Walker lets out a frustrated sigh. “They’ve been saying that since Armageddon’s War ended, and it’s never happened.”
“I don’t know Walker, there’s been strange stuff at school.” I wince. “Extra inspections. Teachers being attacked or even killed. It’s bad out there.” I picture the pile of ash that once was Miss Thing and shiver.
Mom taps her cheek. “We need an exit plan.”
I raise my hands to shoulder height, palms forward. “I won’t run and hide.” Despite my best intentions to sound badass, the words come out as more of a question.
“Think about it, Myla.” Mom rises to her feet. “Only angels have blue eyes like yours. If you stay here, the ghouls and demons will figure out who you are, fast. They’ll try to control you. Unlike Adair, you don’t have an army nearby for protection. It’s me and Walker, that’s it.”
I can’t help but smile. Something in that speech reminded me of the Senator Lewis I saw in so many dreamscapes. I slump into my high-back chair, thinking through this crazy morning: finding out Xavier is my father, that I have Scala powers, how Verus connected me with Lincoln, and that demons could invade Purgatory any minute. I suppose I now know what happened to me and why, as the igni instructed me to do. Grim determination seeps into my body. Unfortunately, my next step is all too obvious.
Mom moves closer, her fists on her hips. “What do you want to do?”
I look up and meet her gaze. “Get the hell out of here.”
Mom grins. “Yes, but where to go?” She paces the room. “Earth, Heaven, Antrum, somewhere else?”
I tilt my head from side to side, weighing the options. I’m about to run away and leave my entire life behind. The worn-out gears of my mind spin, circling back to the same name again and again. “Verus can be sneaky, but I’d go wherever she said it was safe.”
Walker laces his fingers together at his waist. “It will take a bit to get an audience with Verus. You’ll need a safe place to hide in the meantime.” He taps the pads of his thumbs in a fast rhythm. “There’s a bunker from the old quasi regime, a secret place where leaders went in times of trouble. It’s in the Gray Sea.” He turns to Mom. “We can take Myla there now, then I’ll portal to Verus for advice.”
Mom nods. “I know that bunker. It’s right under a–”
I finish her thought. “–wall of black stone.” Unholy Hell. That’s the very spot where all my dreamscapes have started. My body turns cold. That can’t be a coincidence.
Walker eyes me carefully. “You know this place?”
“I see it in my dreamscapes all the time.” I hug my hands against my body. Suddenly, I’ve never been so cold. “That’s a good sign from Verus, I guess. I’ll go there, no problem.”
Mom sits up straighter. “Agreed, but not now. You have a match tomorrow. If you don’t show up, the ghouls will look for you right away. Walker is right. We need time to contact Verus and come up with a plan. I don’t want you rushing off into worse trouble than you leave behind.”
I try to meet Mom’s gaze, but can only stare at the floor. Worse trouble, right. Not sure what that would be, but with my luck, it’ll find me. “Agreed. I’ll hit the match. With my hood on, no one will see my eyes have changed.” Plus, that’ll give me a chance to say my goodbyes tonight. A grim weight sets in around me. All my friends, school, Arena battles…Everything is about to change.
“It’s settled then.” Walker grips his hands behind his back. “I’ll portal Myla right after the match.”
“Sure thing.” I give Walker a half-hearted nod. Tomorrow morning at 5 AM I’ll be suiting up to leave Purgatory, possibly forever. I blink hard, trying to keep up with events. I just went from being an Arena fighter and homebody to ‘Scala Heir on the run’. I grab a blanket from the couch and wrap it around me. Suddenly, I need a nap like it’s my job.
Mom smoothes back her hair. “I remember that bunker from my days as a Senator. It takes some time to set up and at least four people to open. Is there any way I can get there earlier?”
“Another ghoul could portal you,” says Walker. “How about TIM-29?”
I pull my blanket around me and roll my eyes. TIM-29 is a dip. “This plan has enough stupid in it without inviting that guy around.”
The look on Mom’s face says she agrees. “I haven’t seen Tim since before Myla was born.”
Walker shrugs. “But do you trust him, Camilla?”
She pauses. “Yes, completely.”
“Then I’ll approach TIM-29.” Walker frowns. “You still need two more people.”
My eyes half-open. My overwhelmed brain has just enough functioning cells to spit out one last idea. “If you only need folks to open a door and transport back, Cissy and Zeke can help.”
“Good.” Walker rocks back on his heels. “I’ll speak with your friends as well. We’ll all meet back here before the match tomorrow.” He turns to me and grins. “Angelbound to Lincoln, eh?”
I curl deeper into my blanket and blush. “Yeah.”