8
Savannah
I parked my Fury in the temporary parking outside of the Hall of Inquiry. We’d driven all night back to the dunes, where Jaxson had dropped Casey and me at our rides. We’d all headed to Magic Side as dawn started to creep above the horizon and made good time until we hit the outskirts of Chicago.
Already exhausted from the sleepless night, I was pretty sure the rush hour traffic had sucked the last breath of life from my soul. I texted Neve that I’d arrived, then took a sip of the Zinger I’d picked up on the way. My nerves didn’t need the buzz, but my tired body did.
Heaving myself up, I climbed out of my Fury and groaned as the aches and pains of driving crept down my spine and into my legs.
Jaxson pulled up in his truck behind me. I headed over and pounded on his door, and he rolled the window down. “I’m going to ditch the Soul Knife,” I said. “It shouldn’t take long.”
He nodded. “Need me to come in?”
“I’m not sure you’re allowed,” I replied, recalling our last encounter in the Hall of Inquiry. “Can I crash at your place after? I don’t think I’m in any state to deal with Aunt Laurel.”
A smile crept up at the corners of his mouth. “Of course. I’ll be here when you get back.”
I did my best to hide my reaction and walked away. “I need sleep, Jaxson.”
Neve waved from the stairs as I made my way across the square out front. The weathered stone of the neoclassical building matched the gray sky.
“Hey, there.” She pulled me into an embrace, then held me at arm’s length as she eyed me. “You look…”
“Like an exhausted mess?” I prompted. “I’ve been chasing shadows through the woods and driving all night.”
“Pretty much. I thought you’d take some time off after everything that happened at Bentham,” she said, laughing. “That place is a shitstorm magnet.”
I smiled dully. “Yeah, well, I’m not sure we solved anything at all. We defeated Dragan, but I’m pretty sure we woke a monster in the process.”
Neve glanced over as we climbed the steps to the brass doors. “What do you mean?”
My stomach suddenly clenched. How much should I tell her? Jaxson’s warning was still fresh in my mind. We thought Dragan would be the one to release the Dark God, so we took the bastard out. If the wrong person hears of this and puts two and two together, they might decide to do the same thing to Savy.
I hadn’t known Neve long, but I trusted her. As for the rest of the Order, however, I wasn’t sure. Even if they were well intentioned, the Hall of Inquiry probably leaked rumors like a rusty sieve. The wrong someone might hear, but I had to tell Neve something, even part of the truth.
I rubbed my tired eyes, hoping the Zinger would kick in. “The wolves have a legend of a Dark Wolf God that will bring devastation to our world. Well, I think killing Dragan woke him, and now everything is messed up.”
Neve stopped and put a hand on my shoulder. “First off, I know that tone of voice. Whatever is going on, don’t blame yourself for this. You stopped a catastrophe at Bentham. We saw the runes Dragan burned into the roof of the prison. By the looks of the spell, he was going to send the whole place, along with its magic, nuclear.”
I recalled Dragan’s words, shouted toward the sky: I have prepared your altar, great one! A sacrifice unlike any before.
Neve squeezed my shoulder gently. “That explosion would have hit the lakeshore with a tsunami, Savy. So whatever else happened, you stopped a lot of people from dying.”
Or had I just deferred their fate?
She released me and gave me a warm smile. “Cheer up. You’re not on your own. I’m here to help, and so is the Order. What can we do?”
Taking a deep breath, I said, “First, I need to get rid of the Soul Knife. I think it has a role to play, either in my hands or in someone else’s.”
“I see why you wanted to unload it so quickly. The good news is that Archmage DeLoren is waiting to take it and lock it in the Vault. But if there’s anything else you need, let us know.”
Could you lock me in there, too?
I held my tongue on that one.
Neve turned and headed up the last steps into the Hall of Inquiry with me right behind, and we pushed through the front door, avoiding a few officers on their way out.
The front room was bustling with employees arriving to work. Breaking out of the crowd, I followed Neve down a marble corridor to an open elevator.
I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from fidgeting as I watched the glowing numbers on the door descending…1, 0, B. “So, what exactly is the Vault?”
Neve flashed me a grin. “It’s a magically concealed labyrinth with hundreds of portals that lead to hidden rooms scattered around the world. It’s the best place to keep something safe and practically impregnable.”
The nerves fluttering in my chest eased a smidge. “Good.”
The sooner the cursed thing was locked away, the better.
Bing. The doors opened at level V. We followed the warmly lit corridor around several corners until we reached a heavy brass door.
I eyed the symbols engraved into the metal. Electric energy pulsed around us, and my skin prickled. “It’s beautiful.”
“And deadly. No touching,” a gruff voice sounded right behind us, and I jumped.
“Archmage DeLoren.” Neve smiled. “Nice to see you again. This is my friend Savy.”