“I’m sorry, Haden. I had no choice. He forced me to tell him that I sent you to Vegas, and then he used Brim to track you. He knew she was here this whole time.”
“Now, isn’t this just the super-duperest of reunions?” Simon says in the jolliest of voices. “I wish I had my camera to capture the moment, because this must be my lucky day.” He smiles, his white teeth gleaming. “I came looking for a runaway prince, and in addition, I find the Cypher … and the Compass!”
“You heard all that?” I ask.
“I have good ears,” Simon says. “But the Oracle only confirmed what I’d already suspected of Daphne. Management was treating this particular quest in a peculiar way.” His smile widens, reminding me of a nursling who has just been offered a fistful of sweets. “Now, Haden, hand over the girl and the Compass, and I might let at least one of you survive.”
“No,” I say, resisting the urge to do what Simon wants. I can feel his words nudging at my subconscious. “You’re going to have to be more persuasive than that if you think I’m going to let you walk out of here with her.”
Simon shrugs and turns a toothy grin on Tobin. “How about you, then, young man? Bring Daphne to me. Pretty please? And Garrick, why don’t you help?”
Dazed expressions cross Tobin’s and Garrick’s faces. Before I can stop him, Tobin grabs Daphne by the right arm, and Garrick takes her by the left from behind. Holding her by her elbows and shoulders, they propel her toward Simon.
“Tobin, what are you doing?” Daphne says, struggling to get out of their grasp.
Energy swirls inside my chest, and I channel it into my hand. Electricity crackles between my fingers. “Let her go!” I demand, threatening Tobin with the bolt of lightning.
“I … I can’t help it,” Tobin says through gritted teeth as he and Garrick push Daphne closer to Simon.
“Don’t hurt him!” Daphne shouts at me. “Tobin, Garrick, let go of me!”
“They’re being controlled,” Dax says to Daphne.
“Very astute,” Simon says. “All it takes is a please most times. You know what they say: you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”
“Why would I want to catch flies?” I ask.
Simon raises his eyebrows. “Seriously? That’s the part of all this you question?”
I change my focus from Tobin to Simon, hefting a pulsing sphere of lightning in my hand.
“Tell them to let her go or you’re the one I’m going to blast.”
“How can you hit me without frying Dax?” Simon says, moving so Dax, still frozen, is in front of him—using my only friend as a shield.
I extinguish the bolt, but stay in a ready stance.
“Now, boys, that’s close enough,” he says to Garrick and Tobin. “But make sure she can’t get away.”
They stop moving, but they keep their hands clamped on Daphne’s shoulders. She struggles and stomps hard on Garrick’s foot, but he doesn’t let her go.
“What’s the point of this, Simon? You can’t take her to my father without her consent, remember? You can’t just compel her to go through the gate.”
“Why on earth would I take her to King Ren when she’s worth so much more to the Skylords? I imagine access to the Kronolithe of Hades would be very appealing to them. And once the Underlords are finally exterminated, I’ll be free to do as I please, instead of having to constantly babysit snot-nosed children with delusions of grandeur.”
“You’re going to sell her?” I ask. “I thought you were King Ren’s emissary.”
“More like his slave. I made a deal with the Court years ago. I wanted to be rich. I wanted to be the best salesman this world has ever seen. I got my wish. Hell, I’ve literally sold the Brooklyn Bridge to three different billionaires in the last decade alone. I made a star out of Joe Vince when nobody would give that poor sap the time of day. But I’ve been bound to the Court ever since. They own me. But if they’re all dead …”
He moves ever so slightly away from Dax. I take advantage of his mistake and rush at him, a bolt of lightning building inside my chest. I raise my arm to fling it at him, but he swings around, looking me in the eye, and commands, “Be still!”
My body goes stiff, my arm still raised. I am frozen like a petrified tree. I cringe, fighting to break loose from Simon’s mental hold.
“You think I like being at the beck and call of you little dung eaters? I’m a broker. A dealer. And you’ve got one of the finest artifacts I’ve ever encountered. This girl is my ticket to the life I should have had when I made that deal with the Court. In fact, my buyer is on his way here now.
“Daphne, be a dear and give me the Compass,” Simon says, turning his full power of persuasion on her.