Wings of Fire (50 page)

God help her.

Tears trickled down the sides of her face. She had done her best, she truly had, to make the most of her life. She felt she had succeeded admirably in terms of her career. On Mortal Earth, she had loved being a librarian. Now, here she was in another dimension with plenty of power but apparently not the ability to access it in a way that would allow her to free herself or Antony.

Again her thoughts returned to Fiona’s hospital room and to that feeling of
belonging.
Then she’d seen Antony—who was really Rith—on the greenbelt.

Being grouped around the bed, she’d felt like she belonged.

But running then folding to Antony had been so rash, so separate from the group, so foolish.

She knew better.
That’s what popped into her head. She knew the level of Rith’s power. Why had she run out onto the lawn, folding to the false Antony, without so much as a whisper of anxiety?

At the very least,
at the very least,
she should have looked around, even asked Havily to accompany her outside. Militia Warriors had surrounded the building, protecting those inside, but she had hurried out, separated herself from the group, without a single thought. She had been so used to making decisions on her own behalf for so long, that it hadn’t even occurred to her in that split-second before she folded to Antony that she ought to be careful about leaving the security of the building.

Her body stilled as her thoughts heated up, as the truth of what she was thinking sank into her bones. Maybe independence was a wonderful attribute, but what had her level of independence, her
extreme
of independence actually won her?

She rocked her head back and forth. What had it won her? Well, it was pretty obvious, since she was trapped beneath a field of energy with no way out and that she’d ended up in Rith’s clutches again.

Her situation suddenly seemed fully of irony. That which she had relied on for so long was in this moment her complete undoing, and not just hers, but the undoing of the man trapped in a separate field opposite her. He had followed her to try and save her and now he was trapped as well and destined to be executed on Greaves’s whim.

Holy shit. This was all her fault.

If she had it to do over again, what would she do? She would have paused. At the very least she would have waited to see why Antony was out there. She would have contacted him telepathically. She would have consulted with ascenders who had been on Second Earth a helluva lot longer than her own sweet self.

Her thoughts took a leap, an important one. Could she turn to the group now? Could she consult with others, say,
with Endelle,
to help her get out of this fix? Did she have enough power to do that?

Maybe.

Air whooshed into her lungs. She opened her voyeur’s window and thought of Endelle. The next moment there she was in one of the palace rotundas, surrounded by all the Warriors of the Blood.

She was about to attempt a communication with Endelle when she heard Thorne cry out, “We have to assemble the army at once, Endelle. For fuck’s sake, we don’t have a choice. Greaves has just folded another five thousand Militia Warriors and another hundred death vampires to the South Rim.”

Parisa faltered and her window wavered, a preternatural form of stumbling. Greaves was attacking? The South Rim was at the Grand Canyon. He was bringing an army to Arizona to attack Endelle’s forces? She wasn’t sure, but she thought her situation may have just gotten worse.

Oh,
whatever
.

And here she was with one of their best warriors locked up behind an impenetrable field.

Parisa moved her window close to Madame Endelle.

Hey, boss lady,
she sent. She wasn’t about to try for subtlety.
Parisa here. Are you registering this telepathy?

Endelle turned to face her off her left shoulder. She stared straight into Parisa’s window and in that moment the Supreme High Administrator opened her own voyeur’s window and met her face to face. It was the weirdest sensation, like two lap-tops facing each other.

Well, what do you know. She’d done it.

Endelle turned to the warriors. “I’ve got Parisa in my voyeur window. Hang tight, men.”

Parisa heard the shouting and whoops of excitement behind Endelle, but Her Supremeness called out, “Shut the fuck up! Let me talk to her.” She turned back to Parisa,
Okay, so where the hell are you, ascender?

Trapped in some kind of temple beneath an energy field. Antony is with me trapped under a separate field.

I’m going to pan back. Don’t fucking move.

Endelle did just as she said. Parisa watched her window move away from her.

It’s pitch black,
the Supreme High Administrator shouted, which of course was like knives through Parisa’s head, but hey, she’d made contact. Endelle could shout all she wanted
. I can’t see a fucking thing.

No shit,
Parisa responded.
Can you get a fix on me, on Antony? Can you fold us the hell out of here?

Endelle closed her eyes but after a moment opened them.
No can do.

Can you tell me how to get out of these fields then?

Endelle shook her head.
Not my power. Let me bring Alison in.
“Kerrick,” she called out. “Get Alison over here, on the double.”

“You got it.”

Parisa panned back and watched Kerrick whip his phone to his ear. She looked from one warrior to the next. They looked wrecked, stunned, and a little confused probably because she’d made contact and because, oh, yeah, Greaves was planning what sounded like a major offensive at the Grand Canyon. She also recognized Colonel Seriffe, head of the Militia Warriors.

Thorne drew a little closer. “What the hell is going on, Endelle?”

“Parisa and Medichi are trapped somewhere beneath energy fields, the kind Alison created in the arena battle. So, yeah, they’re alive.” More shouting went up, quieter, but Endelle scowled at her warriors. “Celebrate later. We’re in trouble here. Energy fields. Got it?”

The boys settled down.

Parisa saw a shimmering beside Endelle, then Alison came into view. A few seconds of explanation and Endelle put her hand on Alison’s forehead, which allowed the powerful ascender to see Parisa, window-to-window. She made eye contact with Parisa.

An energy field?
Alison sent.

Yep. I’m flat on the floor. I can’t even lift my arms up. How do I get out of this? I haven’t tried to work with energy fields before but I thought maybe since I could throw a hand-blast and dematerialize …

Right,
Alison sent. She took a deep breath.
The first time I erected a field, I just thought the thought. And you’re right, it’s not unlike folding or throwing a hand-blast, just another aspect of power.

This wasn’t very helpful. Alison looked behind her. Parisa panned back to see what Alison was seeing. The warriors were talking.

Oh, dear God,
Alison murmured inside Parisa’s head.

What? What’s going on?

Have you heard this stuff about Greaves and his army?

Yes, that he’s gathering his troops at the Grand Canyon.

He’s challenged Endelle to a battle. Thorne just said that Stannett checked in earlier and said unless there was some kind of miracle, she’d lose today.

Parisa’s heart sank. She needed her own miracle to stay alive and to keep Antony alive, but she needed to let Endelle and Alison go right now so that they could work on this much bigger issue. She searched through her mind and had a thought.
Alison, I know you need to leave, but is there a chance you could download your “field” abilities straight into my head? I can take it. I know I can because I’ve had Endelle in my head and Antony as well. Will you do that for me?

Alison turned back to look at her.

Endelle butted in.
Of course she’ll do it but hurry the fuck up. Get yourself out of that hellhole and would you please fucking complete the
breh-hedden
?

Alison didn’t miss a beat.
Ignore her, Parisa. Just take your situation one step at a time, okay? Are you ready?

Yes. Do it.

The images of the arena battle from seven months ago began to flow through Parisa’s mind. She knew enough about taking someone else’s memories to keep her shields down. She saw the battle with Leto in an instant replay: the cutting off of his arm, the reversal of the time-pocket, Leto’s counterattack, then Alison erecting the energy field, effectively trapping the warrior on the black mats of the battle zone.

It was over in seconds.

Parisa blinked into the pitch black for one, two, three seconds. She smiled.
Thanks, Alison. I think I’ve got it. Tell the warriors I’ll do my best to bring Antony home.

You go, girl.

Parisa closed her voyeur’s window.

You go, girl.
Was there a sweeter, more sisterly thing Alison could have said?

Parisa closed her eyes and let Alison’s memories flow once more, feeling exactly how Alison had built the field. But could it be done in reverse and with someone else’s energy creation?

She turned her hand palm up and held her hand against the field. Removing a field meant taking the energy in, not releasing it. But it was Rith’s energy. Could you take someone else’s energy into your body?

She almost thought the thought, but held back. Maybe some sort of “ground” would help. She planted the fingertips of her left hand onto the terra-cotta bricks next to her just in case the energy needed someplace else to go.

She thought the thought and as though she’d opened a valve, the energy started flowing into her hand in a terrible numbing sensation. Just as she’d expected, it traveled up her arm, across her shoulder, her chest, to her opposite shoulder, down her left arm, and began to flow through her fingertips and into the bricks.

It took only a matter of seconds but by the time she was done she was panting and her chest hurt. Too much energy, too soon after being brought back to life with those fucking defibrillator paddles.

She reached up a weary hand—and
no more field.
The sudden relief eased the physical pain.

But she still couldn’t see a damn thing despite her preternatural vision. Apparently the eyes needed some light to work with.

She crawled on her knees in the direction of Antony’s strong, even breathing. At least the warrior had gotten some sleep.

When she reached the field around him, she groaned. It was much larger than hers—more a jail cell than a coffin. She thought maybe a different pathway would help, so she stood up, put her left hand on the field, and kicked off her shoes.

She refused to think about how uncomfortable this was going to be. Instead, she just let the energy flow. She tensed then relaxed and realized her decision had been a good one. The energy moved straight down her left side, missing her heart altogether.

When the last of it was gone she called Antony’s name.

I searched for you

In the wilderness

I called your name at the darkest hour

I broke every promise

And shattered the unknown

I called your name when my heart was open

And you were there, Beloved,

You were there.

—
Collected Poems,
Beatrice of Fourth

CHAPTER 23

Medichi awoke to the sweetest sound in the world—Parisa speaking his name.

“Parisa? You sound so close, but I can’t see you.”

“I didn’t want to startle you.”

She was closer now, closer than she should be, like really close. Was he dreaming? He sat up then gained his feet. He put his hands out in front of him. “Where are you?”

“Right here. I … well, how do I say this … I contacted Endelle through our mutual voyeur windows. She brought in Alison, who sent me a nice little download all about energy fields. They’re gone. The fields are gone.”

Relief washed through him like a flash flood during a monsoon storm. His knees buckled but he caught himself.

“You’re kidding” came out of his mouth. “I mean, that’s fantastic.” He grabbed for her and the next moment she was in his arms and flat against his chest, stuck to him like a wet autumn leaf. A series of sobs bounced her beautiful breasts against his. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay. You did great. It’s okay. I can’t believe it. You’re amazing.”

She laughed and cried but after a moment she took a deep breath. She pulled back but only far enough so that her hair brushed his chin. His nose started itching, and a second later he sneezed.

“I’m covered in that awful dust. Antony, what do we do now?”

Just as the words left her mouth, a distant light flicked on and Rith’s voice echoed across the room. “Ready for the next round, my dear?” The rattling of wheels sounded at the same time.

The field was gone. Was it possible he could fold? Would it be this simple?

One thing was for sure, he wasn’t going to wait around to find out.

Medichi clutched her close. Just as Rith appeared in the doorway, he thought the thought. The next moment he was holding Parisa in his arms at the foot of his own bed.

Holy shit, they’d done it!

“Did we actually make it out?” she asked.

“Yes. We did.” He looked down at her, still clutching her hard against him, afraid she would vanish straight out of his arms.

“What if he follows your trace?”

“He tried that once before, and I almost had his head. Remember, he’s not a warrior. He’d never be that foolish to come here again although I’d love for him to try.”

She blinked up at him. “Antony, we did it.”

He nodded, still stunned. “But how did you come up with using the voyeur window?”

At that her expression softened. “I figured something out: I don’t have to go my own path alone anymore. I got us into this mess by chasing Rith’s illusion outside the hospital because all my life I’ve acted independent of everyone. I had to let that thinking go, to think differently. And the moment I had that thought, I remembered that Endelle also had a voyeur’s window. And now here we are.”