Torn. Part 26

It would solve a whole bunch of problems. Kowalski would close the case and leave me alone. Two sociopaths would stay out of my neighborhood. Billy might even take Colin off babysitting duty, freeing me up to deal with the Torrent and find Verity's killer. It was one lie, and so much good would come of it....

But Colin's words came back to me. You have to see the consequences. And tucked among all those good things was one undeniable consequence-I'd be more like my uncle than I'd ever wanted.

"Mo? Do any of them look familiar? Did you see any of these guys in the alley that night?"

My words came from far away. "I don't recognize any of them. I don't think any of these guys were there."

"Are you sure?" Elsa's voice held the faintest edge. "None of them?"

"No. I'm sorry." I didn't know who I was apologizing to.

Kowalski closed the folder and stood up. When he spoke, his voice was weary. "It's okay. The ID would have helped, but we've got other evidence, too. I appreciate you trying."

He walked us out to the lobby area, where my uncle and Colin were waiting. No one said much of anything until we reached the parking lot. "Well?" Billy demanded.

Finally Elsa answered. "Mo was unable to identify either suspect."

Billy swore. "You ungrateful little brat! Do you know what you've done?" He grabbed my arm and shook me once, hard. Instantly, Colin was beside me.

"I told the truth," I snapped, wrenching my arm away. "You should try it sometime."

"Don't you take that tone with me. Those men are dangerous."

"Why? Because they're criminals? That's a little pot-meet-kettle, isn't it?"

He went still as the storm built, and he stepped so close I could see my reflection in his pupils. "They are nothing like me! Don't presume to understand the pressures of my position. You are a child."

"Oh, yeah? That's who you send to do your dirty work? If those two were so bad, so important, go after them yourself!"

Colin stepped between us, and Uncle Billy turned on him.

"You were supposed to talk to her! What in the h.e.l.l am I paying you for?"

He set his jaw, and his words were careful and even. "You said to keep her safe. Is that still the job?"

You could see Billy clamp down on the anger, fingers twitching as if he was fighting the urge to throttle me. "Yes. She's making it harder for both of you."

"I like a challenge," Colin said, and led me away.

When we were far enough down the sidewalk, he sighed. "That could have gone better."

"Do you think I should have done it?"

"Not really. I wish you hadn't gone toe-to-toe with your uncle in the parking lot, though. All it did was p.i.s.s him off and make him look bad. I'm trying to keep you off people's radar, Mo. You're not exactly cooperating."

"Sorry." I kicked a crumbling chunk of pavement away.

"You were honest. Most of the time, it's a good thing." He looked over at the truck. "Times like now, for instance."

I looked up to see Luc leaning against the truck, a fedora pulled low over his eyes. His smile glittered and I felt my heart catch in my throat even as disaster loomed. I kicked a pebble, harder than strictly necessary, into the gutter.

"Afternoon," he called, tipping the hat up, eyes full of mischief. We crossed the street, Colin seething next to me, and Luc brushed a kiss over my cheek. Then, snaking one arm around my waist, he stuck out the other hand for Colin to shake. "Figured it might be time to introduce myself."

CHAPTER 25.

"What were you thinking?" I grumbled, hours later, as Luc dragged me down a darkened corridor.

"Told you-seemed like time I met Cujo face-to-face. The man was gettin' suspicious."

"That's what he does-he suspects. Everyone. It's his job. And he's crazy-good at it."

"Relax, Mouse. Now we've met, he won't worry so much. I showed him I'm harmless."

Right. Harmless. Kittens stalking yarn b.a.l.l.s were harmless. Luc was a lot more panther than kitten. He'd put on a show for Colin and then left, but when he'd arrived in my room after midnight, he'd barely said h.e.l.lo. Instead, he'd brought me Between, to here.

"So you're actually telling me that the Water Tower is some sort of woo-woo holy place? Seriously?" I didn't bother to hide my skepticism. "It's a stop on a bus tour, not a shrine."

Evangeline clipped ahead of us through the dark and echoing corridors, calling back, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this building is a significant part of the city's history, yes?"

I pulled out of Luc's grasp. "It's one of the only buildings that survived the Great Fire, back in the eighteen hundreds. But that was engineering, not magic. Stone doesn't burn."

"Please don't be so literal, Mo. It is the mark of an inferior mind. This building is rich with history-the walls practically hum with that energy. And to be so intimately tied to three of the four elements magnifies its power."

"Water, fire, stone," I murmured, pa.s.sing a picture of the crenellated tower standing proud amid the rubble of the Fire. "Wouldn't it be better if it tied into air, too?"

Luc gave me a tense smile. "No need to get greedy. It's like talents-the more you have, the rarer it is. Only place we know with all four elements in one place is the Binding Temple."

"Oh." That seemed like a topic better avoided, so I tried another. "Why are we here?"

Unerringly, Evangeline led us toward the center of the building, to the base of the tall limestone tower, and we stopped underneath it, staring up into the vast empty chamber. Faint moonlight shone in from the windows at the very top, leaving us in a weak pool of light.

"The fact that you and Lucien were able to complete the Binding Ceremony was a surprise to me," she admitted. "It struck me that perhaps the prophecy was more flexible than we had previously imagined. I began to look at our scholars' findings with a fresh eye."

"You're telling me there's another way? The prophecy might be wrong?" Luc asked harshly.

"There's wiggle room?" My entire body went rigid. Verity had died, Luc was stuck with me, I was playing second-string savior, and none of it had been necessary?

Evangeline held up a hand. "Calm yourselves, children. The prophecy stands as it always has. But if my niece's death has proved anything, it is that the fabric of our destiny is not as tightly woven as we thought. To be frank, Verity stood a much better chance of survival than you do, Mo, but even she had no guarantees."

Luc looked up from the window, where he was tracing an ornate stone lion's head, and shot her an accusatory glance. "You promised the binding would protect Mo."

"I believe it will. If the prophecy will bend to allow Mo to take Verity's place, perhaps the timing might also be adjusted. We've always a.s.sumed the Vessel can face the Torrent only at the very moment it begins-that the repairs must be made after the lines have failed. Now, our hope is that you might reverse some of the most decayed sites before the Torrent reaches its peak. A more gradual approach would be safer, and if Mo can sh.o.r.e up sufficient lines and junctures, we may stave off the Torrent altogether."

"Maybe," said Luc. "If she was ready. She needs more time to figure out how it works, what she can do. Why are you rushin' this?"

"How will she figure it out without experiencing the lines, Lucien? You're losing sight of the larger picture. Perhaps the binding has clouded your judgment."

His face darkened. "It's nothing to do with that."

"Excellent. Then you should have no trouble remembering your loyalty lies with our world's future."

She addressed me over Luc's shoulder. "The Binding Ceremony proved the ring accepts you in Verity's place. You'll use it now."

"How?"

"It will let you tap into the lines while providing a buffer against the raw magic. Between Lucien's magic and the ring, there should be protection enough."

"How dangerous is it?" I asked. Did it matter? I'd sworn to get justice for Verity, no matter what the consequences.

Evangeline looked straight at me. "We've told you all along. Raw magic is deadly to Flats."

"So if Luc can't protect me . . ."

"I will," he said, but Evangeline cut him off.

"Then the Torrent will come. If you're in contact with a line when the magic ruptures, you'll be killed instantly, just as any other Flat would."

I swallowed. "And the lines . . . there's a lot of them?"

"You're standing in one right now. There's another three inches from your left ear. They aren't rare, Mo, just invisible."

"It's too risky," Luc said. He moved to me, taking my hand. "You're not ready."

My shoulders slumped at his words. But I forced myself to ignore the hurt, addressing Evangeline instead. "What do I do once we start?"

Her glance slid away. "We think there will be a tangible component to the magic, something you can manipulate, but we can't be certain until you've actually begun the work. It's a question of faith, I suppose."

"Faith," I echoed. Twelve years of actual written tests on the subject of faith, and this particular situation had never been on the syllabus.

"The ring will bring the Darklings, though."

"There are spells we can set-wards of protection that will shield you. You may not have seen me fight as Lucien has, but I a.s.sure you I'm up to the task."

"We should wait," Luc said again, charm slipping into something more urgent. "Bring in the others. More help we have, the better."

"There are others?" I asked. Evangeline waved a dismissive hand.

"I've spoken with them. Convening the Quartoren will take too long. They feel it's best to proceed immediately. Even your father agrees, Lucien."

He frowned, shaking his head slightly, and grabbed my other hand. "You can say no. We can put it off a little longer. This ain't right."

Evangeline shook her head, as if puzzled. "What is it about her that you question, Lucien? Her abilities, or her courage? Or her commitment to our cause?" She brushed him aside and rested her hands on my shoulders, giving me an encouraging smile. "I no longer doubt any of those things about you, Mo. Verity didn't, either. Will you do this for her?"

Slowly, I pulled the ring out from beneath my shirt. Luc fumed only steps away. "She saved me," I said, trying to make him understand. "I need to make it up to her."

"And you shall," Evangeline said, shooting Luc a triumphant look. "We'll take care of the Darklings. Lucien, begin setting the wards."

His face was hard, the planes and angles less forgiving than they'd ever been before. Wordlessly, he reached behind himself and drew the same sword he'd had the first night the Darklings had attacked. The gleaming blade traced patterns in the floor and air around us. Dark red flames shimmered, brightest where his sword touched them. Soon the air was alive with the shifting lights.

Evangeline regarded him critically. "You've been practicing."

He barely glanced up. "She's going to need all the help she can get."

He thought I'd fail. The realization cut into me more deeply than any magic could. I knew he would protect me-he'd told me enough times that I was their last chance-but I had hoped he'd believe in me, too.

"What do I do?" It felt as if the world was picking up speed around me while I stayed still.

"Trust your instincts," Luc said, not pausing in his spell-work.

Oh, G.o.d. We really were screwed.

Evangeline joined him, adding wavering lines of crystalline blue. "Once you've accessed the magic, work as quickly as you can. Don't allow it to pull you in too deeply. Lucien will remain with you. I must stay on the other side of the wards. Should there be too many Darklings, we'll retreat."

Luc stopped casting spells and came to stand next to me, more anxious than I'd ever seen him. "This will hold," he said quietly, tapping my wrist. A small burst of magic pulsed along the binding, a jolt of heat under my skin. "I'll keep you safe. Trust me."

With shaking hands, I slipped the ring off the chain, held it cupped in my palm. The blue stone shone dully in the moonlight, the four diamonds surrounding it like stars. "The way you trust me? You don't even think I can do it. Let's finish this, please."

He took the ring from me, not meeting my eyes.

"Begin," called Evangeline from the edge of the circle.

Luc turned slowly, inspecting the lattice of glowing magic that surrounded us. Dragging in a breath, sorrow plain on his face, he slid the ring onto my finger. It nestled snugly against my hand, and we both stared at it, the tips of my fingers still caught in his.

The strange starburst chased across the surface of the stone, exactly as it had the first time I'd put it on. The golden band got hot as the starburst intensified and spread, spinning rapidly outward. All four diamonds glowed bluish white, the intensity startling in the dim room.

"It didn't do this last time," I said. "In the park."

"More magic here," he replied.

Tracings of light began to crisscross the floor with a shattering sound, like ice on Lake Michigan just before it thaws. I pulled back, but Luc kept my hand in his.

"Lines are respondin' to the ring." His voice was a whisper. "Hold on, Mouse."

I didn't need to be told. The lines pulsed around me, in time with my heartbeat. Was this how Arcs lived? The lines overlaying everything, magic pulling on them all the time? Was this how Verity had felt? I shook off Luc's hold, moving toward the lines in front of me as if weightless, my eyes drifting shut. I didn't need to see-I could feel the distinctive brushstroke of each one-fire was warm and silky, reminding me of Luc, and air was glittering and needle-fine, water cool and slick, earth rough and substantial. The intersecting lines called to me more insistently. I reached out for the strongest one, remembering Evangeline's instructions not to be drawn in too deeply. But the pull was irresistible, and my hand stretched out of its own accord, about to plunge into the stream of energy.

Behind me, something came Between with a ripping sound. My eyes snapped open and I saw a horde of Darklings ma.s.sing around the framework Luc and Evangeline had constructed.

With a cry, Evangeline stepped forward, a long, forked staff appearing in her hands. She began to turn it slowly, gradually increasing speed as the Darklings approached her. Light streamed out of the staff, crackling like lightning, and the smell of ozone filled the air.

Next to me, Luc cast more wards, building up an ever-brighter wall of magic around us.