Edge of Dreams (22 page)

“That’s not the way it works. Detox requires money, and I doubt any of them have it. Percy scraped up the street dregs so that nobody would miss them or come looking for them. Even if they could raise the funds, detox is effective only three percent of the time. To hit that three percent, you’d need a world-class dreamer. You’d never find one to take them on, not even Cass. It would kill her to attempt that big a healing. I’m sorry to say it, Riley, but any way you slice it, these people are screwed. Once Percy got hold of them, they never had a chance. They’ll be lucky to die sooner rather than later. Going cold-turkey off SD is more unpleasant than you can imagine, and few survive. The best I can do is to promise that they’ll be cared for until the end.”

He was right. Totally logical and reasonable. I, however, had never been accused of being logical or reasonable, and the thought of letting hundreds of people die without trying to help them made me want to scream. I rubbed my hands over my face. Maybe
I
could do something to help them. I’d nulled away the magic of the Sparkle Dust. Was it too late to do that for addicts?

I didn’t know, but I sure as hell was going to try. I pulled back on my galloping thoughts. That problem would have to wait until later. First I needed to get nulls ready for the invasion of Percy’s domain so that the SD victims could be rescued.

“You’d better let me work, now,” I told Touray.

He didn’t move. “You’ve got that look like you’re up to something,” he said. “What are you thinking?”

“I was thinking I could use a massage.”

The corner of his mouth quirked. “Easy enough to arrange. I’ve got several masseurs on staff. You can have one now.”

I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. I mean, the man had more money than he had room for. He probably burned stacks of it in the fireplace to keep warm. “I’ll take care of the nulls first,” I said weakly.

“I’d still like to know what’s running on that hamster wheel in your head,” he said.

Since he wasn’t going to go away without an answer, I decided to give in gracefully. “I was wondering if I could null out the addiction. It worked for me.”

He looked thoughtful. “Worth a try, though for that many people, it could take the rest of your life. Riley—I know you want to help, but you do understand that these people may not be innocent victims? Most of them likely weren’t forced to take SD. They wanted to. Even if you cured the addiction, they’d be likely to go back to it. You might be able to take away the magic that binds them, but you can’t take away the memories of the euphoria, or the desire to feel that good again.”

I felt myself deflate. I wanted to argue, but once again, he was totally logical and reasonable, and worse, he was right. I’d encountered enough junkies in my life so far to know that. “Yeah, okay,” I said.

“I’m sorry.”

He sounded like he meant it. I lifted a brow at him. “Not your clowns, not your circus, right?”

He grimaced. “My town. My circus. My clowns.”

I couldn’t help staring. “Seriously?”

“I told you before, Riley, I may do some terrible things, but I intend to clean up Diamond City and make it safer.”

“You do realize that’s like the devil saying he wants to clean up Las Vegas?”

He grinned, and once again I was struck by how human he could be. “The irony is not lost on me. But I told you before, ugly things are happening in Diamond City. War is not clean and I’m fighting a war against evil people. Percy is just one head of a massive hydra.”

“Doesn’t the mythology say that chopping off one head only makes it grow more?” I asked, remembering the stories my dad used to read to me.

“With luck, we’ll seal up the compound and keep anybody from learning how to make Sparkle Dust.”

“You don’t sound all that hopeful,” I said.

“I’m not. Percy isn’t the only one making it. I’m hoping he’s the only one who knows how to make it from people. I’ll leave you to your work.”

I watched him leave. He was complicated: ruthless, brutal, and yet he loved Price, and he was totally loyal to him. And now to me, and my family, too. He still scared the piss out of me, and yet he also made me feel weirdly safe, because he’d wrapped the shadow of his protection around me. I made a face at myself, surprised to find that I actually liked him. Of course, that was the devil’s specialty: seducing you, luring you, making you feel good, all right before he dragged you off to hell.

“Next stop, Fire and Brimstone Station,” I murmured, and then laughed quietly in the silence of the vault. It wouldn’t have been funny if it weren’t so true.

Chapter 17

The number and variety of nulls in the vault was ridiculous. I was impressed by the skill level and creativity in some of them. It was a learning experience I didn’t have time to absorb. Instead, I searched until I found what I was looking for. One entire shelving unit held pegboards with a variety of necklace nulls. I pulled down three with heavy gold chains and rectangular gold ingot pendants.
Rapper-wear
, I thought, but gold was a dense metal and as good as lead for holding the maximum amount of magic. Each was loaded with a powerful trace null. I could work with that.

I carried the four necklaces to a table near the front of the vault. Then I went back and gathered a bunch more nulls, the most powerful I could find. Three armloads later, I figured I had enough to make a start.

I began by unwinding the trace nulls in each of the necklaces and restructuring them as magic-absorbing nulls. That would be their best chance of combating the effects of SD as well as the talent cloaks. I just didn’t know if I could load them with enough power to do the trick, especially if they were hit by multiple magical attacks and the nulls drained, or if they were left exposed too long to Sparkle Dust.

No. I couldn’t think that way. I had to believe they knew what they were doing and would strike quickly and cleanly and that my nulls would be enough. To even think otherwise would send me around the bend. I just wished I had the time to create a null that would absorb and then bind the magic to power the null. That took more time than I had, though, so I had to be content with packing the necklaces with as much power as I could.

I unwound the stock of nulls and fed the magic into the necklaces. The work was slower than I liked, but I’d drained my first load and gone back for more when Price, Leo, Touray, and Madison arrived. Time was up.

I sat back from the table, tying off the last null. Even though I hadn’t had to produce the magic to reinforce the nulls, I still ached. I’d sat in one position too long, and my mouth was dry as dust. Nevertheless, the nulls were packed almost as full of magic as the gold would bear.

“I’d wait to activate them until you’re down inside the tunnels,” I said, trying not to sound as worried as I was. I kept the table between me and Price. I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t wrap myself around him and beg him not to go, or to take me with him. Not that I would be helpful. I hadn’t created a null for myself, and the one on my belly needed to be recharged before it would do me much good. I was flat out a liability at this point.

They were all dressed in tactical gear, except for Madison, who wore a bulletproof vest, but didn’t carry any weapons. She did have a metal cable double-looped around her waist and fastened with a padlock. Metal for Leo to use if he needed it, and more importantly, to find her with if she got lost or taken. Touray, Price, and Leo wore similar cables, with a pair of handcuffs hooked to each of their wrists like fashion jewelry for masochists.

“So, all ready to go?” I said brightly, still looking anywhere but at Price, or Leo for that matter.

“On our way now,” Price said.

“Great!” I sounded like such a Stepford wife.

“If things go well, it shouldn’t take long,” Touray said. “Our people will move in if we aren’t out in four hours. We’ve got them staged at several entrances. If things go according to plan, they’ll move in and shut everything down behind us.”

“Okay,” I said and pasted a fake smile on my lips. “Don’t let me hold you up.”

Touray flicked his brows up at me, clearly amused by my attempt at cheerfulness in the face of disaster. “There’s a phone outside on the desk. Dial zero and someone will come to show you the way back to your rooms.” He didn’t wait for an answer, turning away and striding out.

Leo pulled me into a hug. I kept myself stiff as I patted his back.

“Take care of yourself,” I said, a knot building in my throat.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” He leaned back to look at me. “So, Price? Really?”

I flushed. “You know he’s standing right here,” I pointed out. “He can hear you.”

Leo shrugged. “I can’t seem to get a chance to talk to you alone.” He frowned. “You’ve been through a lot. Are you really feeling okay?”

I nodded. “Except for finding out Dad tied knots in my head, yeah.”

“We’ll talk when I get back. Promise?”

“Sure.”

“See you soon.” He kissed my cheek and hugged me again. I squeezed him tightly, letting him go with heavy reluctance. He disappeared after Touray.

I turned to Madison, still avoiding Price, even though his presence filled the room to smothering. “Take care of yourself,” I told her, giving her a hug. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t,” she said. She hugged me back, whispering, “Thanks.”

I let go. “Don’t thank me. Luke got you out and these guys are doing all the rest. I’m just sitting in the cheap seats on this one.”

She tipped her head. “That’s what you really think?”

“I got lured into a bad place, got caught, and got tortured. If you want to call that helpful, then you’re welcome. Otherwise, I can’t see that I’ve done much that’s useful, except this—” I touched the gold pendant around her neck. “Hopefully that will keep you safe from magic.”

She gripped my hand. “Because of you, my sister and father have a chance of escape. That’s a lot.”

That’s when I realized she thought I was having a pity party for myself and was trying to bolster me up. “Thanks,” I said. “But the heroes here are Luke, Touray, Price, and Leo. You, too. It takes guts to go back in and face Percy.”

Touray leaned his head in the door. “Let’s go. We’re burning daylight.”

Madison squeezed my fingers again and trotted out, leaving me with Price. I edged away from him. “Be careful, okay?”

“You know,” he said, coming around the end of the table to corner me against the wall. “You really suck at good-bye.”

“I don’t want to say good-bye.”

“Okay, see you later, then.”

“See you later,” I parroted, my lips wooden. If he stood there much longer, I was going to pick the locks on the handcuffs and fasten us together so he couldn’t leave without me.

“Hey.” He put his fingers under my chin and lifted until I met his brooding gaze. “We’re going to be fine.”

“Sure. I know,” I lied, because who wants to hear that he’s probably going to die a horrible death when he’s about to beard a dragon in its lair?

He brushed his lips against mine. I fisted my hands on the sides of his flak jacket, inhaling his scent. When he straightened, I bit my lips.

“We’ll be careful.”

“I know.” And they would be, but that wouldn’t help if Percy got creative. Price knew that, too.

“I’ve got to go.”

I nodded, and forced myself to release his flak jacket. If I hadn’t been leaning up against the wall, I’d have slumped to the floor. He started to walk away, then twisted and kissed me again, this time hard, pulling me tight against him. It was over before it started. He pulled away, and I made a whimpering sound. He gave me a crooked grin and then strode out. I slid down the wall to the floor, trying to calm my breathing, and trying not to either panic or cry.

I’m not sure how long I sat there in my daze. Five minutes. Ten. Maybe fifteen. I waited until I figured they had to be on the road. At least I couldn’t run after them and beg them to let me go with them.

I tried to picture their route in my head, but the closer I moved them to Percy’s, the more tense I got. Eventually, I stood up. I couldn’t sit there forever. I had no idea what to do with myself to pass the time, but I had to do something. Anything. I ended up lining all the spent nulls up on the table, smallest to largest, and sorting them by material and color. That took another ten minutes. I looked around at the vault. I doubted that Touray had meant to leave me inside. He might never do it again. I should explore.

Since I didn’t have anything better to do and it was more interesting than just pacing back and forth and driving myself batshit crazy, I decided to take stock of the place and see what he might have stored away. That worked for about a minute or two, but then I kept thinking about where the team was now. And then now. And now again.

I snaked slowly up and down the aisles without noticing much of anything. Right until I came face-to-face with a locked glass cabinet. It contained an assortment of things, but my attention riveted on a jar on the top shelf. It contained shards of purple glass. I knew without a doubt that those were the shards from the glass heart that had belonged to my mother and hung over our kitchen sink when I was a kid.

I couldn’t tear my gaze away. I was hypnotized. I wanted to touch them. It didn’t make any sense, but even so, I pulled on the cabinet doors. They were locked. I examined the two locks. Not that hard to pick. Of course, I didn’t have my pick set on me. I foraged for something that would work. I found several necklaces strung on wire and pulled those apart and made what I needed.

It took me a good half hour to make my tools and then get the locks open. I pulled open the doors and took down the thick-walled jar. The flip-top lid was made of glass fastened down by a bale. Now that I had it, I hesitated to open it. I decided I’d go back to my sitting room. Or maybe not, since Price and Touray’s fight had destroyed it. Maybe the dining room, then. Suddenly, the vault felt claustrophobic.

I closed the cabinet, pocketing my makeshift pick set, and headed for the door. I wondered how long it had been since the others left. Had they reached the entry shaft yet? Were they down inside?

In the room outside, I found a phone on the desk, and a clock that said 3:55. They’d been gone nearly an hour. I considered a moment, then set the jar down and took a steadying breath. I couldn’t stand not having some contact with them. I could fix that. All I had to do was pick up each of their traces. Which meant reaching into the trace dimension. Which meant risking getting grabbed again.

It was worth it. Besides, I was ready this time.

I dropped into trace vision. I had no trouble picking out Price’s trace. It was burgundy with streaks of blue. Touray’s was a brilliant yellow edged with black. Leo’s emerald ribbon was as familiar as my own silver-green. Madison’s trace was dark gold, the color of squash blossoms. I reached into the trace dimension and gathered Leo’s and Touray’s trace, pausing to wrap them around my wrist. Cold washed up my arm, making my elbow and shoulder ache. I grabbed Madison’s trace next and reached for Price’s.

Something brushed against my hand. I jerked away. My heart sped. I scrabbled for Price’s trace, snatching it triumphantly and intending to yank it out of the trace dimension.

Nothing happened.

I jerked back again, and then again, but I was stuck fast, my hand locked in solid nothing. I sent null power down into my fingers. The invisible grip loosened. Before I could draw back, a blue-white hand circled my forearm. Cold washed through me. My heart clenched with the pain. I didn’t have time to think. A tug pulled me off my feet and right into the trace dimension.

Ice invaded my body. My heart stuttered. I could no longer see Touray’s house. I was surrounded by velvet purple-black. Wisps of opalescent energy swirled and drifted through a jungle of a billion vibrantly colored ribbons of trace. But none of that captured my attention. I followed the hand holding my arm up to its owner’s face.

Shock quaked through me, and my heart stopped beating.

The face was opalescent and transparent, the eyes reflecting the ribbons all around. All the same, I couldn’t doubt who it was.

Mom.

I mouthed the word as sudden sobs broke apart in my chest. Old grief poured out, and she pulled me into her embrace. It was cold, but I could feel the energy that was uniquely her wrapping around my soul. She ran her hands over my back and head and murmured to me.

“Hush, hush, sweetling. Oh, Riley, don’t cry. You’re breaking my heart.”

That only made me cry more. I buried my head in her shoulder. I could almost smell her perfume. She pet my head and then pushed me away from her.

“Oh my baby! You have grown to be so beautiful! But there’s no time. I have things to tell you and you cannot stay in this dimension long.”

I didn’t get a chance to answer. Another spirit crowded between us, bulling my mother out of the way. I recognized her immediately. Lauren Morton. Percy had killed her after all. Despite my anger for what she’d done, I was sorry. She hadn’t deserved to die. She’d been trying to save her nephew.

Her form wavered and melted inward, then firmed. Her mouth was moving. At first I couldn’t understand the twisted syllables, then the sounds solidified into sense. “Percy escaping. Killing everybody. Trap. He knows. Plane.” She flickered again and repeated the last word. “
Plane
.”

Then she lost cohesion, turning into one of the opal blobs of energy. Terror gripped me. I grabbed at her, but she was no more than icy smoke in my fingers.

“What did she mean? Can you talk to her?”

My mother pressed the flat of her hand against Lauren’s pulsing spirit. Then shook her head. “I get images. I don’t understand them, except she’s wants you to know so you can do something. She’s panicked about something.”

“I have to go. I have to warn the others,” I said. “How do I go back out of here?”

My mother hesitated. “I have things to tell you. About what happened to me. About your father. They can’t wait long.”

My father again. “I’ll come back as soon as I fix this.”

She shook her head. “No. Wait until you warm up. You might need healing. The trace realm is not meant for the living. It leaves its marks on you. But don’t wait too long. Danger is coming.” She brushed her fingers over my brow and along my cheek. “I love you. little girl.”