Page 94 of Fortress of Ambrose
Her words stoke the flames to my fire. I must be careful with her trust. Honor it, protect it, while not betraying my own instincts. She is teaching me how to love all of her. I hope I am not so wretched now that she can’t do the same for me.
“Are you with me?”
Quell looks at Yani before answering. “I am.”
The labyrinth underground rings with chaos. Its main artery, where we agree to gather, is full of people scurrying down its several hallways with panic. Quell takes the halls on the right, and I take the ones on the left. Yani agreed to stay outside and watch for the Dragunhead. Quell insisted Abby stay with her.
It takes longer than it should to empty two dozen rooms of people and essential things. At each new room I open, I am met with wide eyes of fear. As the hall swells with people, I urge them along faster, directing them toward the entryway.
Quell is waiting there with a throng she retrieved from the rooms she emptied. Mothers, children, young, old. A mother holding her small child attempts to dash out, to escape, shouting something in Latin too fast for me to understand. Toushana rears up in me when I grab her by the arm, but I make sure my hold on her is gentle.
“Please, I am not here to hurt you. I am here to help free you.”
She snatches her arm away. “Iamfree.”
“There is a very dangerous man who could be outside at any moment. He will not spare anyone here to get to me and that girl.” I indicate Quell. “We are taking you somewhere safe. Please cooperate, for your daughter’s sake.”
The little girl in her arms watches a shiny button on my shirt. I pull off the silver circle and hand it to her. She grins. The mother settles. Everyone packs into the foyer of the underground lair like sardines. Still no word from Yani or Abby.
“They don’t like this, Jordan.” Quell joins me.
“Because they don’t understand what’s happening. They’ll see.”
Worry has carved a space between her brows. “They may not. You’re disrupting their lives, ripping them from their home.”
“Don’t you meanwe?”
“Yes. I’m just saying, tread carefully.” There is tenderness in Quell’s gaze. That’s why she deserves the world. She is everything this Order needs. I long to touch her, to lace my fingers between hers and press our heads together, to inhale and breathe her in. But I am not sure how much harder my magic will pull on hers since toushana is all I have left.
When every room is emptied, there are half a hundred, maybe more, gathered. How many of them have healing Shifter magic or some other magic? How many have toushana? Are there Darkbearers in this room? I skim their eyes for malice, but all I see is fear. A little fear is good. Their actions will show their true colors soon enough.
For now, safety.
“I am relocating this operation somewhere safer,” I announce. “We’re moving you all to House of Marionne. Chateau Soleil is an estate in the southern quadrant. But there are walls around the property that should provide better protection than you have here. There you will have more space to roam, meals around the clock. You can be done living like this.”
“We’re pulling down the walls between our worlds,” Quell adds.
Heads swivel in every direction. Some exhale. Others glare. But when I spot Ube and Erla side by side in the crowd, my heart hiccups. Several of those staring at us have heavy-lidded red eyes.
“Is it true? Is Zecky dead?” the mother with the small child asks.
“He was sentenced to die for trying to steal the Sphere’s magic.” No use in lying to them. “I carried out the sentence myself.”
“He’s not a thief,” the crowd roars angrily.“You’re the criminal!”
Quell’s nails dig into my arm. My heart thuds, but before I can speak, Ube elbows his way through the crowd.
“I was there!” he shouts. “Zecky did try to steal the magic out of this man, which is all the magic that’s left in the world. Zecky tried to make me help him, saying we were doing a routine procedure.” He shakes hishead. His sister’s eyes dart in his direction before her sad gaze hits the floor. “I didn’t want any trouble. I am sorry, sir.”
The room erupts in whispers. Ube ismuchless stoic now than he was when he was cutting into me. And humble. Was that the real him? Or is this? Still, his vote of confidence may be the boon I need.
“How’dyouget the magic if you didn’t steal it?” someone yells.
“I can answer questions when we get where we are going. Butwe have toleavenow.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” someone protests, and cold licks my insides.
You’re going whether you want to or not.But when I open my mouth, someone else speaks.
