Hands on her hips, she declared, “This is what I have available. Everyone left after the first explosion. It’s actually the best-concealed transportation we have. Spells go by weight—the bigger the object, the harder to spell. Your precious Humvee will only stay spelled for a few hours at most. This one”—she gestured at the aged moped—“will stay spelled for a week.” Her eyes glittered with laughter. She was playing us, but another explosion hit and there was no more time to argue. “Take it or leave it. That’s all I have.”
I took a step forward and Nick wrapped his hands around my shoulders, steering me away from her and toward the battered Vespa. “Jess, listen to me,” he whispered in my ear. “Just get on it and go. You’re running out of time, and arguing with her is not doing us any good. The sorcerers will arrive soon. Head out while you still have time, and once they stop the assault, I’ll head back to the Safe House. Everything will work out.”
Rourke walked over and grabbed the scooter by the handlebars and lifted it out of its parking space with the effort it took an accountant to lift his phone. He strode over to the platform and set it down with a clang, snarling, “If this thing breaks down once we’re outside, I’m coming back in here to kill you. Do you understand me?”
Angie had the nerve to grin. “It won’t. It’s spelled in more ways than one, big fella. It doesn’t need gas and it can carry two people no problem.”
“There are three of us here,” I muttered.
She shrugged. “Like I said, this is all I have. I couldn’t care less if you use it or not. Stay in here if you want.” She spun around and headed for the door right as another explosion rocked the foundation. Light fixtures swayed and concrete cracked, sprinkling dust from the walls. We were several floors underneath the mansion, so that one had been closer. Angie angled her head back before making her dramatic exit. “If you don’t leave now, however, you’re going to miss your golden opportunity. The sorcerers will be here in moments, and we wouldn’t want you to die out there or anything.” She turned, slamming the door with a clap.
Rourke’s movements were hostile. He was one step away from kicking the stupid moped across the room. “Jessica, if we didn’t need to move quickly, I’d bash down these walls and try to find something else. But that will take longer than we have right now. It’s either this or we stay.”
I eyed the hydraulic lift. “Fine. I say we go. Once we’re out of range of the sorcerers, we can figure out another ride. If this thing is spelled like she said, it should be undetectable. We ditch it the first chance we can and find something with doors.”
Resigned, Rourke slid onto the seat. The bottom bowed dangerously close to the ground, groaning against his weight. He swore as he turned the key. The thing puttered to life reluctantly like an old motorboat as he shifted it to neutral and directed it to the middle of the platform with his feet.
I spotted a green button on the wall across the room as I walked toward him. “Gods,” I said. “Nick, punch the green button on the wall and stay down here until it’s over. There’s no reason to stick your neck out and join the fight.” I swung my leg over and straddled what was left of the seat, which was about four inches. There was more creaking as the moped took my weight, but surprisingly it held.
“I’m not planning on getting in the middle of it,” Nick answered as he headed for the activation switch. “But once this is over, I want a drink and some more explanations.”
“I know.” I smiled. “I owe you a full recap.”
“Just stay alive.”
“That’s the plan.” He punched the button and the platform jumped once, rising quickly. When the bottom of the lift met the garage floor, it clicked seamlessly into place and Rourke revved the scooter. It coughed and sputtered, threatening to die.
“I am going to wring her scrawny neck,” Rourke growled. Without a trigger from us, the garage door began to move up on its own.
I slid my arms firmly around Rourke’s waist, intertwining my fingers, pulling him tight. He was warm and smelled delicious. “Okay, let’s do this,” I whispered in his ear.
Rourke gunned the Vespa to full throttle, which was roughly human jogging speed, and we began to buzz toward the gate.
Almost at once, I heard something in the sky and glanced over my shoulder. “Something’s coming right at us,” I yelled as the ball of light began to gain speed, like it suddenly recognized us. It had come out of nowhere, but there was no question it knew we were its target now.
At the last minute, Rourke angled the scooter, swerving hard to the right. The light exploded behind us, rocking us in our seats and bouncing the moped off the pavement.
“Hold on!” Rourke yelled. “I’m going to have to take this corner hard.”
I locked my arms against his chest, turning my head in time to see another light arcing toward us in the sky. I watched as it changed course to follow us as we bounded onto the street.
“She lied!” I screamed. “This thing isn’t spelled! It’s probably Maggie’s toy scooter.” Fury radiated through me and fur erupted along my arms. “The sorcerers have my signature, they know where I am!” We would’ve had a chance to outrun them if we’d been on Rourke’s motorcycle, but on this thing we were sitting ducks.