She was the only person—shade or human—who seemed able to fully accept people, to know who they were and still want them. Fuck knew she’d done it for me, for Knox, for Wade. It wasn’t a stretch to think that Kit and Deacon stood beside us for the very same reason.
“Well, if you love the shades so damned much, I’m sure when we drag you back, you can join them. Have you been missing the North Tower? Because you’ll be back there soon—just another filthy lab rat.”
Deacon held his hands out as if the idea didn’t worry him in the least. “You’re welcome to give it a shot, but bigger and tougher men than you have tried their luck and lost.”
And that reminded me that despite Deacon appearing mostly human, he really wasn’t. I’d never seen him go all out, never watched him in a real fight, but it seemed I’d get to witness it now.
Still, I held myself still, unwilling to jump the gun, to rush into it until I was sure we had to. I didn’t normally worry much about that, but there we had others who weren’t nearly as indestructible as I was.
“Now!” yelled the solider who had spoken, and as a testament to their training, all the soldiers raised their guns at once.
I reached for Hera, ready to push her behind me—a few tranqs weren’t much to me, but just one might incapacitate her—but the shots happened before anyone could do anything.
Or so I thought.
The tranqs struck something that wasn’t flesh. Instead, they slammed into an invisible shield inches away from us, then fell to the floor. To my side stood Bowen, his eyes bright and burning and locked on the soldiers. He jerked his chin up, and the soldiers flew backward, the barrier he’d erected flying outward.
And that was my cue. I sank into the rage inside me, gave in to all that coursing power, let it wrap around me and fill every last bit of me. The strength and rush of power made me feel like myself again.
Even before the soldiers rose again, I threw myself forward with a roar, but I was far from the only one. Deacon rushed forward, as did Kit. Bowen remained in his place, though his focus said he worked hard. Sure enough, when one soldier came forward, instead of striking Deacon, he hit a wall. It seemed Bowen’s defenses worked against them but we could pass through them.
I’d never realized that a brownie could be this useful.
My brain clouded as my body shifted, my thoughts slowing and simplifying until they were locked on nothing but removing the threat.
So I trusted myself and let go.
* * * *
Wade
I got the remaining shades out through the door at the back of the church, then had them hide in an attic space Bowen had set up above the infirmary. I’d have never known about it, but Soshi had taken over and ushered them through.
Despite her age, the girl was tough and capable. I could tell she helped Bowen, that she’d had to grow up quickly and had thrown herself into the role. She grabbed a pack with food and medicine and handed it off to one of the others as they helped one another into the small attic space, moving quickly, suggesting they’d practiced this all before.
The sound of fighting in the other room drew both Soshi’s and my attention. What if something happened to Hera? What if she was bleeding out in the other room?
I understood why she’d sent me here, why I needed to help these people, but it didn’t mean I liked it. I had so much power, but it was also extremely limited. On my own, against humans, I was no stronger than the others. In fact, I was weaker in many ways, especially because I didn’t have a clue how to fight nor had the physique to win by size and strength alone.
So letting the other handle the fight while I escorted the more vulnerable away was the right call, no matter how much I hated feeling sidelined. We didn’t need these shades to turn into collateral damage or hostages.
“Up you go,” I said cheerfully to Soshi despite the lump in my throat. I needed to get her safe before I could return, before I could check on Hera and see what was going on.
Soshi hadn’t looked away from the sound.
I saw her plan a moment before she did it, before she darted past me and back toward the main room.
I reached out, ready to snatch her arm, to force her into the safety that I knew she needed to go to, but she flinched away and my hand encountered an invisible barrier rather than her.
Damn brownie…
She avoided my grasp, darting past me, and it made my choice easy. I peered up and into the frightened faces of the hidden shades. “I’ll go get her, so close it up.”
They nodded, then pulled the string, which shut the door and pulled up the ladder to the attic space. Once closed, it was nearly impossible to notice, which should keep them safe so long as they remained silent.
I didn’t need to see Soshi to know where she’d gone. It was the worry on her face, the matching worry inside me. I understood her actions perfectly because they were what I would have done in her place.
It meant when I arrived back in the large central room, it didn’t surprise me to find Soshi there, on the outskirts of the violent skirmish.