things out. No problem.”
Without a better plan, we kept moving.
* * *
After a few minutes we reached the well-lit area where the tunnel opened into an access area. From there, you could get to other parts of the city’s underground tunnels or head upstairs to the street. Or, if you really wanted, you could climb the set of concrete stairs that led up to a small platform and a metal door—the front door to the sanctuary.
We crowded into the threshold of the tunnel and peered out. There was no sign of the men, who’d either gone back into the building or disappeared into a secondary tunnel. But that didn’t slow my heartbeat any. Inside the sanctuary was a giant banner that bore a Reaper quatrefoil—and beneath it was the table where Scout had been used by Reapers for her own energy.
I reached out and squeezed her hand. It was cold and clammy, and when I glanced over at her, she looked a little pale.
“You okay?”
“Just . . . remembering,” she said, but swallowed hard. “No problem.”
“Should we go in?” Michael whispered.
For a moment, no one answered.
“I’ve got one more thing to try.”
We all looked at Detroit. Nervously, she opened her black satchel and pulled out a black plastic beetle a few inches long. She held it in the palm of her hand.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s like an X-ray camera,” she said. “It will filter out the concrete and pipes and stuff and we can get a visual on the room. Sound, too. It’s a bug,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Get it?”
“What’s the catch?” Jason asked.
She looked up at him. “We have to get it inside. Just sticking it on the door isn’t enough. It can see through only so much concrete, so it needs to be on the wall of the room you want to look into.”
Jason winced, then looked up at her. “I hate to ask—”
“It will work,” she interrupted. “I promise it will work.”
There was another moment of silence as we debated our options. Going inside the sanctuary was a huge risk, and if Detroit’s beetle thingy didn’t work, it was a huge risk with no benefit. On the other hand, if the Reapers weren’t responsible for the magical blackout, who was? Who else had the power to do it? We had to find that out.
“It will work,” Detroit repeated, and I held out my hand. Everyone looked at me.
“It will work,” I said. “I know it will. And I’ll get it inside. You just need to tell me how to do it.”
Her eyes widened. “You believe me?”
“Your word is good enough for me,” I said. After all, if I could trust Sebastian, the least I could do was trust an Adept. That was a no-brainer.
Detroit nodded and handed over the beetle. It was heavier than I thought. It was nice and solid, and that was comforting somehow.
But Jason wasn’t thrilled with my plan. “It’s too dangerous,” he said. “You could get hurt.”
I shook my head. My mind was already made up. “I’m the only one who can go. Detroit’s too valuable to risk—she’s the only one who can actually do something useful right now. Scout’s a spellbinder—she can’t be risked—and Michael’s a pacifist.”
That was only half-true. He probably wasn’t really a pacifist, but he wasn’t a fighter, either.
“And me?” Jason asked.
“You need to stay out here and keep them safe. And if I get pinched, you need to come rescue me.”
I thought that sounded cute, but he didn’t really look swayed. Stubborn werewolf boyfriends.
But since he wasn’t going to suddenly agree this was a good idea, I looked at Detroit. “There’s a main meeting room inside the sanctuary. It’s just at the end of the hall. I’ll pop in, stick the bug on the wall, and be right back out before you know it.”
“She’s right,” Scout said. “She’s the best one for the job.”
It took a minute, but Jason finally nodded. “Fine. But if you get hurt, I’m going to be really irritated with you.”
“I’ll do my best.”
I hoped it would be
Without a better plan, we kept moving.
* * *
After a few minutes we reached the well-lit area where the tunnel opened into an access area. From there, you could get to other parts of the city’s underground tunnels or head upstairs to the street. Or, if you really wanted, you could climb the set of concrete stairs that led up to a small platform and a metal door—the front door to the sanctuary.
We crowded into the threshold of the tunnel and peered out. There was no sign of the men, who’d either gone back into the building or disappeared into a secondary tunnel. But that didn’t slow my heartbeat any. Inside the sanctuary was a giant banner that bore a Reaper quatrefoil—and beneath it was the table where Scout had been used by Reapers for her own energy.
I reached out and squeezed her hand. It was cold and clammy, and when I glanced over at her, she looked a little pale.
“You okay?”
“Just . . . remembering,” she said, but swallowed hard. “No problem.”
“Should we go in?” Michael whispered.
For a moment, no one answered.
“I’ve got one more thing to try.”
We all looked at Detroit. Nervously, she opened her black satchel and pulled out a black plastic beetle a few inches long. She held it in the palm of her hand.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s like an X-ray camera,” she said. “It will filter out the concrete and pipes and stuff and we can get a visual on the room. Sound, too. It’s a bug,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Get it?”
“What’s the catch?” Jason asked.
She looked up at him. “We have to get it inside. Just sticking it on the door isn’t enough. It can see through only so much concrete, so it needs to be on the wall of the room you want to look into.”
Jason winced, then looked up at her. “I hate to ask—”
“It will work,” she interrupted. “I promise it will work.”
There was another moment of silence as we debated our options. Going inside the sanctuary was a huge risk, and if Detroit’s beetle thingy didn’t work, it was a huge risk with no benefit. On the other hand, if the Reapers weren’t responsible for the magical blackout, who was? Who else had the power to do it? We had to find that out.
“It will work,” Detroit repeated, and I held out my hand. Everyone looked at me.
“It will work,” I said. “I know it will. And I’ll get it inside. You just need to tell me how to do it.”
Her eyes widened. “You believe me?”
“Your word is good enough for me,” I said. After all, if I could trust Sebastian, the least I could do was trust an Adept. That was a no-brainer.
Detroit nodded and handed over the beetle. It was heavier than I thought. It was nice and solid, and that was comforting somehow.
But Jason wasn’t thrilled with my plan. “It’s too dangerous,” he said. “You could get hurt.”
I shook my head. My mind was already made up. “I’m the only one who can go. Detroit’s too valuable to risk—she’s the only one who can actually do something useful right now. Scout’s a spellbinder—she can’t be risked—and Michael’s a pacifist.”
That was only half-true. He probably wasn’t really a pacifist, but he wasn’t a fighter, either.
“And me?” Jason asked.
“You need to stay out here and keep them safe. And if I get pinched, you need to come rescue me.”
I thought that sounded cute, but he didn’t really look swayed. Stubborn werewolf boyfriends.
But since he wasn’t going to suddenly agree this was a good idea, I looked at Detroit. “There’s a main meeting room inside the sanctuary. It’s just at the end of the hall. I’ll pop in, stick the bug on the wall, and be right back out before you know it.”
“She’s right,” Scout said. “She’s the best one for the job.”
It took a minute, but Jason finally nodded. “Fine. But if you get hurt, I’m going to be really irritated with you.”
“I’ll do my best.”
I hoped it would be
Similar Books
