Cassius felt a pain in his chest, like the wind had been kicked out of him. “I thought the Scarlet Bombings-”
“Were a pre-strike,” Theo interrupted. “Yeah, they were. They set everything in motion. The warming of the environment, the fighting. Skyships. Chosen Cities. And Ridium. Everything’s been counting down to this moment.”
Cassius winced. “So what are you going to do?”
Theo grinned. “First, I’m going to let the rest of the Authority in. Then, oh great Cassius Stevenson, I’m going to kill you.”
38
Altair’s in full freak-out mode. I’m sure of it, even though I can’t hear the sirens anymore. If the destruction in the shopping center wasn’t enough, the lurch from the disrupted generator would send everyone on edge. We’ve stabilized now, but sudden drops in altitude don’t make for a very subtle sneak attack.
Avery and I stumble back to the main corridor of the Skyship, stopping at a maintenance directory on our way. The nearest storage center is one level below us, not far. It’s a matter of blending until we get there. We can’t allow a security team to get the jump on us, not when we’re so close.
My mind flashes to Cassius. It’s not a productive thing to worry about, but I can’t help but wonder if he’s alright. Theo was a deadly opponent even before Lenbrg. I know Cassius is strong-he could take us all down if he wanted to-but is it enough?
I brush the thought aside and try to envision the mission before me. I see us breaking into the storage room. I imagine the explosions. Pearls, everywhere. Light, everywhere. So bright I have to shield my eyes. I feel the buzzing-how great it is to break one, how dangerously empowering. I try to imagine this as an assignment. School work that needs to be turned in. Goal. Objective. I bet this is how Cassius sees things all the time. If I can tap into his wavelength, I can be like him. A soldier. But it fits worse than that too-tight suit I had to wear during Visitation Day last spring. I’m not the guy that gets things done. My life’s been a series of starts, not finishes.
Avery and I crouch against the wall outside the storage center. “They’re gonna be on edge,” I say. “After what happened in the reactor, they’ll be sending teams down.”
She nods. “We’ll have to be quick. They don’t know what you can do.”
A tremor runs down my spine. “I can feel it, even through the wall. There are dozens of them, just sitting there.”
Avery grabs the pistol from my side. “Here, let me handle this.”
“You’re gonna shoot them?”
She blinks. “If there are guards.”
“It’s on stun, right?”
“Don’t worry about it,” she says. “I’ll do what’s required to protect you. I used to be a decent shot in my day.”
“But-” I stop myself. She doesn’t want to hear it. She doesn’t care how much I hate hurting people, how selfish I feel when these kinds of things happen because of me. She’s right. This became a war weeks ago. There are casualties in war, some of them innocent. There will be a whole lot more if we let the Authority invade.
The energy hums around me like a swarm of insects, tugging at my skin, trying to work its way inside. I swallow and block it out for now. It’s too scattershot, anyway-too far away to be of any use.
I take a deep breath. “Let’s go.”
We sidestep to a pair of wide doors. Avery keeps the pistol close. The foyer of the storage center will be open to the public. It’s part of the Tribunal’s effort to increase Pearl education, or at least that’s what they say. They even grant field trips to kids so they can spend a day learning how the energy is processed. God, I hope there are no kids here today.
I hear whispers immediately. They’re calling me, like old friends. A trail of invisible energy pulls me forward. I’m a fish on a hook. My fingers tense at my side, then ball into a fist. I don’t even realize I’m doing it.
An oval door spreads apart in front of us and reveals a wide, empty foyer. Avery grabs my wrist, pulling me back to her side. She knows the energy is strong. It’ll yank me forward too fast if I let it. “Easy,” she whispers.
I shake my hand and try to wash the bristling prickles from my skin.
A crescent-shaped stone desk sits at the far end of the entry room, manned by a single receptionist behind an extended computer pad. A pair of armed guards flanks her on either side some distance down the wall. They stand beside thick columns that support an arched glass ceiling. Fancy.
My feet tingle. A wave of Pearl energy pushes my legs forward in awkward steps toward the desk. Fast, until I’m almost running. Avery struggles to keep up. I push back on my heel, but instead of stopping, it catches on the ground and I’m pulled to the side. My hand moves up from my pocket to my hip, forcing out my left elbow. It’s hardly subtle.
The receptionist notices. She shifts uneasily in her seat before standing. We’re not even halfway across the room before she motions for the guards to intervene.
Avery raises her pistol. “Stop.”
Instantly, I realize how pathetic this is. The weapon might scare the receptionist, but it sure as hell isn’t going to intimidate the guards. They’re outfitted with all the latest defenses. One wrong move and they’ll blow us to bits. I’ve gotta do something.
My eyes close. When they open again, it’s like I can see right through the wall behind the receptionist. I mentally catalog my way through the Pearls in the store rooms beyond. My heart beats fast. They call to me, each one. Whisper and hum, a collection of eggs ready to hatch. It’s almost too much. I push my hands over my ears. Avery glances nervously at me.
The receptionist throws her hands in the air, head darting between the guards, expression frantic. The soldiers pull weapons from their belts, each about three times the size of Avery’s pistol. So much for taking them by force.
“There are too many,” I respond through grit teeth. My chest tightens. I land on my knees, hands pressed against the floor.
The guards step forward. “Drop the weapon,” the nearest one says. “We’ll shoot. Count of three.”
I close my eyes again. I try to push aside the noise and focus on individual Pearls. I leave my body for a second, visualizing myself grabbing hold of one in particular. I note its location and move on to another. Two at once, one in each hand. I tilt my head back and imagine them floating toward me. All the while I fight to maintain control and not get lost in the maelstrom of energy around me.
Everything snaps away. I’ve got it.
We’re connected, me and these Pearls. It’s as if the voices have suddenly gone mute. I see the Pearls rip from their bindings and float through the storage room, breaking glass and plastic and whatever else they’ve got to travel through before reaching me.
They’re coming.
“Jesse.” Avery taps her foot nervously. She can’t feel them like I do. It sucks for her, not being able to feel them. Not knowing what’s coming.
I struggle to my feet. I curl my forearm like I’m lifting an invisible switch and take a step back as the force barrels toward me.
The receptionist backs into the wall, mouth open. “Shoot!” she begs of the guards. “Can’t you shoot?”
A powerful green glow emerges from each side of us, growing brighter and bigger as the Pearls soar through the open corridors.
The Pearls gain speed and zip right at me, stopping inches from my chest. Avery presses against my back, prepared to use my body as a shield when they break.
I hold my hand flat in front of me and push on the air. The Pearls loop around and head toward the desk. They slow, like they’re rolling through syrup, before stopping completely.