Fallen

chapter 10

Starbreeze took me in a soaring dive down through the summer night and towards the darkened countryside below. I had one glimpse of the lights from Onyx’s mansion, then they were obscured by the trees and Starbreeze set me down next to Variam, Luna, and Kyle. Vari had called up a small flame, and its light illuminated their faces in flickering orange. Starbreeze turned me back to flesh and blood, then saw the flame and forgot all about me, leaning in to stare in fascination.

Kyle looked up at the sky, then back at Starbreeze. “There’s something you don’t see every day.”

“What’s the count?” I asked Vari.

“Three out, four in,” Variam said. “Assuming there hasn’t been any gating, we’re looking at twenty to twenty-five combatants.”

“And six noncombatants who are Onyx and Pyre’s slaves,” Kyle said sharply. “Make sure you don’t do that Keeper thing where you shoot anything that moves, all right?”

“We don’t want any shooting at all until we’ve reached the storeroom,” I said. “If we meet any single targets, we’ll try to subdue them quietly. Kyle, you said you had some sedatives in your box of tricks, so keep them handy. You’ll be on point with me. Vari, you’re the heavy artillery. Once the alarm’s raised, we’ll be depending on you for cover fire. Luna, you’re our way in with that cube, and you can do the most while staying subtle. If Kyle and I run into trouble, do what you can.” I looked around. “Any questions?”

“How long until the Council crashes the party?” Luna asked.

I’d been checking that on the flight here. “We have twenty minutes clear, another ten minutes safeish but getting risky. Anything past that, we’re playing Russian roulette.”

Variam pointed. “I think your Plan B is trying to set herself on fire.”

I turned. Starbreeze was swiping her finger through Variam’s light spell with apparent fascination, the air of her body making the flame flicker.

“Starbreeze?” I said. “Starbreeze.”

“Hmm?”

“We’re going into a bubble realm,” I said. “Luna, show her the cube.”

Luna took out a cube of deep red crystal. Points of light sparkled from deep within as it caught the reflections of Variam’s flame and threw them back. “Ooh,” Starbreeze said in fascination. She floated over, studying the cube with her chin in her hands.

“It’s the same one we used all those years ago,” I said. “You recognise it?”

“Hmm . . .” Starbreeze said, then shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the cube. “No.”

“Okay, you remember that bubble realm we went to back then?”

“No.”

“It was the one with the fateweaver. You remember the fateweaver?”

“No.”

“I nearly got possessed and you and Luna saved me. Do you remember that?”

“No,” Starbreeze said cheerfully. “What are we doing again?”

Luna covered her eyes. “Oh God.”

“This is our Plan B?” Variam asked.

I ignored Variam. “We’re about to go into the house over there. Once we do, we’ll need you to stay ready in case we call. If we call, we’ll need you to get us out. Okay?”

Starbreeze stared into the cube.

“Starbreeze!”

“Hmm?” Starbreeze looked up. “Were you talking?”

“We’re so screwed,” Luna said.

“If this is how you guys run your ops,” Kyle said, “I’m starting to seriously wonder how you’re still alive.”

I gave up. Starbreeze would come when I needed her, or she wouldn’t. “Let’s go. Kyle, you’re on point.”

We approached the mansion under the cover of darkness. Lit windows cast a scattering of light down over the grounds, bright rectangles against the black. It was past midnight and there were many more darkened windows than lit ones, but it only took one to raise the alarm. Kyle led us to an outbuilding near the mansion’s west corner. It was too dark to see our footing; my divination showed me where to step, but the others were less quiet and I tensed at every crack and rustle.

The door to the outbuilding creaked as Kyle eased it open. How many people know this route? I asked him through the dreamstone.

I felt Kyle start. It’s freaky when you do that.

Quieter than a radio.

Kyle recovered himself. His thoughts had a distinct feel to them, organised and focused. They reminded me of Variam’s, but with an undercurrent of anger, banked and smouldering. A few of them know. Not many.

The inside of the building was cramped, filled with rusting garden tools. Metal clanked softly as Kyle cleared a path, then there was the scrape of another opening door. There was a click and a dim glow as Kyle switched on a torch; by its light I saw him start down a flight of steps into darkness. Futures of a brighter glow sprang up, and I reached out through the dreamstone. Don’t use a light spell, Vari.

I don’t know how much I trust this guy, Variam said.

And I don’t want to risk Pyre picking up your light with his magesight and wondering what another fire mage is doing in the building.

Fine.

The stairs went down twenty feet or so. Variam pulled the door closed behind us; silence closed in, broken only by our footsteps. The door ended at another door that Kyle listened at before easing open.

The door opened into a basement, cluttered with junk. The beam of Kyle’s torch passed over furniture, boxes, old weapons, and machinery. I could feel traces of magic from around us. This stuff had probably been Morden’s, left to gather dust once Onyx took over. Distant voices drifted down and Kyle picked up the pace, a new eagerness in his movements. A stairwell at the end of the basement led upwards; Kyle went up the stairs two at a time and came to a stop at the top, against a closed door. As I followed him, I saw that he had one ear pressed against the wood, listening closely. Carefully I moved up behind him and did the same.

The voices from the other side had gone quiet, but by looking into the futures, I could tell that there were two people, both female. As I listened, I heard the soft fwump of a gas stove, followed by the steady hiss of the flame. A cupboard opened and plates clinked.

The door was locked. How’d you get this open last time? I asked Kyle.

Stole the key.

Don’t suppose you’ve still got it?

In answer, there was a flicker of space magic as Kyle opened a tiny gate to his storage space. There was a grating noise, followed by a loud click. We both went still.

Silence. There was the sound of a cupboard door from inside, followed by someone turning on a tap.

I shifted the focus of my dreamstone, broadcasting to Kyle, Luna, and Variam together. It was harder than maintaining a link with only one, but I’d been practising. I count two girls. I’m guessing slaves.

What do they look like? Kyle demanded.

It was an odd question. Or maybe not that odd—when Kyle had told me he wanted a “favour,” I’d had a pretty good idea of what it was. One early twenties, one late twenties. Younger one’s overweight and blond; older one’s thin with dark brown hair. I paused. I recognise the older one. Her name’s Selene.

“Who the hell cooks meals at this hour?” Variam whispered.

“Someone who doesn’t have a choice,” Luna whispered back.

Mental only, I said.

Can we go around? Variam said silently.

We don’t have that kind of time.

Footsteps sounded from the other side of the kitchen. “Hey,” a new voice called. “Selene. Pyre wants chicken wings.”

“All right.” Selene sounded stressed.

“Now. And he wants you to bring them.”

“Wait . . .”

“What?”

“Can you tell him I’m with the others?”

“No, I can’t.” Footsteps started up, fading away.

“Wait!” Selene called.

“What the fuck is your problem?” It was the other girl, the one I’d sensed earlier.

Selene didn’t answer and the other girl spoke again. “Stop acting like you’re better than us, yeah?”

The newcomer’s footsteps had faded away; now there were only two in the kitchen. It was the quietest it was going to get. We have to move, I said.

Let me handle this, Kyle said. He pushed open the door and slipped through.

Wait, Luna asked. What’s he doing?

The kitchens were big, and neither girl noticed Kyle at first. The door was partially blocked by a bulky old-model freezer, its cables preventing the door from opening fully and shielding us from view. I signalled Variam and Luna to stay back and moved around the other side of the freezer.

Kyle had walked up to the right side of the room. Selene was kneeling down, going hurriedly through the cupboards. “Selene,” Kyle said.

Selene jumped to her feet, spinning around, a hand going up to her chest. She stared at Kyle wide-eyed.

“I told you I’d be back,” Kyle said.

The other girl had been by the stoves; now she’d turned and was frowning at Kyle. “Who are you?”

“You okay?” Kyle asked Selene.

“I—” Selene shook her head. If I peered out, I’d be able to see her; a taller-than-average girl with dark brown hair, pretty but with a drawn and miserable look. Her clothes were frayed and dirty. “Don’t.”

“You new or something?” the other girl said.

“Come on,” Kyle said, reaching for Selene’s arm. “I’m getting you out of here.”

Selene flinched back, shaking her head. “No! You can’t—” She took a breath. “Just go.”

“No. This is different from last time.”

“Out of where?” the other girl said. She walked around a table, passing close by my hiding place; she had dirty blond hair, cut short, and she was staring suspiciously at Kyle. “I haven’t seen you . . .” She tailed off, her eyes going wide. “Wait. Kyle?”

“You have to get away,” Selene said. “If someone sees you here . . .”

“I am getting away. With you.” He spared the other girl a glance. “You as well.”

The other girl was still staring at him. “Onyx and Pyre want you dead, mate.”

“I don’t care what they want,” Kyle said, starting to turn back to Selene.

The other girl looked at Kyle for a second more, then I felt the futures settle as she made her decision. She drew in a deep breath for a scream. Kyle’s head snapped back, his eyes going wide.

My stun focus took the girl in the small of the back. Her scream turned into a whoof of breath as she thumped to the ground twitching, eyes rolling up in her head.

Luna and Variam stepped out from behind the freezer. “Saw that one coming,” Luna said.

Kyle stared at the unconscious girl, then at me. “Why—?”

I put my stun focus back in my pocket and began channelling a thread of power into it. It would take several minutes to recharge. “For someone who works for a Dark mage, you’re way too trusting.” I nodded down at her. “Make sure she doesn’t wake up in the next ten minutes.”

Kyle shook himself and knelt by the girl’s side, pulling out a syringe. Selene was looking from me to Variam to Luna, wide-eyed. “What are you doing here?”

“They’re with me,” Kyle said.

Selene’s eyes passed over Variam and Luna, then settled on me with recognition. “You’re Verus, aren’t you? It was after you got Morden arrested that everything went wrong.”

“Yeah, well, he’s making up for it now,” Kyle said, shooting me a glare. “Take those stairs down to the basement. There’s a staircase up at the end that’ll lead you out. We’ll meet you there when we’re done.”

“I can’t,” Selene said.

“She can’t,” I said at the same time.

“Yes, she can!” Kyle snapped at me.

“No, because—”

“Shut up!” Kyle stood, the syringe clenched in one hand. “You said you owed me a favour. Well, this is it. You make sure she gets out safely, right now. You’ve done enough to mess up our lives already, don’t you fucking dare back out now.”

“You should have let me finish,” I told Kyle, my voice level. “She can’t run out of here because if she does, then as soon as Onyx notices she’s missing, he’ll kill her with that bracelet on her wrist.”

We all turned to Selene. She dropped her eyes, pulling on her sleeve to cover up the black metal bracelet that had just been visible. The movement revealed bruises on her other wrist. “Oh yeah,” Variam said. “Death magic focus, right?”

Kyle stared at the bracelet. “Well . . . you can take it off, right?” He turned to me. “Deactivate it? There must be some way—”

“Guys?” Luna broke in. “Maybe think about having this argument later?”

“Yes,” I said, and addressed Kyle. “And yes, I can deactivate it. With two hands and time, neither of which I have. We pull this off, then I’ll do everything I can to help her. You have my word.”

Kyle looked from me to Selene, torn, the internal struggle written on his face. “But . . .”

Variam was already moving, and he patted Kyle on the back as he passed. “Yeah, I know, you want to be the hero. Just trust him. If he says he’ll do it, he’ll do it.”

Luna followed him with a sympathetic glance at Selene. Kyle took a deep breath and looked at Selene. “I’ll be back.” He turned towards the door.

“Get out of here and find a place to hide,” I told Selene.

Selene’s eyes were full of fear, but she nodded. I walked past her to the door.

Onyx’s mansion was big and full of corridors, but the layout hadn’t changed since Kyle had last seen the place, and I had my divination to guide us. We moved quickly and quietly along the halls. Shouts and laughter echoed down from above, but all the activity seemed to be in the upper bedrooms; the ground floor was empty. In under a minute, we were turning into the crossroads I’d marked on my map. The door at the end was locked. Kyle produced another key and we were inside.

The storeroom was old and dusty, piled with all sorts of junk, everything from stepladders to fishing rods. Someone had ransacked it a few times and not bothered to put stuff back where they’d found it; several crates were broken open with their contents scattered around. I could sense dozens of magical auras, but most were minor, the kind you get from items that are too old, broken, or weak for mages to care about. Except the statue in the middle. That aura wasn’t weak at all.

The statue was of a man, bearded and dressed in ceremonial robes, maybe sixty years old. His right hand held a wand, while his left was extended in front of him, palm up. His expression was confident and proud; the sculptor had done a good job of capturing his features. His name was Abithriax, and very soon I was going to be meeting him.

All right, you bastard. Let’s see how well you do this time.

Variam and Luna moved into the room. “It’s not going to summon an elemental this time, right?” Luna asked.

“This time?” Kyle said.

“Council deactivated that ward when they moved it,” I said.

“They didn’t deactivate that,” Variam said, pointing sharply at the statue. “You see it?”

I frowned, focusing. My magesight showed me a lattice of space magic surrounding the statue, tied into the local environment somehow. “Gate ward?” I said doubtfully. It didn’t look quite right . . .

“Sink ward,” Variam said.

“Shit.”

“What’s a sink ward?” Luna asked.

“Redirects gates,” Variam said. “And the focal point is this room.”

“Which means that if we try to gate out of the bubble realm, we won’t end up in the middle of nowhere,” I said, my thoughts racing. “We’ll end up here.”

Kyle frowned. “Abort?”

I hesitated for only a moment before shaking my head. “Change of plan. You three evac with Starbreeze once the gate’s open. I’ll go in alone.”

“What?” Luna asked. “No. You need—”

“I can survive coming out into a room full of people with guns. You can’t.” Movement in the futures caught my attention. “We’re out of time.”

From somewhere in the direction of the kitchens, a shout went up. “Damn it,” Luna muttered. She shot me a look. “This does not mean I’m agreeing with you.” She turned, pulling the cube from her bag, and slotted it into the statue’s hand.

Luna’s cube is an imbued item. It’s powerful, but single-minded: it seems to care about Abithriax’s prison, and nothing more. It’s the only thing that can open the gate to that bubble realm, and Luna’s the only one who can use it. As it touched the statue, light sprang up around the statue’s hand, thin white beams reaching into the cube’s depths. The cube responded slowly, red beams moving to answer.

“Crap,” Variam said, staring at the statue. “You weren’t kidding, were you?”

The light show was impressive even to normal vision. To magesight, it glowed like the sun. I could have pointed to it with my eyes closed from a hundred feet away. “It’s going slower than last time,” Luna said, tension in her voice.

“You told us three minutes,” Kyle said.

I was moving to the doorway, laying down a pair of gold discs into the corridor, one by each wall. “Last time it was three minutes,” Luna said.

“Argue later,” I said curtly. I glanced over at the back of the storeroom. The second entrance was sealed off . . . probably, but there was no time to check. “We’ve got incoming.”

Luna, Variam, and Kyle took cover, hiding behind crates and in the corners. I stepped behind the statue. I could hear shouts and running footsteps echoing through the mansion; they weren’t converging on us quite yet, but they were getting louder.

I rested a hand on the chestpiece of my armour. My armour is plate-and-mesh, an imbued item that’s alive in its own way. It had been a gift from Arachne many years ago, and since then it had grown with me, adjusting itself in response to our battles. I’d put it on before leaving the Hollow. I’m going to be counting on you, I said through the dreamstone. The armour seemed to pulse in response.

Hurrying footsteps came down the corridor, slowing as they reached the door. From the futures where I looked out, I could see a boy in his twenties stop in the doorway, staring openmouthed at the light show. “What the f—”

Kyle shot him with a Taser. The adept went down, jerking. Kyle moved in with another syringe full of sedative. “Movement,” Vari said.

“Hey!” a voice shouted from down the corridor. “Someone’s here! Hey!”

“Yo, Alex,” Variam called. “Weapons free?”

“Knock yourself out.”

There was a takatakatak as someone opened up with an assault rifle. Bullets slammed into the statue, ricochetting into the walls and floor. I stayed crouched, searching through the futures. He’s twenty feet down the corridor with an AK, I told Variam through the dreamstone. Two of them at the moment but more coming.

Got it.

The shooting stopped. In the sudden quiet, I could hear more footsteps converging, along with the sound of muffled voices. He’s going to advance, I told Variam. Five seconds.

A pause, then the guy with the assault rifle appeared down the corridor. Through the futures I could see him, maybe twenty or so with a round face, eyes bulging a little in concentration as he advanced with his gun forward.

Variam leant around the corner and hit him with a burst of focused heat. The boy’s blackened corpse hit the floor with a thump, and hot air rolled into the room, carrying the nauseating smell of burnt flesh.

Luna wrinkled her nose but didn’t say anything. Running footsteps sounded down the corridor, followed by more shouts. Guessing they won’t try that again, Variam said.

Not after seeing that, I said. I reached out to Luna and Kyle as well. Keep your heads down, they’re going to keep up fire—

Another assault rifle opened up, along with a handgun this time. Bullets whined and chips of stone flew from the statue. I wondered what would happen if a lucky shot hit the cube, and decided I didn’t want to find out. Vari, can you tell them to stop that?

In answer, Variam chucked a fireball around the corner. I saw the red flash flicker on the ceiling; there was a yell and the gunfire cut off.

Silence fell. From down the corridor and around the junction, I could hear someone swearing, their voice muffled. Someone else was calling for backup. What do you see? Variam asked.

I looked through the futures where I went out and down the corridor. I think they got the message. There was only one guy in view, a kid of maybe twenty, dressed in combats and a leather jerkin. He was holding a handgun that looked too big for him, and was peering around the corner down the corridor at the storeroom. I remembered him from my last visit: his name was Trey. They’re holding.

Alex, Luna said. You can hear?

Yes.

Something’s wrong. Luna sounded worried. I think when Onyx and his guys stole the statue, they damaged it.

I glanced up. The red-and-white lights were just visible from behind the statue, the magical signature still shouting out to everyone in range that something big was happening. I couldn’t feel any sign of a gate. Is it working?

I don’t know, Luna said. I’m going to give it some help. “Vari,” she called. “Cover me.” She moved out to the statue, putting herself in full view of anyone down the corridor.

I heard Trey shout something, but before he could raise his gun, Variam stepped out. Trey leapt for cover as Variam scorched the intersection.

“Thanks,” Luna said over her shoulder.

I got to my feet. Luna was studying the cube, frowning. The beams of light were still playing over it, but while some had matched, the others hadn’t. “Almost,” she said, half to herself. “Just a little push . . .” She laid one hand on the cube, the silver mist of her curse turning to gold.

I watched uneasily. I didn’t like Luna having her back to the door like that. “Make it quick.”

“Don’t rush me,” Luna said absently.

Golden mist seeped into the crystal. One of the beams wavered, then intersected, becoming a solid line linking the cube to the statue. A second followed. “There,” Luna said.

“Movement,” Variam said, not taking his eyes off the corridor.

“Luna, move,” I said.

“I said don’t—”

Red light bloomed from the end of the corridor. A ball of fire roared towards us, growing and darkening as it flew, turning the carpets and light fixtures to ash. It was headed straight for Variam, and behind him, Luna. I saw Variam’s hand go up as he started his shield.

I snapped out a command word. The gold discs flared into life, a plane of force materialising in the corridor, sealing it off from wall to wall. An instant later, the fireball struck and exploded two feet from Variam’s nose. Flame raged, scorching the walls, trying to burn through the forcewall . . . and failing. The corridor went dark.

Think you had it? I asked Variam.

Kind of glad I didn’t have to find out.

Luna hadn’t turned around. “Vari, tell that guy to keep it down, will you?”

“I’ll ask nicely.”

Another fireball came flashing down the corridor, exploding uselessly against the wall. Elemental magic can be rock-paper-scissors, and fire magic is very bad at cutting through force. “You two, move,” Kyle said to Luna and Variam. “You’re giving him a free look at where you are.”

Variam glanced over his shoulder towards Luna, then went back to looking down the corridor.

The cube’s unlocking sequence was picking up speed. “We good?” I asked Luna.

Luna didn’t take her eyes off the cube. The golden mist of her curse was still seeping into it. It had been one of the first tricks she learnt, redirecting the good luck of her curse to an external target. “Almost.”

“Pyre’s moving,” Variam said sharply.

“There!” Luna said. She took her hand away from the cube, starting to turn.

The futures changed, new possibilities flashing up. Luna, down!

Fire exploded inside the room. I was already ducking into cover, left arm coming up to shield my head; flames licked at me but my armour soaked up the heat. The blast lasted only an instant and was over, smoke trailing from the statue and from the wooden crates I’d been hiding behind. I looked up and my heart jumped. Variam was standing unharmed. Kyle had made it to cover in the far corner. Luna was on the floor, scorch marks on her back.

Another fire blast struck the room, and Variam flung out a hand, a shield of flame enveloping Luna and keeping her safe. As soon as it was over Variam broke into a sprint, scooping Luna up and carrying her to the far side of the room. A third blast struck, washing over his shield.

I stayed crouched behind cover, pressed between boxes and the wall. The blasts weren’t hurting me, but I couldn’t move. Luna! Are you okay?

I’m okay, Luna said, but there was pain in the message.

Vari, Kyle. How bad is it?

“Second-degree burns,” Variam shouted. “Need to get her out.”

“I’m fine,” Luna said. I could hear the strain in her voice. “Just—”

Another fire blast went off, erupting from high in the middle of the room. It had the signature of Pyre’s magic, but it wasn’t coming from where I’d last seen him. How was he getting through the forcewall?

I hesitated only an instant, then reached out through the dreamstone. Starbreeze. Going to need your help in a couple of minutes.

What?

“Alex!” Variam shouted.

“I know!” You have to get Luna, Variam, and Kyle out. Like we planned. Wait for the gate to open, then get them somewhere safe.

Starbreeze sounded confused. You’re going?

“Verus,” Kyle called. “How long till the gate opens?”

“I don’t know!” Not me. Everyone else.

What?

The three people with me. Get them out of here. You just need to wait—

“Alex!” Variam shouted.

“Give me a second!” I was doing too many things at once.

Pyre launched another fireblast. It was a longer one this time, flames roaring through the room. Again I ducked for cover, feeling my arms and back grow warm, then hot. When it stopped, the statue was smoking and there were small fires burning across the room. None were dangerous, but they were spreading.

And then Starbreeze was there, darting from Kyle to Variam to Luna, turning them into air one after another. Kyle barely had time to flinch before all three of them were mist, swirling up along with Starbreeze. She looked at me proudly. “There!”

“No!” I shouted at Starbreeze. “Not yet!”

Starbreeze looked thoroughly put out. “You told me.”

“I didn’t—Look out!”

Pyre struck again, and this time he was aiming at Starbreeze. I saw her eyes go wide and she fled, taking the other three with her. The blast spread outward, but Starbreeze outran it, flicking out through the gap between the forcewall and the ceiling. I ducked the blast; when I lifted my head again, I was alone.

Starbreeze, wait!

That hurt! Starbreeze sounded unhappy.

Wait, the gate isn’t . . . I tailed off as I realised that Starbreeze wasn’t listening. I could feel her presence fading. I looked at the cube. It was still resting in the statue’s hand, the beams of light still intersecting one by one, but they were barely half done. “Isn’t open,” I said to the empty room.

A bang and a clatter sounded from the back of the storeroom. I spun to see the back door creak open a few inches, coming up against piles of clutter. “Oh shit,” I muttered, pulling out my gun.

I could sense Variam in the distance, trying to talk to me. Not a good time!

Are you all right?

No! The door ground inwards a few inches, and a boy stuck his head around. I fired hurriedly, making him pull back.

This damn elemental won’t turn around! Luna’s shouting at her and she won’t—

Too late, I said. By the time they convinced Starbreeze to reverse course and bring them back, everything would be over, and Luna was in no condition to fight anyway. Get safe.

The boy stepped out from behind the door, levelling an AK-47. The assault rifle roared, deafening in the cramped space, bullets slamming into the walls and chewing splinters from the furniture. The bullets went everywhere but didn’t hit me.

The gun was awkward in my left hand, but I held steady until I saw the futures converge. Then I fired once. Red splashed onto the wall behind the boy’s head and he dropped. I heard shouts from the corridor; they sounded like they were yelling for help. Kyle, how—

Pyre attacked again. Flames gouted from above, playing over the crates and shelves. I ducked behind cover, waiting for the attack to stop. It didn’t. The flames kept roaring.

There were bangs and thumps from the back door. More of them were coming through, and I couldn’t do anything about it. Kyle! How’s Pyre attacking?

I don’t know. Despite the situation, Kyle sounded calm and focused. He can’t put spells through a wall. If he could, he’d have done it last time we fought.

A handgun boomed and the crate I was hiding behind shuddered. Well, he’s doing it now!

I know, I—Wait. I’ve seen him use focuses, red quartz. Maybe he’s got one installed in the room. Check to see where the attacks are coming from.

The crate was on fire now, and the heat was close to unbearable. My armour was shielding me from the worst of it, but I could feel my hair crisping. I searched frantically through the futures, looking for one where the flames stopped, and found it. I reared up, ignoring the pain in my hand and face, and fired blind.

There was a crack and I felt a flash of magic. Pyre’s spell cut off, the flames vanishing instantly. Then the two boys who’d made it into the room, and who’d been waiting with their guns trained on my cover, shot at me.

One of them managed to miss. The other didn’t. I didn’t have enough time to dodge, and the bullet took me in the chest. It felt like a murderously hard punch. Pain flashed through me and I lost my breath in an uff, the impact throwing me against the wall. I hit the floor hard.

“Yeah!” the boy shouted at me. “Get fucked!”

I lay still. I’d lost my 1911 in the fall and didn’t dare reach for it. Pain was spiking through my chest and the back of my head.

There was the crackle of a radio and I heard a voice. Pyre. “You get him?”

“We got him.”

Looking into the futures where I opened my eyes, I saw that the one talking was Trey. He was holding a giant silver handgun that looked sized for hunting elephants, so big that he needed two hands to lift it. Now that I was closer, I could see that he’d added some jewellery since we’d last met; two earrings in his right ear and a gold chain around his neck. The other boy had a bunch of face tattoos. They’d almost have looked funny except for the fact that they were pointing guns at me.

I’m going to die because Starbreeze can’t tell the difference between “two minutes” and “now.”

“He dead?” the other boy asked.

“Right in the chest, point five oh.”

“Check him,” Pyre’s voice said through the radio. “If he’s alive, keep him that way.”

The feeling was coming back to my limbs, and I knew that I’d be able to move. The bullet had struck my chestplate; the plate had splintered and it must have drained the armour’s energy reserves, but it had held. I kept still, my eyes closed.

“Looks dead,” the other boy said.

“Yeah,” Trey said. He stepped around the burning crate and kicked. Pain flared in my ankle, but I didn’t move.

“What’s with this thing?” the other boy said. He’d turned towards the statue, his attention off me.

“Dunno.” Trey bent down over me, poking at my face. “Hey, I think he—”

I kicked Trey’s legs out from under him and he fell onto me with a yell. I was already reaching for his gun hand, my fingers tangling in his. As Trey tried to pull back and his gun swung towards the other boy, I pulled the trigger and it went off with a boom like a cannon. The other boy slammed into the statue and slid down, leaving a blood trail.

Trey snarled and punched me in the head. We rolled over on the floor, struggling. I was taller and more skilled than Trey, but he was quick and vicious, and he hadn’t just been shot in the chest. I managed to twist the gun out of his grip, but the move left me open and Trey landed a punch that made me see stars. While I was stunned he got on top of me and started pounding.

I tried to shield myself with my forearms. Trey was straddling me, his weight on my hips, raining blows down on my head. I tried to buck him off and failed, getting a blow to my temple. I felt a flash of panic as I realised I couldn’t get loose. I knew counters to this position, but they needed two hands.

More blows hit my forearms and elbow. My right hand flopped uselessly, and another punch crushed it against my nose, sending a spike of pain through my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see movement at the forcewall, and knew the barrier wouldn’t last much longer. With Trey on top of me, I couldn’t reach my pockets. The boy snarled down at me and started driving hammer blows at my head, forcing me to use my one good hand to block.

With a chill, I realised I was going to lose. It was my fight with Caldera all over again. I was going to be beaten and captured, all because I wasn’t strong enough—

No. Fear vanished in white-hot fury. Not this time.

Trey reared up, fist raised for a knockout blow, the light glinting off the jewellery at his ear and neck. I snatched with my left hand and ripped out both his earrings.

Trey screamed, clapping his right hand to his ear. His left hand fell across my face and I bit, getting a good grip on two fingers. My teeth scraped bone, and Trey scrambled off me, yelling. I let him pull me up, got the half-charged stun focus from my pocket, and stabbed him with it. He went down with a crash.

I spat blood and looked up to see the last line of light from the statue merge with the cube. The statue seemed to double, an arched gateway materialising. As it did, magic surged from the corridor and my forcewall shattered, the gold discs sparking and burning out. Onyx had arrived.

I took one glance towards the door and saw Onyx, Pyre, and too many people with too many guns. I darted for the statue, trying to grab the cube and get through the gate before they could open fire.

I almost made it.

Divination can only do so much. You can dodge, but that only works if there’s somewhere to dodge to. Time seemed to slow down as I floated towards the portal, and just as I was passing through the gate I realised that between Onyx, Pyre, and all the guns, it was actually physically impossible for them all to miss. I managed to avoid Onyx’s force blade, the bullet that would have gone through my head, and the ones that would have taken out my legs. The fire blast and the last volley of shots hit me square on.

Pain seared through me and I fell. Behind me, the gate, destabilised from the loss of the cube and by the attack spells, collapsed.