I could have activated the bolt null again to see if that would get rid of them, but they didn’t seem to be doing any damage, and I wanted to examine them later. The magic was totally unfamiliar. I could feel bits of various talents in all of it like different body parts all Frankensteined together. Only that wasn’t possible. Talents didn’t meld that way. Two people with different talents could weave them together into something like a song, but this felt different, like a patchwork. I growled inwardly at myself. I couldn’t find the words to even make sense of it to myself. It was why I wanted to examine the bits later.
I extended my hand to help the last two bodyguards to their feet—Mac and Sharon, if I remembered right. Both looked dazed, and they leaned heavily against each other as they stretched their arms and legs. Mac had a bruise on his forehead. Sharon’s chin had a scrape, and dried blood clung to the corner of her mouth. Dalton looked none the worse for wear, but he was absolutely seething.
He glowered at me. “Are you all right?”
“Thanks to that heal-all you gave me,” I said, which was probably the only thank-you he was likely to get on the subject.
He didn’t crack a smile. His gaze shifted to Luke, and he slipped his gun from its holster. At least he didn’t lift it. Yet. “Who’s this?”
I repeated the introduction I’d given Leo, who’d none-too-subtly shifted to put his hand on an ore cart that remained on the rails. Luke also stood on the rails. With his metal magic, my brother could bind Luke or kill him in less than a heartbeat.
“You’ve got the rock; you should be safe enough from traps,” Luke said to me, ignoring the others. “One more thing: Percy won’t give up. He’ll be coming after you. If he finds out the fumigation didn’t take, he’s going to want to know why. Hell,
I
want to know why. And don’t think he’s the only one. Just because you’ve seen one claw of the monster doesn’t mean you’ve got a clue what the rest of it looks like.”
He stopped, his tongue pressing out against the inside of his lower lip, like he was trying to make up his mind. All of a sudden, he gave a little nod. “Wait here.”
He swung around and disappeared up one of the side passages. My companions had found their packs and their lights, as well as protein bars and bottles of water.
“What’s he up to?” Dalton said, then looked at me. His silver eyes were rimmed blue again and shined as if lit from within. It looked a little too Terminator for me. “Do you trust him?”
“Why would he help me escape and then screw me over now?”
I couldn’t tell if that reassured him or not. Luke reappeared about thirty seconds later. He was cradling a body against his chest.
I didn’t have to see her face to know it was Madison. Her long blond hair gave her away. That, and I didn’t know who else Luke would be carrying around as carefully as he was holding Madison.
“What the fuck?” Dalton said.
“Take her out of here,” Luke said to me. “That’s what I want for helping you.” Frustration, desperation, and a more complex cocktail of emotions flooded his trace. He was a volcano—all rock and ice on top, and below a molten mess.
“What did you do to her?” I asked. Madison hung in his arms like a rag doll.
“Her bracelet’s a sleep charm. She’ll wake up when you take it off her.”
Something wasn’t right. “Why aren’t you coming out with her?” I didn’t say it, but I knew he got the message—why aren’t you escaping, too, when the whole reason you breathe is leaving?
Luke’s teeth bared in a snarl. “I’ve got reasons.” He looked at my companions. “Who’s going to carry her?”
Dalton folded his arms. The members of his squad just stood like statues, like kids in science class who hadn’t done their homework and were hoping the teacher didn’t call on them. Finally Leo glanced at me and stepped forward, taking Madison. Luke looked like he’d rather cut off his arm than let her go. Instead, he stepped back.
“Tell her not to worry. I’ll take care of everything,” he said to me, and then disappeared back the way we’d come.
What the hell did that mean? I started after him, but Dalton grabbed my arm. “We’ve got to go.”
I shook away his hand. As much as I wanted to argue, he was right. I looked at Leo. “Thanks.”
He gave me a lopsided grin, then frowned. “I won’t be able to carry her far.”
“Not a problem.” I grabbed the bracelet circling her wrist. The silver and blue glass beads were strung on a stretchy cord. I pulled it off Madison’s wrist and tucked it in my pocket. Instantly, she stiffened and blinked awake. She frowned up at Leo.
“Who are you? Let go of me!” She pushed against him and kicked. Hard.
“Easy now,” Leo said, setting her on her feet, and raising his hands up in surrender. “I’m friendly.”
Madison backed away, then caught sight of me. Her brow creased in confusion. “Riley? What’s going on? Where are we?”
“The quick and dirty version is that Luke helped me escape, then charmed you to sleep and told us to take you out of the tunnels.”
Even in the gloom I could see the color drain from her face. Her eyes widened. “No! I can’t. I have to get back. How do I get back?” She twisted around, looking at the various tunnels.
“You can’t,” I said firmly. I didn’t care what Percy was holding over her head, I wasn’t leading her back, even if I could find the way. Luke said he had her covered, and I was going to trust him. Mostly because I didn’t figure I had a choice. Neither did Madison. “We’re heading to the surface. Luke said to tell you not to worry. He’d take care of things for you.”
Madison startled me by swearing a blue streak. Abruptly she stopped, her lips clamped white. She closed her eyes and drew a breath and slowly let it out. She opened her eyes again. She looked at me.
“Percy has my family. If I escape, he’ll hurt them.” Her voice broke on the word “hurt.”
“Shit,” Leo said.
He took the word right out of my mouth. “Luke seemed to think he could take care of them.” It was the most reassuring thing I could come up with. Pathetic.
“How?”
I thought of Luke’s talent for burning stone. Madison probably didn’t know about it. “He’s got more going for him than you know. Besides, he doesn’t have to hold the fort long. We’re going to get reinforcements and go back in. We’re going to put Percy out of business.”
At least, that was my plan. I didn’t know if Price and Touray were going to agree.
Chapter 10
I introduced Madison to everyone. I even remembered everybody’s names: Dalton, because I’d never forget the most irritating man on the planet—though Luke gave him some serious competition—Maggie, Bret, Sharon, and Mac. Lastly, I introduced Leo.
Madison eyed Dalton warily, no doubt disturbed by his eyes, though I suppose it could have been the cold brutality of his expression. On the other hand, After Luke, Dalton wasn’t a whole lot worse. She nodded to the others. Her gaze lingered on Leo. I wasn’t surprised. My stepbrother was serious eye candy. The startling thing was that he seemed to be blushing. Or maybe it was the way the shadows fell on his face. Finally, she looked back at me.
“I have go back,” she said.
“Not now,” I said. “Not without help.”
She considered that, turning it in her mind like a jeweler examining a diamond. Once again she surprised me. She looked so young and seemed so sheltered. Then again, she’d been dealing with Percy for who knows how long. As young and innocent as she looked on the outside, she had a core of iron.
“How long is it going to take to get help?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. The faster we get moving, the faster we find out.”
“This help of yours is strong enough to handle my uncle?”
“Uncle?” I repeated.
She hunched her shoulders. “Not by blood. He’s my mom’s sister’s first husband.”
“This is all very interesting, but we should get moving before we get caught,” Dalton said. Grooves cut deeply into his face. The flashlight shine of his eyes had begun to dim, but he still radiated anger and menace.
“Everybody ready?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I’ll take point with Sharon and look for booby traps. The rest of you stay twenty feet behind. Mac, you lead them, Bret and Maggie, bring up the rear. No straggling.” He glared meaningfully at me, Leo, and Madison, then started across the cavern to the tunnel opening that they’d probably entered from.
“Stop!” I yelled, just before he stalked into one of the still-intact magic blankets. He ought to have been more careful than that, given his paranoid nature. He was off his game. But then, he’d been unconscious and bound in magic for who knows how long. Plus, he’d let me get kidnapped, and I’d escaped, and rescued him. That had to be humbling. At least it ought to be. I grinned at that thought. I’d be reminding him of it, regularly and often.
At my shout, Dalton froze in place. He twisted his head to look at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Back up three steps.”
To his credit, he obeyed without question, setting each foot carefully.
“There are magic blankets hanging from the roof,” I said. “You guys got wrapped up in four of them, so this area down here is safe enough. There are five others. I’ll have to guide you out.”
The placement of the blankets seemed haphazard, but looking now, I realized they’d been hung with an eye toward getting people all the way inside the cavern before the trap sprung, increasing the odds that no one would escape. Impressive, in a pathologically insane villain-of-the-week sort of way.
I guided everyone out, one at a time, leaving Dalton until last. As I led him out, I glanced back. I hoped Luke would be all right. I hoped he really could protect Madison’s family until we could bring the cavalry.
I snorted to myself. Some cavalry: Gregg Touray, Tyet kingpin, whom I feared more than just about anyone else on the planet. Still, as monsters went, as far as I knew, he wasn’t as bad as Percy.
Of course, that all depending on convincing him to help me. I was fairly certain the SD production would be enough to get him motivated. He claimed to want to shut it down. I hoped that when Touray found out that Sparkle Dust was actually made from people, he’d be as horrified as I was. On the other hand, trusting him with this information was a definite risk. There was no doubt SD was hugely profitable, and no doubt that Touray’s business had come under siege by other Tyet factions. Maybe he’d want to take over operations for the income potential. At the very least, he’d want something in exchange for his help, and I already knew what his price tag was. He’d better not expect me to come wrapped in a red bow.
I sighed. I’d worry about handling Touray after I survived the battle with Percy.
If
I survived the one with Percy.
As for Price—whatever we had together just got
more
complicated.
I smiled. He would come help me, if only to hopefully save some lives and make sure Percy didn’t come after me again. I bit my lips, suddenly longing to feel his arms around me, his chest warm and solid under my cheek. As much as I worried about the Tyet end of things in our relationship, there was no arguing that being with him made me feel safe and loved and just
happy
. Even when we were getting chased and shot at. I sighed. Clearly, I needed to be in a mental hospital.
Once I got Dalton to the cavern entrance, I pulled the white quartz stone out of my pocket and held it up. “Luke gave me this. It will show where the traps are and how to get back to the surface.”
Dalton thrust his hand out to take it. I pulled away, unwilling to hand it over. Not only would the stone get us out, it would get us back in. I didn’t trust him to return it when we escaped.
“I’ll lead,” I said.
He scowled at me, but for once, didn’t argue. Instead, he motioned Sharon to hang back with the others. Leo made no effort to fall back, standing firm beside me. Madison hovered close behind.
“It’s suicidal to stick too close together,” Dalton said slowly, explaining himself as if to a group of particularly stupid children. “If we trip a booby trap, if you’re hanging back, then at least you might survive and get out.”
“It’s a good point,” Leo said. “But I’ll take my chances.”
“Me, too,” Madison said, edging closer to Leo.
Once again she impressed me. She’d decided to play the cards she had instead of whining about Luke betraying her or freaking out about her family—which I’m pretty sure I would have done. No wonder the oversized gorilla had a thing for her. I was half in love with her myself. Of course, when she got him in her sights again, she was going to rip him a new one at the very least. I was hoping for a ringside seat.
Getting out wasn’t as straightforward as it might seem, even with our quartz disco rock. More than one passage led to the surface. It lit white over and over. Since I didn’t want to blunder into any Tyet operations, or worse, give the impression we were trying to move in on someone’s diamond claim, we had to go carefully. The passages were peppered with ordinary traps we had to find without the help of the stone. Between Leo’s metal skills and Dalton’s—whatever was up with his eyes—we got past those with relative ease. I was doing my best not to have a panic attack, especially when the tunnel turned into a pipe and I had to crawl through on my stomach.
I closed my eyes and wriggled through, pulling myself with my elbows and shoving with my toes. My head clouded, and all I knew was I needed to get out. I couldn’t breathe. I hunched upward and crashed into stone. My head reeled, and blood trickled warmly down my forehead and onto my nose. I wiped it away with a fist and forced myself to keep going, tears of pain dripping onto the ground.
It was a twenty-foot crawl, give or take. On the other side, I flung myself to my feet and bent, leaning on my knees as I panted, trying to get my breathing under control.
“Fuck, Riley, what did you do?” Leo said as he caught sight of the blood. He dug in his pack and came out with a tube of disinfectant wipes. I almost laughed. Who packed one of those? Apparently, my brother. He wiped my face with one, and then pressed another against the wound to stop the bleeding.
I put my hand over his. “I’ve got it. Thanks.” I sounded like I’d chain-smoked a carton of cigarettes, then drank a fifth of bourbon.
“What’s wrong?” Madison asked as she came through behind me.
“Banged head.”
“Claustrophobia.”
Leo and Dalton spoke at the same time. I glared at the latter. He didn’t need to sound so condescending about my fear. I bet he had a skeleton in his closet somewhere. Probably more in his pantry, laundry room, spare bathroom, and garage. Likely real actual skeletons, but somewhere in there was probably an embarrassing quirk of some kind, even if it was only toe fungus or an troubling inability to hit the toilet when he peed. A girl could hope.
“Are you okay?” Madison put a hand on my shoulder. “God, this whole thing has been hell for you, hasn’t it? You must’ve been going crazy in that cell.”
I straightened and gave her a crooked smile. “Yeah, well. I’m out now, right?”
She shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
“He’s my uncle.”
“He’s a giant jackass and it’s not like you gave him lessons in how to be Josef Mengele.”
She frowned and looked away without answering. I wanted to kick myself. Sure, remind her how awful Percy was when her family was at his mercy.
“We’ll get your family out,” I said softly, gripping her hand.
She didn’t reply, but her fingers tightened on mine for a moment before she let go.
The other members of the team came through the pipe, and we set off again. My whole body was shaking. I don’t know if it was the fear or exhaustion, the effect of dealing with the magical blankets, or flat-out hunger. Probably all of the above.
I started off again without a word. Dalton swore and trotted to catch up with me. He grabbed my shoulder and shoved past me. I let him. If he wanted to get blown up first, no skin off my nose. Right now, the quartz rock was glowing white. No signs of imminent danger.
Before too long, we came to a spot where water ran out of a crack up at the top of a wall. It washed to the floor and turned into a little creek. My heart lifted. We were getting closer to the outside. Maybe hope was getting the best of me, but I was certain this was surface water leaking down into the cave system. That meant the surface had to be close. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Please, please, please, let us get out soon!
We marched onward. I got antsy enough to step on Dalton’s heels a couple of times. Finally, he swung around and pushed me back.
“Back off,” he growled.
I met his silvery gaze. Words spilled out before I had a chance to consider them. “What do your eyes do?”
He gave me an “are you for real?” look, then shook his head. “They see. Eyes do that, don’t you know.”
With that, he swung back around and stalked off. Okay, it might have been a rude question, but what did he expect? Inquiring minds wanted to know, and he wasn’t exactly Mr. Manners. I sighed. I really needed sleep and food. And air. I could use a whole lot more air.
The stream followed us down a steep passage that reminded me a little bit of a log ride without the logs. Grooves and holes in the floor revealed that it had once had an ore cart line running down it, which had no doubt been in use before it became a creek bed. I kept stepping into the water where it had pooled behind little rock debris dams. It was cold. Pretty soon my feet were numb, matching the little ice patches made by the clinging bits of magic. I was a patchwork quilt of cold.
We reached the bottom of the passage. Four other tunnels led away, all of them offering the white light of the surface. Trace led through all of them, though trace said that two of them had a lot more traffic. That was both potentially promising and equally dangerous, depending on their destinations. I glanced at Leo.
“Can you tell anything?”
He ran his fingers along the wall, searching for a vein of metal. He paused and closed his eyes. I felt the pulse of his magic as he sent his awareness out through the rock. After a minute, he opened his eyes. “The second from the right. Shouldn’t be far.”
It was all I could do not to sprint. I gripped my hands together and forced myself to keep to the slower pace. I swear Dalton had slowed down just to torture me.
I caught the first hints of pine and fresh air. I tried to squelch my moan, but didn’t succeed even a little. Leo put his arm around my waist and squeezed, then took my hand. I clutched it hard enough to break bones. He didn’t pull away.
Light that wasn’t from our headlamps filtered through the darkness. I swallowed, my heart pounding.
“Easy now,” Leo said as the passage narrowed.
I splashed through water. The slope of the floor had eased and the creek had widened, spreading to the wall on this side. Leo swore and took the forgotten quartz from my other hand. It had turned ruby red. That meant a trap nearby. I said so.
“Dalton, hold up.”
I didn’t pay much attention to what they did at that point. My body had gone taut as a guitar string, and I vibrated with the need to get out. I forced myself to stay still, even as I leaned forward against the wall, inhaling the scents of the outside. Finally, Leo grabbed my hand again.
“It’s safe. Come on.”
He led me across the little creek to the other side of the passage, where a narrow bit of path was still above water, then let go of me and pushed me forward. Madison waited to take my hand. Leo and Dalton made sure the others made it past, and then we went another twenty steps and turned a corner to freedom.
The exit was no bigger than the entrance we’d used to get in, and the stream ran straight through the middle of it. An ice dam had formed just outside, backing the water up inside the cave until it created a pool that was more than waist-deep. Water ran over the top of the dam and tumbled down the mountainside. It sounded like there was a steep drop waiting for us. I didn’t care. I was ready to plow through the water and take my chances.
“What now?” Madison asked. “I’m not a fan of a February swim.”
“Maybe we can get a signal.” Leo took out his phone, as did Dalton. Neither had any success.