Calamity (Reckoners, #3)

“No alarm on any radio frequency I can find,” Cody said. “Only some security guards grumbling and hoping Prof doesn’t blame them for the brownout. Tia, lass, you’re a genius.”


“Let’s hope you can give her the compliment in person soon,” I said to Cody. “Abraham, let us know when your team is at the next camera. We’re on a timer now. The chefs are going to start wondering where their pastry makers went, and people are eventually going to go inspect the generators.”

“Roger.”

Megan and I remained in position. From here on out, the plan was supposed to take under ten minutes. It was tough to wait. Mizzy and Abraham were crawling through guard-infested hallways, while the two of us were supposed to stand up here and look innocent. We’d tried—and failed—to work out a way to get down and meet them, so Megan could use her powers to help with the last portions of the infiltration.

Perhaps that was for the best. Megan was looking haggard, rubbing her forehead, growing testy. I fetched us some drinks from a servant standing near the bar, but then realized that they probably had alcohol in them, which was a very bad idea right now. We needed to be alert. Instead, I grabbed a cupcake off a passing tray. Might as well sample an alternate-dimension David’s handiwork.

I stopped halfway to our table. Had I heard…

I turned around, trying to pick the voice out of those chattering in the crowd. Yes. I did know that voice.

Prof was here.

I was mildly surprised; socializing wasn’t exactly a Prof thing. Yet that deep voice was unmistakable.

There was ample reason to stay far away from him, but at the same time I was wearing a new face—and our experiences on the first day showed that he was fooled by Megan’s illusions. Maybe it would be worth scouting to find out where exactly he was and what he was saying.

“Prof’s here,” I said over the line.

“Sparks,” Cody said. “You sure?”

“Yes,” I said, moving to where I could see him standing beside one of the windows. “I’m going to approach with care and watch him. If the guards spot Abraham and Mizzy, he’ll be alerted first. Thoughts?”

“I agree,” Megan said over the line. “The two of us aren’t doing anything else useful up here. This could give us important intel.”

“Yes,” Cody said. Then he paused. “But be careful, lad.”

“Sure, sure. I’ll be careful as a diabetic slug in a candy factory.”

“Or, you know,” Megan said, “a slug in Ildithia.”

“That too. You going to back me up?”

“On your tail now, Knees.”

I took a deep breath, then crossed the room toward Prof.





I slid up to a tall table near where Prof was speaking. A cluster of people surrounded him—lesser Epics, judging by the ones I recognized. Prof had a notepad out, and had settled down at a table.

Others gave the group a wide berth. I leaned on the tall table, trying to look nonchalant. I scratched at my ear, flipping on the directional audio amplification on my earpiece.

“Larcener must be found,” Prof said. I could barely pick him up. “Until we accomplish this, we can do nothing.”

The others in the group nodded.

“I want Fabergé and Dragdown to spread rumors,” Prof said, writing on his notepad. “Claim there is an underground resistance movement against me, and it’s looking for a leader. Surveillance is your duty, Inkwell. You’ll watch the various powerful family neighborhoods. One of them has to be sheltering him, like the Stingrays were doing for our captive below.

“We attack in two ways: the promise of a rebellion to draw him out, mixed with the threat of discovery. Fuego, I want you to keep working with your dowser, doing sweeps through the city. We’ll make a big show of where we’re looking and expect Larcener to move—we flush him out like dogs in a field scaring pheasants.”

I leaned against my table, suddenly feeling as if I’d been punched in the gut.

Prof had put together a team.

It made sense. Prof had years of practice organizing and leading teams of Reckoners, and he was very good at hunting Epics. But hearing him talk to these people like he’d once talked to us…it was heartbreaking. How easily he’d replaced his friends and freedom fighters with a team of tyrants and murderers.

“We’re at the next corner,” Abraham whispered through my earpiece. “Tia’s maps show hidden cameras here.”

“Yeah, I spot ’em,” Mizzy said. “Conspicuous pictures hung on the wall, to hide a hollowed-out section of saltstone. Hold this one until we give word.”

“Roger,” Megan said. “Dimming on Cody’s mark.”

“Proceed,” Cody said.

The lights flickered, dimmed, and went out.

“Again?” Prof demanded.

“Engineers must have messed up the installation,” one of the Epics said. “Could be grinding against the old salt gears and machinery.”

“Through,” Abraham said.

Megan let go of the button and the lights returned. Prof stood up, seeming dissatisfied.

“My lord Limelight,” said a young female Epic. “I can find Larcener. Just give me leave.”