“All right, we’ll move forward, Cass will stir up the ground over Christian, and the rest of us will hold the perimeter while she pulls him out.” Aaron’s directions made it seem far too simple, but they all agreed knowing it wouldn’t be easy at all. “Cadence, stay in the back,” he added, and she looked at him with an arched eyebrow for a moment before nodding. She would stay behind the others until Daunator showed up. Then, all bets were off.
Elliott and Aaron went first, staring at the ground before each step in order to make sure they didn’t inadvertently walk on any of Daunator’s pits of destruction. Not that it mattered if he decided to create shafts for them to fall down. Still, she didn’t blame them for being as cautious as possible.
Cass followed them, floating above the ground so she wouldn’t have to worry about it, and Cadence made sure she was using her X-ray vision before taking a step forward. Jamie reached out and grabbed her arm, gently tugging her back. “It’ll be okay,” he whispered, the look in his eyes conveying he understood how she felt. He might not be carrying a baby with him, but the idea that he had something more to return to was obviously a present concern.
Cadence nodded, not sure if she should hug him or shrug it off like it was no big deal. It was, though. This was a man who would do anything he could in the world to keep her safe. He’d brought her back from the brink of death before, and if called upon to do so again today, she knew he’d do whatever it took. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders quickly and then let go, following her husband’s steps as they picked their way across a minefield, the tears in her eyes annoying but not a distraction since she was capable of seeing right through them.
The holes were everywhere. In some places, the thin damn that separated one from the next was so small, it was impossible not to step on at least the outer rim of one of Daunator’s pits. Even when her boot accidentally landed on more than a few inches of the fragile dirt, it didn’t budge. In fact, it felt like solid ground. Cassidy was right. Whatever Daunator had done to make this illusion, it was fascinating—and it made her wonder what else he could do.
“Okay, guys. It’s about to get dusty,” Cassidy warned them with a deep breath. Cadence was standing a few feet behind her as Aaron and Elliott had positioned themselves in front of the sisters, their Berettas drawn.
Cassidy held out her hand, and the ground in front of her began to stir. At first, Cadence thought the hole covering might move as one block of dirt, but then, the breeze hit it, and a small dust devil formed between Cassidy’s hand and the ground. It swirled around, growing in size, and Cadence found herself stepping back away from the tiny dirt particles that threatened to obscure her vision. Maybe the helmets she’d suggested earlier would’ve been a good idea, especially with plastic visors.... Eventually, her sister was able to toss the dirt away from them. It continued to ride the wind for a moment before sprinkling onto the grass. Cassidy floated on the edge of a very deep hole.
Her sister hadn’t said anything to Christian until now, and when he came over the IAC, he didn’t sound like himself at all. In fact, Cadence wondered if all of this had been a trick somehow, and Daunator didn’t have the real Christian. Maybe he really was on the beach in Hawaii somewhere. But Cassidy could see into his mind, and as she explained to him that she was lifting him out of the hole, that they were there to rescue him, his protesting turned from adamant that she leave him alone to more like his old self, the closer he got to the surface.
It took a few minutes, and by the time Christian’s face appeared a few feet down from where Cassidy was floating, it was evident the Hybrid was getting tired. He was levitating fairly quickly, which was a plus since Daunator still hadn’t raised his ugly head, and Cadence began to think there was a chance they could actually get Christian and leave. They’d still have to come back, but at least they wouldn’t be so vulnerable when they did.
The Guardian’s hands reached up over the lip of the hole, as if he wanted to do the last little bit himself. Cassidy was keeping a grip on him, Cadence could tell, but she let him pull himself up over the top of the hole and drag himself out. He was covered in grime, and the odor wafting off of him was almost enough to make Cadence gag. Apparently, living in a hole in the ground for a week or so wasn’t good for personal hygiene. Still, she was relieved to see his face, and the fact that he was acting more like himself now was hopeful.
Cadence stepped around her sister and helped Christian up, ignoring the stench. “Nice to see you,” she said as he dusted off his pants, not that it helped. “Now, we need to get out of here.”
“Get out of here?” he echoed, the smile he’d given her at first acknowledgement of her presence vanishing. “We can’t. We have to get Daunator.”
“We will. But for now, we need to go back and regroup. The most important thing is that you’re safe now.”
“No, Cadence, you don’t understand. We can’t just leave from here! We can’t just let him go!”
The crazy was back—she could see it in his eyes. He grabbed her by the shoulders, squeezing a little too hard, and Aaron stepped over, pulling Christian off of her by the forearm. “Listen, Christian, I agree. It’s important we come back and end this, but you need medical attention. And a good visit with Hannah.”
“No, you don’t get it. I wasn’t the only one down there. He’s building an army. As soon as these vessels are full, it will be time, and they’re almost there.”
“Christian—”
