“This idea has some merit.” He laces his fingers with mine, and swings our arms between us. “What do you suggest, then?”
“How about we go to my place and run through some scenarios for Operation Take Down Adair? I even have a few that involve killing her.” I bob my eyebrows up and down. “That’ll make you feel better.”
He smiles, a genuine one at last. “And here, I thought I was the Master of Pep Talks.”
“I’ve a feeling we’ll be taking turns at pep talks for a long time to come. It’s all part of being a team.”
He wraps me in a deep hug. “With you, it is.”
“Damn right.” I nuzzle into his shoulder, my chest filling with warmth, love and, best of all, hope.
Chapter Fifteen
It’s late at night when I approach the back door of the warehouse. Today’s been one Hell of a long day, starting with the Grand Unveiling and continuing with a quick trip to Antrum.
And it’s not over yet. The moment I walk through this door, Operation Take Down Adair begins.
I scan the darkened alley leading into the warehouse, nervous energy making me shift my weight from foot to foot. All of Walker’s guards left a few minutes ago. The alleyway sure looks empty, but then again, I’m not a hunter like Lincoln. With any luck, Adair’s still following me around, same as she’s been doing for the last two months. I need her to enter the warehouse, say something incriminating, and end up in jail.
I twist the door’s rusted handle; it opens with a long creak. I step inside, my footsteps echoing eerily through the darkened warehouse. Turning on the flashlight in my hand, I scan the empty aisles around me. Everything looks deserted although, in truth, that’s far from the case. Lincoln and Company got into this place about an hour ago. Now, they’re waiting in position in case Adair takes the bait.
And that bait would be the Orb and me. Alone. Unprotected.
Come and get us.
I navigate through the network of aisles and wooden crates until I reach a box labeled Maxon Bane. I slip off the wooden top; it lands with a thud on the concrete floor. The interior is empty. I pat around the crate’s wooden walls, like I’m searching for the Orb. I want Adair to think that I’m coming back to check if the crate’s really empty because, hey, it really wasn’t. Now, all I need is for Adair to show.
My heart kicks faster in my chest. Come on, Adair. Show up, already.
Turns out, I don’t have long to wait.
Suddenly, an igni cord wraps around my waist, lifting me from the ground. For a moment I’m held aloft, my legs dangling. After that, the cord slams me against the aisle behind my back. There, the twenty-foot-tall stack of boxes topples over, causing a domino effect on the rows nearby. With a deafening boom-boom-boom, three aisles tumble over in succession.
I lay on my back for a second, feeling the tug along the igni cord around my waist. It’s Adair, trying to pull power from me through the cord. Now, I know how the transfer works. Our palms need to be connected. I’m careful to keep my hands far away from the cord. Still, the rope of igni winds up my chest, starting to crawl vine-like down my forearms.
The cord curls closer to my hands, and panic zooms up my spine. Once the cord hits my palms, it’ll be the same deal as in the Ghost Tower. I can’t block the transfer. Can’t reverse it, either. My only option is to slow how quickly Adair can take my igni.
Not a great option.
I summon my own igni. They blast off my arms like piston rods, whipping across the toppled aisles. The igni-shafts slam into Adair’s stomach, and then retract once again. Adair gets pummeled against the stacks of boxes behind her. With more ear-splitting booms, four more aisles topple over in domino-style.
Around me, Adair’s cords stretch, flicker and loosen. This didn’t happen at the Ghost Tower. What could be causing Adair’s igni bindings to weaken now?
The answer appears in my mind, simple and perfect.
“You need to be connected to my palms to have a really strong grip, Adair.” I conjure a huge pair of igni clippers and snap the ties between us. Adair’s cord disappears. “So, guess who’s never getting near my hands again?”
I hop onto my feet. Now that I’m in battle-mode, my Scala robes have changed into armor. I brush my fingers across the baculum-holster on my thigh. I’d love to ignite these things, but angelfire isn’t any good against igni. I’m better off keeping my hands free so I can counter Adair’s next igni-fueled attack.
Across from me, Adair rises to her feet, unhurt. Whoa. She must’ve gotten some nasty demon blood in her. My last igni-punch should have at least taken her breath away. Adair straightens the skirt of her yellow gown. “Stop making it harder on yourself,” she says primly. “I want my igni.”