. Something cracked and Jhoro fell through the floor, leaving a cloud of plaster dust behind him.

Orinda shrieked with rage. “Bring him back!”

“No, you snotty bitch,” shouted Natalie. “You want him? Go get him.”

Orinda’s eyes widened, and she stepped next to Cooper. “Did you hear that? Are you going to let her call me that?”

“I’m busy,” Cooper hissed through gritted teeth. “In case you haven’t noticed.”

She pouted. “What am I supposed to do now?”

He grunted, “Light the witch. I’ll get the other one.”

Orinda smirked. “That’s even more fun.” She waved her hands and fashioned a ball of flame similar to what the wizards had conjured earlier. “Has she been—” she giggled, “anointed?”

“Not yet,” Marnie said. She picked up a dusty jar filled with clear liquid.

It was a Mason jar. More of the Miller’s moonshine.

She opened the jar and took a swallow, then poured the rest over her head.

Orinda looked positively gleeful. “Now?”

“Now,” Cooper said, smiling too.

“Fire extinguisher,” Meaghan shouted, panicked. “Where is it?”

John pulled it from a dark corner.

Orinda flicked the ball of fire at Marnie.

Meaghan grabbed the fire extinguisher and ran, John right behind her, hoping like hell that the floor wouldn’t collapse beneath them.

There was a flash and a scream.

Meaghan pulled the pin on the extinguisher and sprayed Marnie.

Patrice shrieked, there was a flash of golden light, and a dark cloud erupted from Marnie and flew toward Orinda.

John tackled Marnie, wrapped his arms around her and rolled away from Cooper. The suddenly unreinforced floor gave way and he and Marnie were gone.

Orinda dropped to her knees screaming, and then abruptly stopped. She looked up at Meaghan, her eyes glowing orange. In a deep hoarse voice, she cried, “Last time, bitch. Last time you fuck with me.”

Meaghan hurled the spent fire extinguisher at Orinda. The witch snarled, waved a hand, and the canister crumpled.

The Power had found a new host.