“Come with me.”
The rasp in her ear sounded very far away, as if she were at the bottom of a deep well. Lucy wouldn’t mind staying there. Just for a bit.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Ravi said in a calm, efficient tone. Battlefield calm.
She didn’t move. She was still glowing green.
He reached for her elbow and her heartbeat bucked.
“Don’t,” she barked. Lucy pushed herself away from the speaker, her thoughts in a million pieces. How could Ravi dare to touch her in that state? And, oh God. Cole had seen her illuminated with fire but not burning. And she had blown up the prom. Claudia’s prom. Oh, Clauds.
Ravi tucked her hand in his and pulled her toward the exit. He wasn’t taking no for an answer.
Other students raced by her, loping down the hallways with a clickety-clack of high heels, bumping into one another, groping in the darkness. Havoc. Total havoc. Lucy shook.
In a daze, she allowed Ravi to lead her toward the parking lot.
“Claudia. I need to find her.” It was Lucy’s first coherent thought.
“You can call her later. We should get you home.”
“Before I can cause any more destruction?”
“To make sure you’re okay.” Ravi shot her an authoritative look. Lucy would be annoyed except she knew he was only worried. Possibly scared. With good reason. He’d never seen Lucy in action before.
His brow crinkled, reaching toward Lucy’s nose. “You’re bleeding.”
Frak. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing.”
“Just let me see that Claudia’s okay and we can go.” Lucy hadn’t been able to spot her on the dance floor when the lights shattered. She would never forgive herself if Claudia had been injured. She wiped away the rest of the blood.
Ravi nodded, realizing she wouldn’t back down.
High beams momentarily blinded her. Lucy squinted, rushing toward where they’d parked the Mystery Minivan. The lot became checkered in red and white as students dove for their cars. At least it was a prom no one would ever forget.
Claudia’s space was empty.
No way would she ditch Lucy. Her stomach rolled over.
Amidst the gunning engines and squealing tires, Lucy detected her “Imperial March” ringtone. Wait. She didn’t have her phone. Huh?
With precision, Ravi withdrew Lucy’s small, beaded evening bag from the inner pocket of his tailcoat.
“Full-service date,” she said. “Not a date, I mean—”
He cut her off. “I should have stepped in with that wanker sooner.”
There was no need to explain any further. Ravi had been watching over her, taking precautions in case she blew her fuse. Ha. Tonight she was indebted to his vigilance.
“Thanks,” she said, and opened the purse. Lucy had been the one who failed him, failed to remember her training, to keep her emotions reined in.
1 new message
Her lungs practically collapsed in relief. Claudia was the sender.
Your services are required. If you wish your friend to remain unharmed you will make your way to Long Island City within the next 90 min. Further instructions to follow. Come alone.
The parking lot whirled around Lucy. Shaking, she passed the phone to Ravi.
His fingers tightened around the case as he read the message.
“It’s a trap,” he said.
Rage like snow settled over her and the haze of her mind cleared. “Obviously.”
“You can’t go.”
Lucy balled her hands into fists. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do.” Her voice was colder and more dangerous than black ice. “This is the Order of Sophia, isn’t it? They’ve kidnapped Claudia to get to me. Well, they can have me.” And if they touched a hair on her friend’s head, she would make them regret it.
“No.” Ravi framed her face with his hands, his eyes beseeching. “You’re too important, Lucinda.”
“To the Archimedeans?” She couldn’t care less about them when Claudia was in danger.
“To me.” He crashed his lips into hers, heedless of the fleeing prom-goers. This kiss was wild, fevered. Flames licked the underside of Lucy’s skin. She kissed him back with forceful lips and teeth before pulling away.
“Claudia’s my family, Ravi. I have to do what the Sophists say. You would do the same.”
His chest rose and fell as he stabilized his breathing, regaining control.
“I don’t think it’s the Order of Sophia.”
“Why not?”
“They wouldn’t require your services,” he said coolly. “They don’t want you to use your powers at all.”
“Who else could it be?” Lucy grabbed for the tourmaline even though the stone had failed to stop her eruption in the gym. “Who else could know about me?”
“Has there been anyone new in your life lately?”
“Besides you?”
Ravi didn’t laugh. “Besides me.”
New in her life? Other than Ravi, she couldn’t think of anyone. It had been the same ol’, same ol’. Cole, Claudia … Holy crap.
“Not in my life,” Lucy said. “But Claudia just started dating Jess around the time—in fact, they met the same day you started teaching at Eaton High. I don’t know, though. She seems so smitten, I find it hard to be—”
“Blast!” Ravi exclaimed. He hammered a fist against his thigh. “This Jess, if that’s her name, do you have any photos of her?”
Lucy took back the phone and began to scroll. No. Oh no, no, no. Jess had refused to be in the prom photos for a reason—and it wasn’t shyness.
“Claudia said Jess had to make a call earlier. I thought it was strange to be phoning anyone during prom.” Her voice faded out as she recalled the times she’d made direct contact with Jess. Lucy had felt guilt. She’d just assumed it was her own for not wanting to share her best friend before they left for college.
Ravi cursed. “The blackout provided a useful diversion.” Catching Lucy’s stricken reaction, he added, “It would have happened regardless.”
That didn’t make her feel any better. Defeated, her head drooped. She stared at Claudia’s megawatt smile on the screen of her phone.
“If the Order of Sophia didn’t take Claudia, who did?” Lucy asked miserably.
“The Freelancers.”
“The who now?” Her gaze flicked up. “You’re telling me there’s another faction of crackpots I have to worry about?” Reality had just taken the bullet train to the Twilight Zone. She laughed in desperation.
“The Freelancers are defectors from both Orders. Mercenaries. They contract for the highest bidder.”
Could they have been the ones to send the photograph of Lucy to the Sapientia Group? Had they known about her for years?
“This all just keeps getting better and better,” Lucy told him. “What do they want with me?”
Ravi exhaled through his nostrils. “Nothing good. Whatever it is, I’d wager it has something to do with the Tesla Egg. They must have stolen it.”
Lucy smacked her forehead.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I saw Jess and Claudia before I caught the train that day. She saw me with the egg.” Lucy really didn’t want to believe that Jess could have been playing Claudia, but it was the only thing that made sense.
Did the Freelancers know the egg amplified Lucy’s powers?
“Bollocks. Could Jess have planted a tracer on you?” Ravi asked.
“Anything’s possible. My super spy skills are a little rusty.” She’d meant it as a joke, kind of, but her words flew out daggered.
He ignored her tone. “We need to check.” He glanced around the now mostly empty parking lot. “Not here.”
“You think it’s still on me?”
Ravi nodded grimly.
“But I’m not wearing the same clothes. And I’ve been known to take a bath.”
“It would be subcutaneous.”
“I think I’d remember being injected with something.”
He surveyed the lot again. “It might have felt like a pinprick. Perhaps not even that.”
Lucy shuddered. “’Cause that’s not disturbing at all.” And even more reason to do whatever the Freelancers wanted to get her best friend back. “I need to get Claudia. Now.”
“I can’t let you play into their hands, Lucy. The Freelancers always have an agenda.”
“Not my problem.” She raised a hand before he could interrupt her. “I don’t care about some centuries-old feud between the Orders or the Freelancers or whoever else. I need to find Clauds.”
“I can’t put it beyond them to be collecting you on behalf of the Sophists.”
Lucy crossed her arms. “It’s a risk I’ll have to take.”
“You don’t know what they’re capable of.” Ravi was shifting his weight onto the balls of his feet. If Lucy tried to bolt, he was prepared to snatch her.
“They don’t know what I’m capable of, Ravi. Exhibit A: the worst prom ever.”
“Lucy,” he cautioned.
“How do they know about me? Huh?”
One hand curled into a loose fist. “We must have a mole,” he said.
“A mole? Great. Just great. What’s to say this mole hasn’t told the Order of Sophia where I am anyway?” she huffed, power curling inside her, begging for release. “You’re doing a real bang-up job of protecting me.”
All emotion left Ravi’s face. “The mole will be discovered and dealt with.”
“While you’re working on that, I guess I’m at the service of the Freelancers.”
“I admire your bravery, Lucinda,” Ravi said in clipped tones. “But we’ll figure out another way to get your friend back. Perhaps we can offer them something else. The Freelancers are always open to a trade.”
“Ravi, they want me. And I’m going. I’m not asking your permission.”
“Please, be reasonable. You’re already injured.” He pointed at a speck of blood she’d missed on her upper lip.
She scrubbed at it. “Nothing that hasn’t happened before.”
“What?” Fresh alarm tightened his features.
“It happens after training sometimes. It’s not a big deal.” She gave an exaggerated shrug.
“Lucy. You should have told me.”
“There are a lot of things we should have told each other, it seems. Like the existence of mercenary alchemists!”
Ravi tore at his gel-laden hair. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
“How about you try trusting me for a change? Claudia’s been kidnapped—kidnapped—because you didn’t trust me!”
Lucy spun on her heel and he grabbed her around the waist, dragging her back against his chest. His grip was tight but his energy was warm, gentle. Her powers were still telling her he was on her side. He just didn’t want Lucy to get hurt. But that wasn’t Ravi’s choice.
“If you care about me you won’t try to stop me,” she said hoarsely. “What would you have done if you’d been given the chance to save your parents?”
Ravi turned her around in his arms to face him, emotions warring on his features.
“If you go, Lucy, I go.”
“They said to come alone.” She raised her chin stubbornly. “I won’t jeopardize Claudia’s safety.”
“They’ll never see me.”
“I don’t know…” Lucy could probably use his help, since she had no idea what she was doing, but …
“Come on.” He stroked her cheek and smiled. “Let’s pick up my toys.”