Page 75 of Echo Unbound

"Gabriel? Who are you talking to?"

I rotate my eyes toward Sarah. "You can't see him, can you? It's the quantum ghost of Sefton. He wants to restart the—"

A jolt of electrical energy rips through me, rending a shout from my throat. Spasms rack my muscles, and I feel as if they'll tear me apart. I grit my teeth against the pain, blustering breaths out through my nostrils, until the agony finally subsides.

Sarah tries to touch me, but the last fingers of electricity leap from my skin to zap her. She yelps and stumbles backward. "What was that?"

"The machine doesn't want me to tell you about Sefton's plan."

Sefton laughs. "Of course I don't. Am I a moron? No, that's what you are."

"I can see why your brother snapped your neck," I snarl. "And I'm going to find a way to destroy your quantum ghost too."

"You have neither the power nor the wherewithal."

I want to wring his neck so badly, but even if I could break free of the machine, I can't grab onto a ghost.

"Go," I tell Sarah. "Please. I need to know you're far away from here with people you can trust."

She takes half a step toward me, then stops. Her gaze shimmers with growing tears, but she blinks them away. "This isn't over yet."

The woman I love disappears.

And I'm stuck here with a cadre of monsters and the remnants of a dead man.

Sefton strolls back and forth across the dais in front of me, hands clasped behind his back, a smug smile curling his lips. "You are as stubborn as Dax, but not nearly as strong. I moldedhim into the perfect monster. He was meant to remain in the Echo, but being a bloody stupid wanker, he just had to leap through the gateway along with the other beasts."

"I bet he's awfully sorry about messing up your plans."

He halts and swivels his head toward me, glaring with all the fire of a mad man. "Do not patronize me. I'm giving you the most incredible gift in the universe."

"Being your Energizer bunny doesn't appeal to me."

"What you want is irrelevant. Together, you and I will restart the alchemy of worlds. It's only the first phase, but I doubt your sweet girl will survive it."

Sarah is much stronger than he thinks. I misunderstood her true nature at first too. But amnesia doesn't make her weak. She's amazing and strong and loyal to the people she loves. The real Sefton Stainthorpe had lacked all those qualities, and his ghost is no different.

If Sarah could teleport into this room, crossing through the gateway despite the Echo not wanting her here, maybe I can summon enough power to shut down this machine.

"No more dillydallying," Sefton says. "It's time to initiate the alchemy of worlds again. And that begins with the quantum entanglement of you and the machine, an unbreakable bond even your friends can't sever."

He vanishes.

And the machine ramps up, grinding and groaning, vibrating the entire room. The creatures begin to chant in grunting, wordless exclamations. Magics inundate the room, invisible yet palpable, nipping at my skin and stinging me like unseen bees. I wince and grit my teeth, but I refuse to give this machine the satisfaction of making me vocalize the pain.

Screw you, Sefton. Not even a remnant of you will fulfill your evil plan.

Because this machine is going down.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sarah

Leaving Gabriel there in that creepy castle with all those creatures and the entangled Echo of Sefton Stainthorpe had been the hardest thing I've ever done. I love him, and he loves me. But that's not enough to save him. We need more than our connection to defeat the machine. We need allies, but not just any allies. Only four other people on Earth understand what it takes to stop the alchemy of worlds and the ghost of its architect.

Sefton let me leave on my own this time, instead of casting me out. He must've hoped I would crash to the ground and die. He no longer seems to view me as any kind of threat, which seems like a bad sign. He believes he holds all the cards, but I will show him how wrong he is. But first, my friends need to know what I've done.

I landed at the edge of the woods and now march across the field to the encampment that is Sanctuary. They haven't lit a bonfire or started up the barbecue grill. It will take time to undo the damage caused by the Echo storm that ravaged our camp. Now that I know for sure the machine is behind the chaos, I also know exactly what needs to be done. I'd had an epiphany while standing in front of that machine, the thing that's holding Gabriel hostage. I felt what he couldn't say, because Sefton was nearby. Gabriel believes I need to stay out of the line of fire, but I know he's wrong. We are stronger together.

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