Шеннон Мессенджер - Keeper of the Lost Cities

She shrugged, hoping her face wasn’t as red as it felt. “No problem.” Her smile faded. “But we still don’t have nexuses. How are we supposed to get home?”

“People leap without them all the time.”

“Yeah, people who don’t need them anymore.”

“We’re close enough—and we’ll concentrate extra hard when we do it. We might come back a little faded, but that only lasts a few days.”

Easy for him to say. His meter had been three quarters full. She wasn’t even to the half. If simple mathematics applied, that would mean she’d lose more than half of herself, which might make her fade away.

But it was their only option.

“Well, we can’t do it until sunrise.” She pointed to the angle of the crystal, which clearly needed dawn light to create a path. “Maybe we should find somewhere to sleep for the night.”

Dex nodded. “I can’t believe there’s a crystal to Eternalia hidden in the Forbidden Cities. Do you have any idea how illegal that is?”

She frowned. “I wonder why it’s here.”

“So we can come and go as we please,” a gruff voice said behind them. Sophie and Dex whipped around to find three figures cloaked in black pointing a silver weapon at their heads.

The kidnappers had found them.

I WOULDN’T SCREAM IF I WERE YOU,” THE FIGUREwith the weapon warned them. “I’m not afraid to use a melder, and you will not enjoy it.” He pointed the metal gadget at Sophie’s forehead. “A few seconds will only stun you. Any more will cause permanent damage. Do you understand?”

“You wouldn’t do that with humans around,” Sophie said, hating her voice for shaking. The bridge wasn’t crowded, but there were a few people out for evening strolls. One of them would notice the three figures in black hooded cloaks threatening children and call the police.

All three figures laughed, and the one with the weapon—who appeared to be the leader—moved a step closer. “They have no idea we’re here.” He pulled a small black orb from his cloak. “This is an Obscurer. It bends light and sound around us like a force field. All anyone can see or hear right now is wind and a slight distortion in the air, like heat waves radiating off the ground.”

Sophie reached for Dex’s hand. They were on their own.

“I don’t know how you escaped,” the leader hissed as he handed a coil of silver rope to one of his goons. “But you can rest assured it won’t happen again.”

Sophie bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry out as the goon jerked her hands behind her back and tied them tight. “How did you find us?”

“The Black Swan must’ve thought we wouldn’t check our own pathways. Let that be a lesson to you. Never underestimate your opponent.”

“If you’re not the Black Swan, who are you?” Sophie demanded.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” the goon sneered as he tied her ankles. The cold metal wire cut into her skin, but she barely felt it as she focused all her concentration on calling for help.

Please, Fitz, she transmitted, imagining him in the halls of Everglen. Her brain buzzed with energy, and she pushed her mind further than she ever had before. We’re in Paris—Pont Alexandre III. We need help. Tell your dad and please hurry!

Maybe adrenaline enhanced her concentration—or maybe it was wishful thinking—but the message seemed stronger this time, like she could actually feel it swirl inside Fitz’s mind as he struggled to ignore it.

Please listen to me. I’m not dead—but I might be if you don’t come. Please send help.

Strong arms shook her shoulders so hard her brain rattled, severing her connection.

“She was transmitting again,” the goon yelled. “Never heard a call that loud either. We should get out of here in case anyone heard her.”

“Agreed—and don’t try that again unless you want to find out what the melder would do to your powerful little brain. Understood?” The leader pointed the weapon between her eyes.

She swallowed the bile filling her mouth. “What are you going to do with us?”

“That’s none of your business. Let’s go.”

Dex hadn’t said a word since the kidnappers appeared. Sophie figured he was in shock, but he must’ve been channeling, because in one rapid burst he ripped apart his bonds and jumped free. “Duck, Sophie,” he screamed.

She dropped to the ground as a beam of energy whizzed past her.

Another blast from the melder missed Dex as he slammed the leader to the ground and knocked the weapon from his hand.

The other goon grabbed the weapon and blasted Dex in the chest.

Dex flew backward and collapsed on the ground, his body jerking in a seizure.

“Maybe I didn’t make myself clear,” the leader growled as he dusted his cloak and snatched the melder from his goon. He pointed it at Dex’s chest and delivered another blast.

Dex thrashed and flailed, strange gurgling sounds coming from his throat.

“Stop,” Sophie begged. “We’ll cooperate. Just stop.”

“Of course you’ll cooperate. You have no choice.” He blasted Dex again, and this time Dex didn’t move. His blank, lifeless eyes stared into nothing, and Sophie squeezed her eyes shut to block the image.

He’ll be fine, she told herself. He’s just unconscious.

“Get your hands off me,” she screamed as a goon yanked her to her feet. A bony white hand squeezed her arm, and she memorized every detail of the pale scar between his thumb and forefinger so she could track him down and find him. The line was white and crescent shaped, with jagged points—almost like a bite.

The word triggered a flood of memories—vivid and clear—and this time they were her memories.

“You!” she gasped, jerking her head around to get a better look at him. The deep cowl of his cloak hid his face, but she knew who was hiding in the shadows. “I know you.”

“You know nothing,” he growled. But there was a dash of uncertainty to his voice. He shoved her forward, laughing when her bound ankles made her stumble.

“Stop playing around,” the leader yelled at his goon. “Get rid of the boy while I take the girl back to the keep.”

“You can’t do that!” Sophie shrieked.

“How are you going to stop us?” the leader asked as he pointed the melder at her forehead. He snorted when she didn’t say anything. “That’s what I thought.”

Something inside her snapped as she watched the scarred goon heft Dex’s limp body over his shoulder to take him away and kill him.

She’d heard of seeing red , but this wasn’t red. This was fierce, black hate . It clouded her mind until it consumed her.

All sound vanished and her whole body shook with a frenzy she didn’t understand. She pushed the anger and darkness out of her mind, needing to be free of it. When the last ounce of hatred was gone, her vision cleared and all three figures were slumped on the ground, holding their heads and writhing in pain.

Her bonds snapped like they were made of paper, her muscles strengthened by the strange energy still pumping through her. She ran to Dex.

His body was limp as she pulled him free, but she could feel a weak pulse. If she could get him to Elwin, he would be okay. He had to be okay. He couldn’t die because of her.

She fumbled through the heavyset figure’s cloak and grabbed his pathfinder. She spun the crystal and locked it into place on the facet it stopped on, hoping it wouldn’t take her to one of their secret hideouts. She didn’t have any other options, so she just had to take the chance. It didn’t matter where they went, just so long as there were elves there to help.