Page 5 of Siege of Shadows

“It’s got camera function too!” Tech Guy said before collecting himself. This wasn’t really the time to be geeking out, but it’s not like I could blame him. It was really goddamn cool.

I could see our position lighting up as a flashing red dot. And at the top left-hand corner was the drop site where we needed to triangulate our antiphantom device with Chae Rin and Belle’s.

This could work.

“Lake.” I twisted around. “We’re hitching a ride. On a phantom.”

The pop star looked back at me as if I were insane. “What?”

“We’ll get killed out here. But we can ride a phantom to get to the drop site, Chae Rin–style.”

“Good idea,” said Chae Rin through the comm. “A little dangerous, but it’s doable.” An ex–circus performer would know, especially one who had once dabbled in phantom riding. “It’s like riding one of those mechanical bulls. Just make sure to dig your fingers in there and grab the bone or you’ll get flung off real quick.”

“Lake can use her power to keep us going in the right direction,” I said, my hands sweating against the pole of my scythe.

Lake panted heavily. “Really kind of you to make me do the heavy lifting, mate.”

We didn’t have time to argue. Three more phantoms barreled at us from a distance.

Closer. Closer.

“I’ll make it up to you later.” Closer. “Now stop whining...”Closer. “... and get us a phantom!”

Lake pulled a phantom into her vortex with a tortured yell. After letting my scythe dissipate back into nothingness, I ran for the phantom at full speed and jumped onto its back, Lake following quickly behind me.

“Ow!” I yelped as the phantom’s bone struck my tailbone. My legs slid uncomfortably against the thick, fleshy hide, my hands disappearing behind a thin veil of smoke as I felt for something to hang on to.

The murderous roaring behind us grabbed my attention just long enough to see the phantoms chasing after us. “Lake!”

“Oh, hell. Okay, let’s go!”

The phantom flailed violently, but Lake’s will was stronger. My hands dug through wet flesh to grasp hold of the bone beneath. Lake’s right hand grabbed the back of my vest as she pushed and pulled the wind to get us to the drop site.

It wasn’t an exact art. The phantom swerved and thrashed as the other phantoms pursued us relentlessly, snarling and snapping at the air. My legs were wearing out from clutching its body. Riding a phantom was terrifying, and Chae Rin was insane for even trying it. But as Lake directed the beast’s kinetic energy to the drop site, I could see our location moving closer and closer from behind the screen of my goggles.

“We’re hopping off!” I gripped Lake’s arm. Pulling myself to my feet, I leapt with her onto the ground as the disturbed phantom screeched upward, but another was coming down from above.

Tapping off my goggle’s monitor screen, I lifted my arms above my head.Trap and release.

Lake narrowly dodged another phantom. “Maia!”

Fire burst from my fingertips, climbing up the phantom inch by inch, starting from its gaping jaws snarling just a few feet from my head. I fell back. The fire swallowed half its body, turning flesh to char and smoke. I dove out of the way as the rest of the body crashed to the ground.

After two months of training, I was still having a little trouble controlling fire. Just thinking of the searing flames and the heat licking against my skin made the hairs on my arm stand on end. It took everything I had to stop myself from imagining my dead family in the fires.

But I was trying. For now that would have to be good enough.

“What are you doing?” Chae Rin yelled through the comm. “You guys still alive? We’ve got to activate the APDs at the same ti—” She ended in a grunt as she battled a phantom. It was dark now. I couldn’t see either Chae Rin or Belle through the sandy wind. But I knew we weren’t the only ones fighting.

“Lake, Chae Rin, Maia,” said Belle. “If you’re at your sites, then get your devices out.”

Belle hadn’t spoken much since the mission started, but the moment she did, my hand found my vest. I pulled the device out from my left pocket. The APD had a square monitor carved into its sleek metal surface. It was kind of like the electromagnetic armor you’d find in a really expensive car. You had to type in the code to make it work.

I placed it carefully on the surface of the sand. “Okay. I’m ready.”

“Hurry up!” Lake cried, eyeing the rumbling ground several feet away.

“Now,” said Belle.

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