THE LAST TIME THE KNIGHTS STOOD proud and confident upon the seal of the Order, Wren and Dronor still lived and Dev, amped up and envious, had patted his friends on the back and sent them off in high spirits. This time, though, no one sat on the sideline.
Magnus, dressed for battle in a loose-fitting Quinsteele mail shirt over battle-worn leathers, spun the head of his axe behind his head as it rode his shoulder. The tightly woven links of his armor obscured the mountain-scape symbol of his element upon his breast. With his long blonde hair and beard, Dev thought he looked every part the Viking chieftain.
Cassidy squirmed on his right, decked out in leather so new and tight it squeaked when she moved. Her fingers absently traced the grooves and openings in the basket hilt of the elemental cutlass that hung from the navy blue sash at her hip. She could have been a warrior goddess fresh from the storybooks if it weren’t for the neon white Nike’s on her feet.
“Do I have to wear this?” Cassidy griped, and pulled at the waistband of her leather pants. “I can hardly breathe in this getup.”
“It could save your life.” Dev held out a fistful of Quinsteele chain. “Here. Cyndralla said you could borrow this.” He shook out the mail shirt. The tight weave of metal links whispered as it settled into form. “But she wants it back.”
Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Great. More uncomfortable crap.”
“Oh, stop complaining and slide your arms through.” Dev helped her wiggle into it and admired the fit. “Was that so bad?”
Cassidy looked surprised as she shrugged her shoulders. “It doesn’t feel any different. I expected the chain to add a bunch of weight and be all noisy and stuff.”
“That’s the beauty of Quinsteele,” Magnus said. “Stronger than Kevlar, lighter than aluminum and exceptionally quiet.”
“It comes to this, my friends.” Stillman’s voice rumbled low and grave. “Gray must be stopped. I will continue to work with Cyndralla until you make it inside the building. At that point, use the scrying mirror to capture an image of the lobby so Cyndralla can open a gateway for me to join you.” Stillman turned to Dev. “You still have the mirror, do you not?”
“Yes, sir. It’s in the condo.”
Stillman pulled a small pink item from his pocket and handed it to Dev. “Use this one. Cyndralla made it especially for Wren.”
Roughly the size of small cell phone, Dev turned the plastic case in his hand then flipped the catch. One side sprang open, revealing a compact mirror.
“I assume it works like the big one, right?” Dev asked.
“Yes. Point and tap the glass. The image will be transported to the big mirror in Cyndralla’s room. She’ll create the gateway as soon as the image comes through.” Stillman looked to each Knight in turn and raised his arm in farewell. “I must get back. May the elements shield us.”
“And guide our way,” the Knights responded in unison. Even Cassidy, having not been aware of the ritual, spoke the ancient words.
Stillman bowed and turned. “Oh,” he spun back to the Knights, “Develor Quinteele, you are reinstated and free to, what is that term I’ve heard you use…kick ass.” Pronouncement made, the Precept hurried from the room.
“Straight down Gray’s gullet, right?” Magnus asked.
“Yep. Let’s kick his teeth in.” Dev summoned a gateway to his condo and led the group through.
* * *
As a tribute to Wren, Dev wanted to drive her pink Chevy into battle. Magnus balked, but when Cassidy conceded shotgun and climbed into the back seat, he caved. He hugged his knees and fiddled with the radio until some suitable ass-kicking tunes rattled out of the tinny sound system.
Dev had ridden to war on a horse, in a tank, even standing in the back of a chariot, but never in a pretty princess mobile. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Being in that car made him feel like Wren was there.
They rolled into Tampa with the windows down and Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” cranked all the way up. Magnus shook the whole car with his head banging, but that didn’t explain the vibration Dev felt through the wheel. Though he stayed in the middle of the lane, the wheel rattled as if he was running over the safety reflectors paved into the median. At first he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, that the road broiled and seethed, but the headlights showed the real story. Bugs, millions of them, repaved the road with their shiny carapaces.
“Now that’s gross,” Dev said.
“What?” Cassidy asked.
“The ocean of bugs we’re driving over,” Magnus answered.
“What’choo talkin’ ‘bout Willis?” Cassidy looked out the car window.
In the rearview mirror, Dev watched the color drain from her face as she caught sight of the broiling black tide in a passing streetlight.
“You okay, Caz?” Dev asked.
“Sure.”
Magnus grinned at her. “You don’t look okay.”
“I’m fine. Turn around. Mind your own business.”
After he turned onto Kennedy, Dev cut the lights and the music. In the post-Rob Zombie quiet, the insect invasion performed their night time concert of chirps and buzzes. It was loud enough to drown out any noise their car would make.
In this racket, I could have brought the bike.
In addition to the noise, the creepy crawlies drove all the people off the streets after sundown, which would work in the Knights’ favor. With no one around, they could focus on Gray and his minions.
“I’m going to park a few blocks away. We’ll walk it from there. Hit the main doors.”
“We’re not going to have to stomp through the bugs, are we?” Cassidy asked, her voice quivering. “I…I don’t know if I can do that.” She shuddered.
Dev chuckled. “No worries. I can do something about that. They won’t come near us.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
The Fire Knight parked next to a few cars in an otherwise empty lot two streets down from the Daegon Gray building. Dev got out first. Heat radiating out from his ankles, he cleared the area of insects before Cassidy got out of the car.
“There. See?” Dev pointed to the cleared ring of asphalt around the car. “They’ll stay out of my heat.”
Cassidy nodded and molded herself against his shoulder, her gaze darting from side to side to check the borders of their safety zone. She seemed to breathe deeper when the line didn’t waver.
“Satisfied?” Dev asked.
She nodded.
While they checked each other’s gear and Magnus got big behind the SUV, Dev scanned the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.
We’re too exposed.
He never liked guerrilla warfare, preferring the simplicity of open fields and straightforward battles. There was something honorable about two forces standing toe-to-toe and duking it out until only the strongest and toughest remained. But tonight…he had a bad feeling that churned in his gut.
“I’ll take point,” Dev said. “Magnus, you’ve got the rear.”
“Figures.” Magnus’s coping mechanism was to bitch, but he knew the drill.
“Caz, you’re in the middle.”
“Goody. I’m the creamy filling in this sandwich. A girl should be so lucky.”
Magnus snorted. “You’re going to fit in just fine.”
“You goin’ stone, big boy?” Cassidy asked when Magnus didn’t finish his transition as she expected.
“If I need to. Slows me down.”
“Gotcha.”
Dev enjoyed the chatter. After all Cassidy’d been through, she’d held up amazingly well. Pride welled, but a sudden blast of bone grinding fear chased it away. Not for himself, but for her.
What if something happens to her? What if I lose her?
The questions turned his mood black, inviting the welcome sense of rage into his heart and soul. The familiar emotion uncoiled and pushed the heat of his element through his veins.
A low growl rattled in the back of his throat.
They will not get her.